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From: Paul Shields
Category: Coach
Date: 1/27/00
Time: 9:42:33 PM
Remote Name: 203.38.32.116
Chad,
I am not a doctor but can give some general advice in the area.
If the infection is only a cold then there is some controversy about whether you should train or not. The best advice is either to stop or if you do continue then, do so with a reduced mileage and no marathons. Recent studies have indicated that with 'above the neck' symptoms, and these recede when you start training, then you can probably go ahead. If it is the flu or a deeper (bronchial track) infection then please stop training. In addition to coughs and sneezing a flu sufferer also exhibits, headaches, temperature rises, aching joints, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhea etc.
Adecongestant by day and an antihistamine at night can also help to get you through.
Stopping training will decrease your fitness in about equal rate to how you gained it. A week off won't send you back to square one but rather you will need a week to get back to where you were. If you are off for a week then you should drop back to the training you were doing a week before. For two weeks off then go back two weeks etc.
Generally when you start back take it easy in both distance or speed and gradually ease into your training routine. For runners who are in the middle of a competitive season I try and keep the times (for the intervals etc) similiar to their pre-sickness times (taking into account the one for one adjustment) but ease back on the distance and number of repetitions. Performance usually rebounds quite rapidly after the bout has finished.
The psychological impact of the loss of training or racing is often the worst effect. Don't worry about any respiratory track infection your performance won't drop too much and you will soon be better then you were before the flu.
All the best,
Paul