I usually get 2 per year. One in the winter and one in the summer.

This has been a bad year. I usually get sick once or not at all, but this year I have been sick 4 times and currently have a sore throat and occasional fever. I haven't worked out in 2 days. I hate being sick!!

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This year, zero. I take a shit load of Vitamin C: a multivitamin, a vitamin C pill, Endurox.

I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'.

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I'm not sayin', I'm just sayin'

Close to zero. I will start three or so times a year, but, if I back off for a couple days, it usually is gone before it starts.

I think it helps to live in Florida in this regard.

none, eat right, don't overtrain, get enough rest/recovery. I had a friend who was a stereotypical case of overtraining and burnout last summer and then bam 2 weeks later he comes down with mono, and just a month ago was diagnosed with walking pneumonia, it can turn into a cyclical process of being sick, training too early, getting sick, training too early, over and over.

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"The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed" - Lloyd Jones

http://www.2BePro.org

Same with me, plus I get lots of sleep.

jaretj

My personal experience is that tri training is indeed a very strong cold enabler. There are studys that suggest that long, high intensity effort temporarily weakens the imune system. I know that there are a lot of "all you need is a balanced diet" people here, but if you think you are doing all the right things and you still are having more than a couple of colds per year, I strongly recommend checking out this line of vitamin. anitoxidant and mineral supplements.

http://www.bodylanguagevitamin.com/

They are expensive, but you'll get some of your money back in Kleenex and Nyquil savings.

When the cold virus breaks through the vitamin barrier, try Zicam, which reduces the duration and intensity of the cold, sometimes by a lot.

Usually 2 times a year that would prevent me from training for a week. A couple of times I'll start to get the sniffles but fight it off. It use to not be as bad but since my son came along it seems I get sick more often. He seems to get sick every other month. As a matter of fact he is sick right now and I'm taking vitamin c like crazy hoping I don't get sick 2 weeks before Powerman AL. The problem with a 1.5 yo is they like to be held when they don't feel good. Kids are the germiest little things God created but man are they fun.



Weak

My first year training after years of sloth like activity was the worst for me. I was sick every two months. Since then I usually get one a year. However, if I feel one coming on, I cut everything and just sleep. I have fought off a couple colds that way.

Some thoughts and my experience:

1. Colds come and go and despite all the preventitive things that you do, you will get sick

2. Some amount of execise is a boost to the immune system, but I think that the amount that even many rec triathletes do actually decreases immune system functioning. Reason: People often forget to factor in all the other things that are going on in their lives that ad work and stress to the overall load on the body.

3. Love them, but kids are huge carriers and spreaders of cold's. Those non-parents or soon parents to be of kids about to start school or pre-school, mentally get your self ready to have the worst winter season of colds you have ever experienced.

4. Sleep is a big factor - get less than you need for 2 or more nights in a row and your chances of getting sick go through the roof.

5. I hate to be gross, but the more people's hand you shake, the greater your chances of being sick. Strategy - wash your hands at every opportunity.

6. You don't get a cold from being cold, but if the body is struggling to stay warm, it's taking away energy reasources that may be going towards immmune system functioning Stay warm, before/during/after training - always.

Fleck

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

I get one every three or four years. My trick is that I wash my hands and anything a sick co-worker or friend touches and when I come home from being in public places like the subway, bus, or el.

0 illness per year, cold or otherwise. I've been at my current job for 4 years now and have not missed a day due to illnes. My wife has been sick twice in 12 years. I have had sinus infections, however, that is almost a given living where I do.

We both do not take vitamins. We eat very well, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, fish and lean meats, whole grain bread or brown rice, etc. We get plenty of sleep. Sleep should be part of your training schedule. Exercise is destructive and makes you weaker and slower. Recovery after the exercise makes you stronger and faster. Why have a hard workout if you are unwilling to recover afterwards? Oh yeah, wash your hands.

So what is the concensus? Do you stop working out when you're sick? Do you keep working out, but change the workouts to easy? Do you just push through it? If you do stop or change your workouts; when do you go back to your training schedule?

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Well after reading some of these responses, I think my downfall is lack of sleep, I usually am not asleep until 11 to 11:30 and I get up at 5:15 - I work a corporate job and I train 15 to 25 hours a week (2 wourkouts...lunch and after work). I don't get a lot of rest. However, sometimes I just skip my evening workout, go home and crash (like last night)

I also wonder if I have some sort of mold/sinus allergy........often time people think they have colds, but often times it an allergy - same symptoms.

As far as working out with a cold. I think research says as long as symptoms are above the neck, you really can't make it any worse. I think what you do is delay the recovery from the cold. I've pretty much always trained through colds. I'm sure if you slept alot the recovery would be quicker, but I don't mind prolonging it a couple days - to get my workouts in :-). Often times I feel better after working out, just don't push the intensity too hard.

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People I've loved, I have no regrets
Some I remember, some I forget
Some of them living, some of them dead
All I want is to be home ".....Foo Fighters, Home

I get about 1-2 per year. I went almost 2 years free of illness until three weeks ago when I caught a nasty stomach virus on the airplane on my way to Australia. For three days I puked non-stop (I hadn’t puked in 15+ years) and had the worlds worst diarrhea (at least 60 times). I honestly thought I was going to die. I lost 9 pounds and for the first time since high school, flirted with the 160's (pounds), that’s pretty skinny for someone who's 6'4" or 193cm for our international folks.

Wash your hands, stay away from sick people, avoid crowded public places and become a germ-a-phobe. In the end however, I think my mother had it right when she said "if your gona get sick...your gona get sick".

Dave in VA