What do you do when you get the FLU?

Triathlon Forum
1

So I got the flu last Wednesday and have done v. little (<20 min) or no training since then as I’m trying to get over it. The problem is that I have two Olympic distance races coming up, one on April 3rd, and a more important one on April 16th.

Any suggestions on what I should do up to these races to get back in shape? I should be able to start back training on Wednesday or Thursday but I’m not sure how quickly I should get back into the volume and intensity. Before I was sick, I was at about 13kpw swimming, 130 mpw biking, and 30 mpw running.

Thanks in advance for the advice.

2

I curl up in the fetal position and cry for mamma. Sorry I can’t be of more help. I am a wuss when I get sick.

3

Hmm. I would probably do 3x20 quarters at fast. Should flush anything out of the system. If you need a timer I hear Bruce Denton is around.

4

This is going to be long, but hey…I don’t post often so I have alot of pent up writers rage in me. It also may not be popular, but oh well, here goes anyway.

The first thing you do is re-evaluate the true importance of those races.

Oh ya, caveat to my rant. I should practice what I’m about to preach. I got a cold on Thurs, moved steadily from head only, to head and body aches, to body aches and nasty cough, which is where i’m at now. Took Friday, sat off, easy spin with a couple of short intervals to test the body on sunday, taught a super intense AT over/under spin class tonight. Got home, super achy with wicked chills and shakes. It was while I was shivering in a scorching shower with blue fingernails that I had the following epiphany.

Okay, back to my rant. If I were you, re-evaluate how important these races truly are in the grand scheme of your over all season. It’s still early and there is lot’s of time to get that PB. The worst that could happen is you don’t allow yourself enough recovery time, train too hard leading up to the race, race too aggressively and get a re-lapse that probably hits you harder than the first flu, and sets you back a full month or more.

Better scenario, ease back into it, perhaps skipping the first race all together, and simply “participating” in the second one, using it as a training race, and going 1/2 to 3/4 speed instead. You come through healthy, ready to build towards your next goal.

I find it interesting that us amatuer age/group types tend not to see the forest for the trees in situations like this. We miss the big picture and get hung up on the one we’re going to miss, instead of all the others we have ahead of us. And I’m not just talking about the current season either, but next season and the one’s after that.

Anecdotal evidence.

Paulo Bettini cracks his knee on the team car door at Worlds, pulls out for fear of causing long term damage by racing. BIG PICTURE

Lance pulls out of Paris-Nice, fearful that racing with a cold could compromise future training and goals. BIG PICTURE

Robbie McEwen pulls out of the entire Spring Classics season due to round two of the flu so he can still be ready for the tour. BIG PICTURE

George Hincapie pulls out of Dwars Door Vlanderen and Brabantje Piil this week due to a cold so he can be ready for Flanders, Roubaix and Amstel Gold…BIG PICTURE

Get my point? The pros have a much better grasp of what is important in the long term, and aren’t afraid to throw away a couple of races so they can bounce back quickly, without relapse and fight strong the rest of the season.

So, my suggestion…if I were your coach, take it easy for a couple of more days, maybe an indoor trainer ride tomorrow, really easy to get the body moving, if that feels okay, a little more intensity on the bike the next day, then probably a day off just to make sure, then an easy run, shortish to test the lungs. By Sunday we’d have a good idea of where you are at, how much fitness you have lost/kept, and re-jig your program. Probably skipping the April 3rd completely, and training through the next race at 1/2-3/4 speed, looking to future races down the road to target for results.

Flame away…

btw, i’m supposed to have my first race on Friday, we’ll see if i take my own advice or not…

5

Take the day of work but stay up late and watch old reruns on TV all night into the early morning while pouring back Absolut vodka and orange juice until you pass out on the coach. You’ll wake up with a hangover but the flu will be gone. It has to be only Absolut vodka, made in Sweden. No other brand is as effective.

6

I usually take it easy ramping back up as in easy intensity - build back to the intensity and a little lower on the volume until fully recovered. My personal preference is to make sure I am fully recovered as to not get sick again or prolong the cold. I would not try to make up for any lost ground though - just try to easy back into what you already had planned. It looks like you have pretty good volume for an Oly so you should get your fitness back fast - the forced rest can sometimes work to your advantage. Two years ago I was sick up to the Tues before WF, so I just used it as sort of a forced taper and did some very light workouts on Wed/Th and a course pre ride (MTB race) on Fri - the race went really well. GL with yours.

7

i’m actually in a similar situation, being a couple of days now without a fever and a road race on april 3. Yesterday was a shortish and easy session on the trainer, and today was a relatively short run outdoors. i probably should have just run inside, even though doing so would drive me crazy. i wouldn’t push it at all for the first several days working out, althtough i’ve always felt the most comfortable working hard in the pool after i was sick.

8

Simple: REST!!! You’ll do more for yourself by resting for a few days doing nothing vs pushing it. If you are already at those distances, you will be more than fine. You are not going to lose your fitness by resting for a few days. The distances that you are doing sound more for a 1/2 Ironman, not an Olympic.

And don’t whine: at least you can compete in early April. There is still a foot of ice on our lakes at that time of year.

9

when i have a real case of the flu i drink guinness and eat soup - and watch chevy chase movies. i like porno but cannot maintain an erection when i am that sick. i do no training. none at all. i shave my legs if i have the energy. thats all.

10

Ian- Thanks for the advice but as strange as it sounds, the April 16th race is actually a big race for me. The race is collegiate nationals so I’ve basically set up my training since December to peak for it. So while I understand and appreciate your analogy, I think its incorrect as collegiate nationals is closer to the Tour than Paris-Nice for me.