A mild cold last week kept me sidelined from running for a few days. Because the cold was mild, I debated whether to run anyway. There were three basic possibilities if I had hit the trail. The two most likely ones were prolonging the illness or making it worse. The third and least likely one was that the bug would just go away with no consequence. So, that led me to the decision to rest. I will emphasize that I am not a medical professional or trained coach but I’ll share the guidelines I follow when making a decision on whether to run when I’m sick, especially when I’m getting towards the end of the illness. One general rule of thumb I keep in mind is that if you stop running for illness or injury, you don’t start to lose fitness for seven to ten days. Obviously you’re not gaining it either, but at least you can get it back quickly. Also, to keep this post from getting to novel length, the types of illness I’m referring to below are mild to nasty colds or stomach bugs. When dealing with more severe issues, it’s good to consult with a doctor.
There are the very easy decisions on whether to run while sick, such as when the symptoms are so severe that the thought of even going to the store or a short walk sounds excruciating, much less going for a run. Obviously I’ll stay in and rest. This tends to happen on at least the first day or two when I’m feeling crummy.
Next come the relatively easy decisions. These are on days three or four, where I feel like I could knock out a few miles but I know that it would sap me and possibly prolong the illness. I can’t think of a good reason to run in a situation like this, as I’m not doing my body a favor.
Then there are the difficult decisions. These happen on day five or six where I’m starting to get back to a fairly normal state. On one hand, I don’t want to relapse. On the other hand, sometimes it’s good to just go out and start running again and not take on the symptoms of a hypochondriac. So, I consider several things here. If I have a race coming up and I do feel legitimately better, I may run a very light three miles to see how it goes and to shake my legs out. But, if I have a trip coming up and I’m hoping to get some good running in while travelling, I may give myself the extra day rest. If I have nothing planned, I will lean towards running three miles at an easy pace.
The most difficult decision on when to run are the times I suspect I’m coming down with a bug but it hasn’t slammed me yet. Do I go out and get one last good workout in, knowing I’ll be sidelined? Do I rest? Part of the difficulty is in determining whether I’m getting sick or if I’m just wiped out from a long week. Generally, I consider how I’ll feel after I’m done running. If the thought of going out for a run gives me the sense that I’ll be inordinately exhausted when I’m done, I’ll back off. Otherwise, I will probably lean towards the run, then hope for the best.
If you do find yourself under the weather and need to take a few days off, you probably shouldn’t make up the mileage you lost once you’re well. Doing so could increase your risk of injury. While your fitness should remain for seven to ten days, and while you can probably add a few extra miles to the week when you’re coming back, a significant increase could be problematic. Also, you can look at the positive side. Your muscles have had a chance to relax and loosen up and for the workouts you do have planned when you’re back, especially the speed ones, you may feel a lot more fresh while doing them. I’ve felt the extra boost from rest for the past several days and the running has been very enjoyable.
Running food review of the week: (note–gels, bars, chews, and other items affect everyone differently. Try them on a short run before using them for a key training run or race): Gatorade Tidal Punch. This is part of their “Flow” line. I can’t place the flavor on this one. However, it’s acceptable. It’s also a very light type of Gatorade which makes it ideal for pre- and in-run consumption. I drank this before doing a seven mile run with some significant hills while pushing my daughter in the Bob. I felt good the whole time and the pace was solid, so I’ll give it a thumbs-up.
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