We are debating this at work - it seems that as soon as someone gets into the workout groove, they inevitably get sick with a cold, flu, congestion, etc. What is it? The time of year, poor diet, overtraining, compromised immune system or is it just psychological? I am sure the answer lies in all of the aforementioned reasons, but wanted to hear what others have gleemed for their training experiences. Thanks in advance.
I’m no expert but for sure you stress your body and compromise your immunity during high volume/intense training. I have a hand sanitizer on my desk at work, in the car and even at home. I also take a daily multivitamin/anti-oxidant supplement (cheap stuff I get from trader joe’s). I don’t seem to get sick that often (I need some wood to touch!).
there appears to be a good deal of anectdotal evidence (at least) that when you get to a really high training load (for you) you get sick easier.
To combat this, get plenty of sleep, increase training load gradually, back off if you start to feel like crap.
zinc and old wives tale remedies probably won’t do any good.
Do you have a kid in daycare? If so there’s your reason. Since my daughter has been in daycare (she is 21 months) I’ve been sick pretty much non-stop. I got a little break in the summer and early fall but other day that, I have not been able to put 4 straight weeks of good training in yet. I’m just coming off 5 weeks of ILI symptoms.
We live in a world of microbes, some will get you sick. Its all about exposure and vulnerability. All you can do is try to limit your exposure and decrease your vulnerability (do the well documented things to boost your immune system).
Dave in Va
I remember years ago reading an intersting little article by a European pro cyclist on maintaining his health and fitness. I was struck by some of the things he mentioned as remedies or anecdotes for maintaining his fitness and avoiding injury. I’ll try to recount them as best I can, I read this in the 1980’s but it has stuck with me ever since.
In the evening sit in a comfortable chaise lounge chair with your legs elevated. Deal with problems as they arise, do not let them accumulate as they take energy from you needed to recuperate from training. Surround yourself with people who support you or remain in solitude. Avoid negative people. Get a massage twice a week. Sleep with your head facing the Equator and have a comfrotable, clean and orderly sleep envrionment. (Note: Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna also aspoused this unusual lore about sleeping with your had facing the equator). Eat clean foods and drink plenty of water.
I was struck by this top professional cyclist’s seemingly rudimentary list of recommendations. I was like, “…Duh…”. But then I devoted some thought to this, and it has stuck with me ever since: The things he suggests are brilliant.
He speaks to creating an environment free from stress or conflict, where our motive to prepare and compete is pure and unfettered. Life is simplified: We live for the bike. Eddie Borycywicz said this also. One of my coaches at the Olympic Training Center told me this too- Walter Gobelewski. He said: “Simplify your life. No car, no bills, no woman, no strife. Only the bike- like a monk. You are a cyclist- you don’t need any of those things. Ride your bike.”
When I went to Europe and bought my way onto a very minor league amateur cycling team we had one star cyclist who went ono to become rather famous, winning some very major events. This man was an American and he mentioned to us that he was lonely and missed female companionship. Our team manager, a pragmatic fellow and native of southern Belgium- a hot bed of cycling- sat down with him: “What do you need?” he asked the lad, “A girl… A boy? It doesn’t matter. I will drive you into town for a girl or a boy. You can have either. But keep your mind on racing.”
My admittedly convoluted point is that training for triathlons is enormously taxing, but in a generally positive way. Add that to other taxing aspect of our life, in a less positive way- stress from work, a bad economy, home life stress… It may simply be too much stress.
In a perfect circumstance training *adds *to our peace of mind and innner solitude. It gives us strength that bolsters our emotional and physical immune systems. When things are in balance training makes us healthier, stronger. When things are out of balance it drains us.
Training and triathlons are seldom the thing in our life that “bring us down”. They aren’t a malignant stressor. Our relationship with endurance sports is a ruthless but equitable one: It demands much but returns much. It’s commensurate. Few relationships in life with *anything *are as straightforward, as equitable. It’s usually the more complex relationships that create an inequitable relationship: career, relationship, economy, family, etc. These cn become “sucking black holes” of vital energy that take, take, take but may never give back. A measure of maturity is having the judgement and temperance to understand how to respond to these reltionships and stressors in life that can take so much, and return so little.
Whew.
* In the evening sit in a comfortable chaise lounge chair with your legs elevated. - relax when you can, yes good
* Deal with problems as they arise, do not let them accumulate as they take energy from you needed to recuperate from training. - VERY good advice
* Surround yourself with people who support you or remain in solitude. Avoid negative people. - VERY good advice
* Get a massage twice a week. - MEH, not everyone needs these
* Sleep with your head facing the Equator and have a comfrotable, clean and orderly sleep envrionment. (Note: Formula 1 driver Ayrton Senna also aspoused this unusual lore about sleeping with your had facing the equator). - ya lost me here, I will bet my life that where your head faces relative to the globe does not matter. =)
* Eat clean foods and drink plenty of water. - Eat enough food, and not junk food, good advice
For the last two years I was in the same boat. I have 4 kids at home ages 1-13 so I would be getting exposed to germs from daycare, preschool, middle school etc…
It seemed like I was constantly sick/run down and I believe I spent most of 2008 with some type of malady (did my worst 1/2 iron in July and found out the day after when my wife made me go to the doctor I had sinus and ear infections and ‘walking pneumonia’.) I felt so run down for so much of 2008 that I thought it was training for IM and only after I got healthy in the fall did I realize I got sick in March and had a cold, flu or some other problem all summer. Once I got healthy after IMWI I finally remembered what it felt like to not feel congested/sick etc…
In October I changed my diet to a much more healthy diet. I added veggies at most meals, carbs only when needed, more protein and more fruit as snacks. I also concentrated more on recovery foods such as endurox after long/hard workouts and vitamin C after long hard workouts. Also added green tea. Since then I’ve yet to get sick and that includes numerous snotty noses around the house all winter. It also includes a large run focus in December (250 total miles w/75 the week of Christmas) and a lot of COOOOLD outside running over the winter followed up with a Marathon Jan 11th, so I was training hard/lots during this time period too.
I’m 100% convinced my problem was diet. However I did get really sick to my stomach for 3 days and ended up in the ER but I think that was from some contaminated Peanut Butter Clif Bars that I had been eating and is another story…
I never got the “sleep with your head toward the equator” thing either, but I still do it. No kidding.
I never got the “sleep with your head toward the equator” thing either, but I still do it. No kidding.
well you know its always pointing toward the equator if you draw a long enough line!
=)
Moderate exercise boosts the immune system, lots of exercise can often suppress it.
Here’s my guess for your coworkers: germs at the gym. I don’t care how often you spray down the machines (and does everyone ACTUALLY clean stuff off after? nope.) They’re covered in germs. So you go in and exercise, germs all over the weights etc… you get sick.
For the record, I rarely get sick. I have never called in sick in the 27 years I have been in the work force. Part of that is genetic, my immune system works well. The other part is in my opinion, diet and lifestyle. I eat clean. Organic whenever possible, whole grains only, NO dairy (poison), lots of fruits and vegetables. I never take vitamins, and have stopped drinking for the most part.
I am sure adequate rest helps, but I do not get that in the winter. I rarely sleep beyond six hours and work days are routinely 12+ hours long.
One thing I am very careful about is cleanliness. I wash my hands frequently. I DO NOT shake hands, ever. It helps that I spend most of my day in a kitchen, so handwashing is second nature.
I am also never around children, so i am sure that helps.
You also mentioned psychological factors. I am sure this is a component of my good health/luck. I never surrender to sickness. Call bullshit if you like, but I firmly believe that by walking around saying “I never get sick”, it just happens.
And if you’re parallel to the equator? What then? Say you’re lying directly parallel to a latitude line (and thus the equator) . . . no matter how long the line you draw from your head, you’ll never intersect the equator. I think it’s pretty weird, as well. Just saying. . .
I have been battling a head cold for 2 days, I guess my geopgraphy lessons weren’t good enough. My wife is going to have to deal, I will now sleep towards the equator. More than likely I will be on the couch tonight. Might be worth it if I stay healthy.
oh shit, you are on to something.
what if you live ON the equator. you are doomed to get sick more.
And if you’re parallel to the equator? What then? Say you’re lying directly parallel to a latitude line (and thus the equator) . . . no matter how long the line you draw from your head, you’ll never intersect the equator. I think it’s pretty weird, as well. Just saying. . .
scientific evidence too
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I’ve had trouble getting my training in gear this winter. I had a cold that lasted from Thanksgiving to Christmas, combined with visits from relatives and other travel. Trying to exercise while sick and constant infusions of fresh germs from family kept me from having two consecutive days of decent workouts for close to two months. I’m sure poor diet contributed as well.
When I was finally able to get back on track(so I thought), I didn’t think to account for loss of capacity in planning my workouts, over-reached, and found myself off track again. I would do three days at my former capacity, then get sick or be too exhausted to do anything for the next three days.
Positive thinking can definitely be powerful, and I think I have willed myself out of many a cold over the years, but when you’re sick, you’re sick. Eat right, get plenty of rest, and let your body do the things it needs to do to recover. Don’t overtax yourself trying to keep on schedule, as it may result in you being further behind.
oh shit, you are on to something.
what if you live ON the equator. you are doomed to get sick more.
And if you’re parallel to the equator? What then? Say you’re lying directly parallel to a latitude line (and thus the equator) . . . no matter how long the line you draw from your head, you’ll never intersect the equator. I think it’s pretty weird, as well. Just saying. . .
HAHA, All I know is I'm getting my compass out when I get home. Gotta be sure I'm not directly east-west!!
I attributed my recent bout with the flu to increased training load and poor diet. Now that I am better, I am reminding myself to do better with regards to both rest & diet in relation to my training. So far, so good.
What is it?
In my case it’s having three grubby, runny-nosed kids. I’ve been sick for three freaking weeks now, and I have an Oli in just 10 days. Let’s just say I’m not at peak condition. I’ve kicked this “A” race down to a “B” and “C” is not out of the question. Now I wish I coulda done this race 4 weeks ago.
Doing it for a while means they are getting tired of doing it and what better excuse than to say you are sick to get out of the groove.