Do You Run When Sick?

Woke up this morning with the onslaught of a sore throat. Not mentioning any names, but my wife has been seeking medical treatment for the exact same thing, but again, I’m not pointing fingers. She knows I love her … sickness and in health, right?

Well, today was sickness. The most common rule of thumb is if it’s below the neck, don’t strap on the running kicks. It can actually lead to much more serious health risks and you’ll be skipping more than just one workout. If above the neck, go with caution.

So, I’m not a doctor, but I guess it’s safe to say the throat is above the neck. So off I go. Wrong! I’m proceeding with caution. They mostly talk about having cold symptons or a running nose, go and go with everyone’s blessings. Studies have actually showed there is no decrease in performance and the benefits of exercise give you a mental and physical boost.

I’m going by the eyeballs and ears test. My wife has been coughing for 1 week. Not getting any sleep as a result of the sore throat. My eyeballs and ears are screaming “Don’t Do It!”

So, should you run when you’re sick?

I say do what you feel. You know you’re body better and how it reacts to stress and exercise. I’m even straying from the general rule for above and below neck because I choose to fight another day and win the overall training battle. It’s too close to the event to risk losing more than 1 workout. With that said, I would strongly suggest sticking with the below the neck rule. It’s just not safe. As a matter of fact, if you’re reading this, you’re probably reading it for a reason. Turn off your computer and run … to the doctor!

2 easy to remember points to decide if you run when sick:

1. Know your body. Knowing your body’s limits will be the key to your decision of whether to run when you’re under the weather. If you’re the type of person that has slight cold symptons and three days later, you’re quarantined with pneumonia, you’ve got no business going for a run. Walking might even be out of the question for you. But if you can squash sick symptons before they become a real issue, proceed with caution. I like to say before the issue needs a tissue! Instead of an 8 minute mile, do a 9:30 minute mile. No need to be a superhero.
2. Win the battle. Most of us start our training runs in advance of an event. Even if your issues are above neck, think about winning the battle. Skipping one workout out of 60 isn’t going to make or break you. Even Usain Bolt would agree! He takes time off for those Xfinity commercials and apparently he’s faster than ever.

Today’s bottom line … I skipped my 5 mile easy run. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I want to win the battle. And tomorrow’s battle is 15 miles and today’s decision will affect tomorrow’s performance.

Morning weight = 170.5

Today’s Meals:

When Did I Eat:

• 8:15am (Meal 1) — Herbalife Fruit and Veggie Shake with Formula 1 and Protein Powder.
• 10:50am (Meal 1.1) — El Monterey bean and cheese burrito with gluten free chips. These chips will be reviewed shortly. We’ve only been able to find them in one place so stay tuned to find out where. Oh, and by the way, they are delicious. Dangerously delicious.

• 1pm (Meal 2) — Ajinomoto Yakisoba and added protein from Odwalla. Not feeling well and this tincture echinacea is the best we’ve found for preventing cold symptons from exploding. I’ll talk more about where to buy it in a separate review.

• 7:30pm (Meal 3) — Trader Joe’s gluten free pasta and Quorn jalapeno goodness. And, homemade garlic cheese bread on just-out-of-the-oven bread can make gluten free taste like heaven. All kidding aside, gluten free doesn’t taste any different at all. For some, it’s even a life and death choice.

Today’s Activities:

• My boss (ie – me) gave me the day off from running. Those 5 miles will be made up somewhere down the road. RunKeeper will just have to wait one more day.

Friday, 10-04-2013