Even though I still don’t have a voice and my cough sounds like I smoke 40 packs a day (If one more person calls me Marge Simpson…), I ventured out for an early morning run. I wanted to see if:
- I still knew how to run
- I could blow the best snot rockets of the century given this past week’s illness (I could!)
Try not to be jealous of my rat’s nest, straw-like hair. If you want this style you need to not wash or brush it for three days and maybe spill some Nyquil on the ends for good measure.
I’m not going to lie. It was cold.
So cold I could not work the camera and did a very interesting video instead:
(Sorry. You can’t get back those 3 seconds)
Yeah, yeah. What’s this crap for scenery? Why can’t I live in a concrete jungle?
Here is the famous blogger self portrait. The one where the blogger tries to show the scenery, but then spoils it all with her red, sweaty, sickly face.
It felt good to be out. My energy level’s on the rise and the couch and I were getting way too intimate. You can only observe life for so long before you need to jump back in.
How Do You Know If You’re Too Sick to Run?
So, indeed, there is a rule of thumb about when you should run/exercise when you are sick or have been sick.
- It’s okay to run or work out if your symptoms are from the neck up (usually cold-like including sniffles, scratch throat, light cough)
- If you’ve got more flu-like stuff – body aches, heavy cough, fever – take a few more rest days
- When you have a fever, your body is already working harder (heart is pumping harder, body is trying to regulate temperature). Working out with a fever could just make the whole thing worse as you further tax your body.
- Trying to run with a sinus infection is a really bad idea (exercise can stress the condition and can even lead to pneumonia). Take a good 72 hours before trying to run after having one of those.
- If you have a cold or are recovering from illness, lower your expectations big time. Pace and distance should be decreased. Going just a few miles at a mellow pace might fatigue you. Don’t be disheartened. You’re still healing! Give yourself a full week or two.
- Remember, you're not a pro athlete (and if you are, why do you read this blog?). The pros tend to have round the clock doctors and might be able to get out there faster after being sick than you. Don’t sweat it. They’re paid to do that. You’re not.
- If it’s not going to set you back, running is the best way to raise your spirits after you’ve been sick.
Have you ever set yourself back by running while sick? No. Not yet.
What’s the coldest temp you run in? I like to stay on the positive side of zero. No negatives for me.
SUAR
Info above from:
Should You Run When You’re Sick (Runner’s World)
How Sick Do You Have To Be (WSJ)
