Tonsilitis + Racing = stupid combination?

gattocattivo

I've paid in advance to enter the San Fairy Ann crits at Hog Hill this Saturday. I could have just entered on the line like I normally do (and like most people do), but I thought I might as well save myself a few quid.

Since Saturday I've been suffering from tonisilitis. I finally got to see a doctor yesterday and I'm on antibiotics. I still feel rough today, but I'm starting to get better. Is it realistic to think I could still do the race on Saturday? (Even if I'm completely recovered by then, I'll still be on antibiotics and I won't have ridden a bike for 10 days). Or should I just contact the organiser now and ask him to cancel my entry and rip up the cheque?

SBezza

Might be a little silly to race, I did a race at the weekend, after a week of a heavy cold, it came back to haunt me though, so if you do race be careful.

It is worth speaking with the organisor, he is a good bloke so he might be able to sort something out for you. Give him a call and ask him when is the last time you can cancel without being charged, then leave until then to see how you feel.

gattocattivo

Thanks - good advice. I've e-mailed him (I can't phone him cos I've got no voice at the moment).

iain_j

Any upper respiratory infection + heavy breathing through exercise = a risk that the infection will be drawn down into your lungs.

Ho hum

iain_j wrote:

Any upper respiratory infection + heavy breathing through exercise = a risk that the infection will be drawn down into your lungs.

Yuck!

Not good!

iain_j

Add to that, exercise lowers your immune system.

May well be worth sitting this one out for the sake of getting better quicker!

gattocattivo

Yeah, common sense says I should give this a miss. They've already cashed the cheque, unfortunately, but that's not a good enough reason to risk jeopardising my health any further (and potentially miss more races).

ColinJ

I once ended up unconscious at the side of the road after getting back on my bike too soon after an illness!

Nowadays, I don't rush - I wait until I feel okay and then do nowt for up to another week. When I finally get back on the bike, I take it very easy until I'm sure that my body feels right.

gattocattivo

I've already paid to enter another race at Hog Hill on Easter Monday as well. Do you think I'll be ready to race by then? (By that time it will be 2 weeks since I started the antibiotics and 1 week since I'll have finished them)

Jeff Jones

The antibiotics may do the trick in time - see how you go. The 10 days off the bike will hurt you though, so you might want to give the race a miss anyway, depending on how important it is.

My experience with tonsilitis last year: got it on the Friday before the British TT champs, didn't know what it was, just thought it was a really sore throat, raced anyway because it was my main goal of the season (won the masters category), started antibiotics the following Wednesday and was fine by the following weekend, when I had another race. I did have four days off the bike during that week, which knocked the edge off my fitness and it took me a while to get it back.

gattocattivo

Thanks for the advice. I'll target the Easter Monday one and gradually build up riding again next week.