How does an athlete tackle the common cold?
Sneezing attack! My head is blocked and I feel super lethargic. I don’t have a fever; it isn’t the flu. I have a cold. Yuck! The first thing that I worry about is whether I can run or do my track workout. Will going for a run make my sickness worse and make me weaker tomorrow? How does an athlete give in to the common cold AND fight at the same time?
When we were sick as a kiddo, our parents told us to: “Rest. Take it easy.” or “Drink lots of fluids.” or “Take a Hot Bath.” Sure, those are all good tips. However, as a kid, I wasn’t trying to be a high performing runner – except to win a game of tag on the playground.
When I am sick and under the weather, I feel like I lose my identity as a runner. I want to throw my healthy habits out the window. I want to lay in bed all day. After a day of being a sloth under my comfy blankets, I get depressed that I am losing my fitness. Call me dramatic, but I start to think that I should postpone my next race. Athlete brain hits the panic button!
I have learned the following tricks to avoid feeling like I am losing my runner-athlete identity while I am sick. I hope these tricks can help you conquer your next sickness and get back to your training/work/life ASAP!
Drink water like you are hydrating the week before a summer marathon. Athletes are usually obsessed with staying hydrated before races, especially in the summertime. Use the same amount of passion for hydrating for a race for when you are sick. Coconut water, Nuun, and Supplements to not loose electrolytes. Drink up!
Take splits – of your temperature. Sounds weird, but if I have a temperature, I check it regularly on my thermometer (like splits in a track workout). It helps to know if it’s getting worse or better. The fact of your body temperature keeps you aware of what your body needs eg: if you fever is getting serious or if it is just hovering a little above normal. Think of it like a track workout, take your splits to see how you are doing. Data helps!
Athletes are tough! Be tougher than the average sick human. This means getting up and going for a walk. Or maybe just stepping outside for a couple minutes to deeply breathe some fresh air! Do a little more than the average person, because you are not average! Of course I am not saying to push yourself so much that you go backwards and get sicker….but you probably can handle walking around the block. Think about what your body is used to activity wise, your body will probably enjoy a little blood flow from a short walk. Sitting on the couch all day is a shock to an athlete’s body! For me, laying around all day makes me sad because I go into endorphin deficit.
Stretch after you shower. The steam and heat of a shower helps me feel better. When your muscles are warm and loose stretch for a little, trust me. This might be the most activity you can handle in the day. Also, a little bit of stretching helps when you start running again.
Watch cheesy inspirational sports movies. If you get sick like me, I usually watch a lot of tv. I have found watching inspirational sports movies keeps the fire under my feet. Stay tuned in to your competitive goals. Use this time to pump yourself up for your next race.
Leave the watch (especially your GPS Garmin) at home.Once you are ready to go for a run, leave your Garmin GPS watch at home. Don’t listen to your watch or your pace ---pay attention to how you feel. Just shake it out on your first run or two back. This helps alleviate the pressure of running a certain pace. Plus, since your body was weak, you will probably be slow at first. There is no reason to be down on yourself about that, so ditch the watch!
Take your rest as serious as you take your training cycle. Make sure you are not coming back to quickly. You know your body best, listen to it! But don’t be lazy either ;)
Everyone gets sick – it sucks! But there are ways to use your competitive nature and fight the sickness, rather than laying belly up. Like in racing or training - your mental game is very important! Be proactive and give your body what it needs to get back to the game.