Show up and do the best you can. If it makes you feel better we can hold hands at the back of the pack assuming you are racing the long course.

Try and get mentally prepped as best you can and you never know how you'll feel in the morning. Was sick all week prior to Gulf Coast and even left work early the Wednesday before. I essentially wrote the race off, but woke up race morning and felt great. I didn't feel great during the run, and I think there may have been a direct correlation to being sick, but it was a great day compared to what I'd resigned myself to the night before.

Yep, LC. Please feel free to yell Mush! occassionally as I drag my ass up those hills.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Thanks for the encouragement. I did one half iron with a sineus infection, felt terrible on the starting line but rallied at some point - probably when I had to focus on breathing and not drowning. And yep, faded big time in the run.

I have to confess I'm glad the race isn't today - just under 50 deg and raining hard in Philly at the moment.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Don't stress about it. A DNS feels terrible at the time, point months later doesn't "bite". There are plenty of races... And there are plenty of years.

Good luck with whatever choice you make.

FWIW: I am in a similar position to you. Raceday is 3 weeks away and I have been injured for the past 2 months. I too am prevaricating what I should do...

Pervaricating, thanks for expanding my vocabulary. ST has consistently been helpful for me with this :-)

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

What hills? I was told this race was flat and fast.

Do you want someone to hold your hand or pat you on the back? Suck it up and race like it’s your last!!!

i raced a 70.3 two days after nasty gastro which totally emptied me....i had a long day...but i still had a dip. Went back to the same location the following year and crushed it.

Like has been said, wether good or bad as an outcome, there will always be other races and other years

You know the Eagleman course?

AmZof is almost exactly the same.











NOT.

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float , hammer , and jog

Nope, no coddling. I really just wanted to whine. And to have the pressure in my head and crap in my throat go away. 1 out of 3 ain't bad, I guess.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

If you're not registered for the short course, see if you can switch.
Might as well start it and DNF if you have to.
Hope you feel better tomorrow.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

you're likely to have a great race if some adrenaline kicks in --

if you do have a good race, count on a crash two days after and be extra nice to your immune system -- tons of sleep, protein and vit C

Ginger beer + orange juice = the cure

At present, and planning on a long steady effort, I would rather dnf LC than finish CWD. My thinking might be different if I were set to hammer it.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

I've been sick since Monday, been to the Dr. twice. First visit, steroids and keep you fingers crossed. Second visit, 10 day cycle of antibiotics and no racing in Chattanooga this weekend. And it's not one of these, I'll go out there and see what happens. I feel lucky to be able to get out of bed today. Stuff happens, more races to come.

I wish I could go back in time and redo some of those races I did while sick. At the time they seem so important and our drive as athletes almost makes up go pitch up race morning. I know what you are feeling, and unlike a dog you need to use your big brain to override those feelings.

But this is a lot like relationship advice, often given, never heeded. All I will leave you with is what is the timing of this race in relationship to your illness? There is always an upward growth to an apex, then a downward healing to full health. If you were trying to train during he beginning, that always lengthens that upward line, best to just rest and sleep and do nothing during that time. If you have battled it and you feel your immune system has the best of it, then probably ok to go really slow and just enjoy the day. There is no "pushing" through things when you are sick, there is just coddling yourself to get to wherever you can, and pull the plug as soon as it is uncomfortable.

Just keep in mind that by doing the race it is absolutely going to put you back a whole bunch of days or weeks, you immune system cannot fight both things, so if you abandon your healing for racing, well that is the lowest price to be paid. The highest price is as bad as you can imagine. People that push through illness pain in a race thinking this is what you are supposed to do, well then end up sometimes with lifelong issues, or worse...

Activate Big Brain and think about what you would tell someone else to do that you really cared about...

Sorry to hear you're under the weather right before your race - that sucks. :(
Dr. Tigerchik had a good idea... I once swapped from an oly to a sprint at an event when I injured myself a few days before, they were really good about it and made the switch without any issue. Worth considering, if that's an option at your race. All the best, with whatever you decide!

I am trying this next time I am sick

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I did an obstacle race with at the start of having the flu. During the race I actually felt better, minus the sore throat and heavy breathing. Made it through just fine.

...Next day had to catch an emergency flight back home and to the hospital for a few days. Was it worth it? Yes, yes it was.

...Next day had to catch an emergency flight back home and to the hospital for a few days. Was it worth it? Yes, yes it was. //


And what if you knew that in a few years you would have chronic heart trouble, just because of this effort you did, and you could no longer race much for the rest of your life, would it be worth it then??? And keep in mind that heart injuries can be very tricky, they can lay in wait for years and years, and then one day there it is.

You just don't understand what it is to go deep and really LIVE this sport


I really wonder how many people actually break themselves for ever during races. In my opinion, if you end up in the medical tent because you went too hard, then you're simply horrible at this sport. The trick is to find your limits, not to recklessly ignore them.

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NO

Sorry you're missing your race.

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.

Thanks for the advice. I'm more participating than racing. I don't think I'm likely to really come out on the wrong end of things. I have congestion, no fever. And I'm looking to put all that climbing I did a few weeks back in Valyermo to good use ;-p

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.