"When it comes to running first marathons, there are many lessons that can only be learned on the course, not on the internet." - Hal Higdon
OK, so, every run you're getting closer to THE DAY. You know, THAT day in February. You're entering into the grip of heavier training each week. Since you began training a few weeks ago, your body has been trying to fight off every evil detriment that lurks around every corner to derail your fitness. You're more indoors around sick folks, not to mention all the phones, pens, books, and whatnot that you borrow from all your sneezing, sniffling, and coughing friends and co-workers. They are crammed with germs trying to knock you for a loop just when your immune system is hanging a little low because of all your he-man and she-girl training. So, what happens when you wake up one day and your throat feels like the Great Chicago Fire, your nose is as red as Rudolph's, and you're convinced you have malaria? I, of course, being made of super-human DNA, refuse to let it affect me. However, sometimes. for some reason, my runs feel like I have bowling balls strapped to my legs and my breathing reminds me of my run up Pikes Peak!
When a cold hits, everyone wonders "Is it safe to run or do I let my fitness flow away like the proverbial water under the bridge?". Seriously guys, the rule of thumb regarding running with a cold is that if your symptoms are from the neck up (sniffles, sneezing, sore throat, coughing) then it is usually safe to run EASY if you want to. If the symptoms are in your chest, you have a fever, or your legs feel like two cement pylons, then get a sweatshirt, a cup of chicken noodle soup, put your feet up, and just accept the fact that your boss will probably put more miles in than you will for the next couple of days. Studies continuously have shown that you won't lose any fitness level from your training unless you do absolutely nothing for 7-10 days (depending where your fitness was to begin with).
If you're training for a long distance event and you get a cold, the best thing to do is drink a lot of fluids, back off your running, and let it run it's course, which is going to take 1-2 weeks, no matter what you do. If you try to run through it feeling completely wiped out, you're just going to make things worse because you'll stay fatigued and your body won't be able to fight it. If you have a cold, antibiotics won't help because the cold is a virus and AB's kill bacteria. You can treat the symptoms, keep yourself warm and hydrated and try to get some extra rest. When you finally are up to running again, do some slow, short runs until you get your endurance back. Don't try to catch up on the training sessions you've missed, just ease back into the scheduled program and try to convince yourself that the extra rest is actually going to make you stronger.
Personally, I have found some things you can't do if you have a cold:
1) you can't run without blowing your nose constantly
2) it's hard to cough your lungs up and maintain a smooth running stride at the same time
3) you can't sneeze holding a full cup of coffee!
Again, the rule of thumb is that if all the symptoms are in your head, you can try to run if you want to, but if you're coughing up stuff, have a sore throat, have body aches, or most importantly, have a fever, show some God-given common sense, and bag the run!
I'll see you on the roads - AL
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