Runnerflu > Manflu

T'is the season to be phlegmy....... 

On a sliding scale of illness severity, runnerflu comes in pretty high. Of course manflu gets all the attention but a runner with a bad cold and unable to train properly or at all is a special case.

We've all been there- training is going well, you have a path mapped out towards a certain goal when the throat starts to tingle and nose goes into meltdown. The training through sickness conundrum raises it's head. It can be so hard to be in that situation and know what the correct thing to do is. 

You take time off, you're losing fitness and feel as though you're being soft on yourself. 

You tough it out and continue to train and you risk exacerbating the symptoms and taking longer to recover and ultimately longer to get back to proper, healthy, beneficial training.

The general rule is, If it's above the neck it's ok to train. In other words training with a chesty cold or feverish is a big no no were running should be obviously out of the question.

It's the grey area of being sick but not really sick which causes the most confusion. The truth is if ever there was a case of less is more- training while under the weather is it. 

You need to ask certain questions-

What is the purpose of my current training?

If it's a race goal and the race date is near then recovering quickly should be the immediate goal. Nutrition, hydration and rest should be the priority over miles in the legs. Ultimately the training you've done and fitness gained won't disappear because of a couple of missed runs. However continuing to run and prolonging the sickness towards race day may effect your ability to utilise those fitness gains fully during the race.

If your at the start of a training cycle, training through sickness and perhaps prolonging it and therefore having a longer negative impact on training isn't ideal. Again a step back and focusing on restoring the body seems the logical step. Better to miss a few runs or run easy for a short spell of time that push the body too hard and so remain under par for longer.

If your current training is just for maintenance during the off season, which often coincides with flu season then there is no better time to give yourself a break.

There really are very few reasons to continue to push hard when sick. The 'above the neck rule' gives us permission to continue to run, but what a lot of people seem to forget is that the suggestion also says to reduce intensity. As runners we are  programmed to need, to want to get our scheduled workouts at the prescribed intensity. To bail on a workout or run it easy feels like failure, the voice in our heads starts to pipe up that you're 'being too soft on yourself', 'you'll lose fitness', 'you won't be ready for race day'. Sometimes the hardest thing to do as a runner is nothing at all. So rather than doing nothing maybe there's a case for reassessment- instead of focusing on the training plan staples of distance and paces, we need to prioritise recovery as best as we can. Think of it as a recovery plan-

• Drink plenty. Hydration is key to flush out cold's and break down congestion.
• Take Vitamin C and Zinc to speed up recovery.
• Drink hot broths and soups to sooth sore throats and feed the body what it needs to revive.
• Rest and sleep as much as possible.
• Gargle warm salt water.
• Destress- it's not the best time for tax returns.
• Go for a walk- It will get you outside and shake off any feeling of lethargy.
• Take a nice hot bath to clear the airways and sooth the aches and pains.
• Using the time that would be spent running to look at your training plan/race plan. 

Focusing on recovery and what you intend to do when you are recovered will give you a feeling of being in control- yes you are unwell but you have taken control and decided to plot the best possible pathway back to training rather than just ignore it and hope for the best. It's all to easy to feel unwell and sit around feeling sorry for ourselves. By putting a focus on recovering it can force you to remember to do those things that will get us to where we want to be.

Sometimes running smart means not running at all.