Training fears

Monday, October 15, 2012 · Mike Davis

Been a rough 7 to 10 days as I have had to replace my laptop and reinstall my programs and documents. Now I am back up and running, but during this same time I have been battling a tough cold and my energy level has been nonexistent. Most people can probably relate to dealing with being sick and trying to keep up with running, I have learned the hard way what makes sense. Let’s back it up a little and talk about the effects of running on our bodies and then get into how we deal with the inevitable training versus rest.

Whether we are training for a longer race, something shorter or just running on a regular basis, we become more susceptible to picking up colds or other similar normal illnesses. I know that when I train for anything greater than a 10K and I am out there 4 to 5 times a week, my body is more tired and tired leads to weakness in the immunity system. It’s not always easy to get the desired 7 to 8 hours of sleep that is so important in strengthening our immunity system. I know some of you Mothers out there are probably thinking that your daily life’s make it impossible to get even 6 or 7 hours of sleep! Regardless of the reason, it’s not a good recipe for stressing your body on the road, treadmill or in the gym and then not getting nearly enough sleep. Another important ingredient is our nutrition, along with sleep, we need to consider what we eat and are we getting enough vegetables and liquids on a regular basis? Both of those are contributing factors if we are running on a regular basis. Certainly training for a 10K and above requires smart eating and a good amount of water consumption. It’s not always easy to sleep and eat right, as it seems like there’s just not enough time in a day to fit in all that needs to be done and stay on schedule with your training plan. I try and plan out my week, scheduling in my runs, thinking about my meals, snacks and even my bed time. Not saying that it’s easy or even that I am successful at it, but I try and have a plan.

Now I’m sick and I have a training plan that Coach Mike personally made for me; what do I do? Easy, just run through it and it will even help you sweat it out of your system. No, it won’t and you may end up prolonging your sickness and potential down time. When we are sick, let’s just say we have a cold, our glycogen levels become depleted just from fighting off the virus that has accosted your body. This is a natural healing process that must take place in order to get better. So while this is happening you choose to go out for an easy run. If your body is still trying to heal itself, that glycogen that your depend on for fuel is nonexistent while your body is now fighting to share the glycogen that it requires to heal you. No one wins, and as I said, you may be slowing down the healing process. Some will tell you that they felt better after a run or a workout; I would say that they were probably on the right side of the healing process. Giving yourself that extra day beyond your self-diagnosis is probably the wiser decision.

So going into the illness prone months, make sure you eat better, hydrate and get 7-8 hours of sleep. I can’t guarantee you won’t get sick (my liability claim), but I believe you will improve your chances. If you get sick, don’t fret about your training plan, a week of downtime will not hinder your training if you are properly training. I am not great at following my own advice, but I am getting better!