Being the stubborn and proud person that I am, I like to think that I rarely ever get sick. I plow through the changing seasons with ease while everyone around me coughs and sniffles for days on end. Well, at least that’s what I wish happened.
This week has been nothing but sickness. Instead of logging long mileage on the bike or countless laps in the pool, I’ve spent most of my time logging hours laying in bed and drinking countless glasses of orange juice. Needless to say, this has been a very frustrating week.
But all this prolonged time away from my training got me thinking… what is the harm in working out while sick? Could it really be THAT bad if I decided to stick with my program and hit the gym? Turns out, it is. Yes, I realize I could have called any mother in America to get this answer but come on, who really listens to their parents’ advice anyway. So after searching Google for any article that would give me an excuse to jump on my bike, almost everything I read talked about the importance of rest or low-intensity workouts. Sure, I could hop on the bike and spin for a little bit but that isn’t exactly what my training plan calls for and if rest is what the doctor prescribes, then rest it is.
So right now I’m sitting at home watching my beloved Boston College Eagles battle Duke in basketball and praying that this is the only time during the next six months that I get sick. As much as I love kicking back on a couch and watching sports, I’d rather be moving and training as much as my body will let me. Fortunately, this should be the last day away from training and it’s just in time for a semi-warm three day weekend here in DC.
*Note added 1/15/10: great post from a fellow triathlete on the same topic - http://tritawn.blogspot.com/2010/01/immune-system-exercise.html. Good read for all those people coming down with the seasonal sickness that still want to get out there and train
Well, thank goodness we have Google to confirm our suspicions. I know the time off training must be frustrating, and I'm also guessing you wrote during the first half of the game, seeing as how BC decided to stay in the locker room for the 2nd half. Had you written later in the game, I'm sure your post would have shown a little more frustration, at which point I can only assume you would have immediately taken a ride to get rid of the frustration. Either way, enjoy the rest, good luck training this weekend.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the love Justin! Let me know if you have any more questions... there's a lot more I could have written on the topic :)
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