Why would you want too?
It actually helps me get over the illness. I don’t know if it’s the light sweat or the increased blood flow (or both) that gets rid of some toxins or what. Obivously, MJ does it for a different reason than me.
Again, I’m talking if you have a cold, some fatigue, nothing that has been “hanging around for a coupla weeks”. I’m not talking if you have mono, an incredibly swolen throat, high fever, excrutiating pain, etc. We’re talking about traning while “sick” or “ill” without defining sick or ill.
I’m cautious about taking a day off everytime I don’t feel “right”, b/c my body will recognize that and always seem to have a “reason” for me not to train. My cutoff is a fever. If I have fever, I won’t train.
As for pain killers, I’ve taken a few before a game where my arm was killing me (baseball pitcher). Why? Because I’d rather be on the mound with a sore arm, then on the bench with a sore arm. Granted training for myself and playing for a team are 2 different things.
I haven’t been sick in like the last 2 years or so. If I were sick, it would depend on how sick I was, how close I was to my main event, and my current rate of progress (If I’m gaining like crazy, I keep training, If I’m maintaining, I’m more likely to consider a day off)
Edit: I also think a lot of it depends on your personality. I like to “bully” myself … especially when I feel I’m starting to get sick, I give myself the ol “Oh don’t give that I’m gonna get sick crap, boo-friggin-hoo” and train (most likely at a lower intensity). I guess I came to a conclusion, that I’m never gonna feel perfect, so if I don’t feel “abosultely horrible”, I can train.
I love this quote, “The last time I felt 100%? Probably when I was 17” – Curt Schilling