Training with the flu

stuart_c-2

What's the general view on training whilst stricken with the flu.

Wouldn't normally stress about it, but am doing London to Paris in April and am conscious that missing base mile work now might come back to bite me in the arse later.

Is it a simple "Don't do it", or can shorter or less intense rides be ok? Have a turbo so could do some basic spinning work in the shed if needs be.

Am I likely to do more harm than good by trying to push on?

danowat

If you truely had flu, you wouldn't even need to ask the question, as there is no way you'd be able to get on a bike.

General rule of thumb is, symptoms below the neck, don't train, but I would say, if in doubt, don't train, its only likely to make things worse.

ut_och_cykla

If you've got the flu I'm surprised you even think about training! Two weeks off now won't harm your plans too much. Better that than trying to train now and getting pneumonia or something that knocks you down for months....
Don't train if you have a heavy cold, fever etc.

Trev The Rev

Training with a virus (other than a common cold virus) is daft. It is never worth the risk, at best you will prolong the illness, at worst you will make yourself seriously ill and that might involve permanent damage.

Why do people refer to the slightest cold as the flu?

marksteven

you've got a cold not flu , with flu you cant even get out of bed. even with a cold stay off bike especially in this cold weather

danowat

Trev The Rev wrote:

Why do people refer to the slightest cold as the flu?

Sounds better when you ring your boss to cadge a day off

displacedaussie

If you're capable of training while you have the flu, massive respect. I had the flu last year and was stuck in bed for 8 days. I couldn't move and felt like I was going to die.

On a positive note, I lost (and kept off) a little over 4kg in that period, so probably ended up ahead of the game, training-wise.

If you have a cold, be sensible about it. I ride to work with bad colds and the 9 miles each way is kind of nice for getting some fresh air, stretching the legs and keeping the body ticking over. I don't push too hard though and I wrap up warm.

Trev The Rev

danowat wrote:

Trev The Rev wrote:

Why do people refer to the slightest cold as the flu?

Sounds better when you ring your boss to cadge a day off

How is your Quarq?

Strith

I've never had the 'flu', just bad colds, and only one in the last year and a half. I still ride, just taking it easy and not too far.

T.C.

i've got big plans for this year aswell! But had the flu since a week, could hardly walk Tues went to doctor no chest infection( thank god) high temp swollen throat etc diagnosed with flu, anti biotics prescribed - today is the best i've felt for a week! He adviced me no bike for 2 weeks and the symptons would be with me for a week, i will take his advice and will hopefully be ok long term, one problem, i've got a trip to Prague with Chelsea in Feb - aaggg beer, but shouldn't affect me much, no beer since Dec 28th.

ShutUpLegs

mamba80

influenza is a viral infection, so doesnt respond to anti biotics - all you do by going to your surgery is infect everyone else with your feverish cold.

Anyone who has truely had 'flu wont be "well" enough to get to the Doc's

Lookyhere

Stuart_C wrote:

What's the general view on training whilst stricken with the flu?

Bit maladramatic isnt it? anyone would think you ve got the Blackdeath or Smallpox...man up get some lemsip down you, get some rest and you ll be right as rain in a week or 2.

jmillen

Do not train, I made that mistake and only ended up prolonging the cold for another week or so...more frustrating than not being able to go out in the first place.

alihisgreat

Stuart_C wrote:

What's the general view on training whilst stricken with the flu.

Wouldn't normally stress about it, but am doing London to Paris in April and am conscious that missing base mile work now might come back to bite me in the ars* later.

Is it a simple "Don't do it", or can shorter or less intense rides be ok? Have a turbo so could do some basic spinning work in the shed if needs be.

Am I likely to do more harm than good by trying to push on?

Last time I had Proper Flu a few years ago I was literally in bed for a week... and you're asking about training with Flu?

but if you're asking about training during the recovery period.. (which could be a few weeks if you've got a nasty one..) I'd say stick to relatively low intensity stuff on the Turbo if you've got your heart set on doing something, and don't risk it if you have symptoms below the neck as already mentioned.

But Ideally you should be doing anything until you're back to 100%.

chrisaonabike

ALIHISGREAT wrote:

Last time I had Proper Flu a few years ago I was literally in bed for a week...

Exactly. Flu comes on fast. Within literally three hours, you can go go from feeling fine, to feeling a bit unwell, to feeling absolutely dreadful, so much so that you simply have to lie down, if you didn't lie down you'd fall down.

It takes max effort to keep sipping water for the duration of the high temperature, and when you have to get up to pee, the effort of fighting through the shivering and shakes to make it to the loo and back feels like an epic journey whose total exhaustion is surpassed only by the piledriver headache, constant shivering even though you're boiling and sweating, sore skin and joints that ache like buggery.

Then after five days or so, the temperature goes down and you realise you might make it through. You feel better and try to walk around... and you're so weak that you can barely stand. This lasts another week or so, and then finally things return to normal.

I've had flu four times in my life. It's grim. These days I pay for a flu jab.

If you are physically capable of getting on a bike, let alone riding it, you haven't got flu.

okgo

What he said above!!

I've had a short version which i suspect is this noro bollocks, cycled to work, felt ok, hour later feeling less ok, half hour later hurled my guts up in toilet, then got train home and threw up in the station, when I got in the shivering wash metal. I was in bed with a full set of clothes and woolly hat on, still cold, tempreture through the roof, and the epic struggle to the bathroom described above was just that. Thank god it seems to be on its way out 24 hours later. If you had this or actual flu there is no way you would be riding a bike.

keef66

Once you've had flu you'll never again post a question about training with the flu. I've had it twice in 55 years and each time I was stuck in bed for several days praying for death.

And to the poster who was given antibiotics by his GP, WHY? It's a virus.

T.C.

Keef66 it was me who had the AB. within a few hours i was better and have improved slightly every day since Tue. i agree i did read that AB don't work with flu? anyway i've been ill still am and i haven't got a cold, definitley worse than that, i've missed 2 football matches aswell !

poynedexter

a sobering watch for all wives and girlfriends :shock:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6keUdzwFCHU