3 weeks of flu..getting boring now.

elderone

Its been 3 weeks since I got out due to flu/cold and chest infection and to be honest its getting pretty boring and frustrating.Not over yet as still not recovered.No doubt most of my fitness will have gone so be back where i started when time comes to get out.
How long have others been laid low for and what was the effects on your cycling once out and about again.
MTFU is not an option.

ElliottDavo

Only go out once you know you've fully recovered, and start small

dowtcha

This makes my heart sink, I have the bloody thing one week now. Starting a shift tomorrow but hoping I might be better for a couple of rides end of next week. Flu is more or less gone but now stuck with a nasty chest infection. Have not left the house since last Tuesday.

ShutUpLegs

Unless your doctor has given you medication there is no reason why you cant be active and exercising

chrisaonabike

elderone wrote:

Its been 3 weeks since I got out due to flu/cold and chest infection

I was off the bike for two weeks before Xmas with a cold that didn't become a chest infection, so three with doesn't sound excessive - I've had a few of those in my time and they seem to last forever. I cycled for a couple of hundred yards before fully recovered, felt the cold air ripping at my still-inflamed bronchial tubes - and turned back.

Nothing to do except wait it out, sadly.

briantrumpet

If it's flu proper, take it easy. It completely knocked me out for 5 days (I actually pondered if it was possible to die from flu as I could barely muster the energy to get out of bed to go to the toilet), and I went back to work way too early. Took me a month to recover really. If you're not sure what flu really feels like, you haven't had it.

If it's a chest infection, take it easy, particularly if it's on your lungs, and with this cold weather. I ended up with what they call 'community acquired pneumonia' in about 2003, with gurgly lungs - that took even longer to properly recover from, once it had been knocked on the head by amoxycillin.

In neither case take advice to MTFU - you'll take much longer to recover fully, if you've been properly ill. Gentle exercise, for sure, but if you're like me and find it hard to exercise gently, rest won't do you any harm.

TakeTurns

3 weeks?! Dayum! Mine was 1 week. Just around xmas time. I got over it fairly well thankfully. Plenty of rest and fluids!

Get better soon. I know it can be demoralizing - we all go through it!

On the bright side, if you carry on like this, you'll skip past all the horrible weather.

ajhapps

I had bronchitis for 3 weeks. This was my first week back on the bike, so did 20 miles on Friday and 36 miles today. . . and I am hurting! It'll take a couple of rides to get back in shape, I think, but figure muscle memory will kick in by mid-week.

elderone

Thanks for replies lads.It was chest infection and doc gave me anti-biotics which i,ve finished.I,m over the worst but still got gunk coming off my chest so not ready yet.

briantrumpet

elderone wrote:

Thanks for replies lads.It was chest infection and doc gave me anti-biotics which i,ve finished.I,m over the worst but still got gunk coming off my chest so not ready yet.

Yeah, once the gunk's got down there, it takes a frustratingly long time to clear. If you're not used to putting your feet up, try to enjoy the novelty of having a good excuse to do just that.

supermurph09

Cold and Flu like symptoms are not like what they used to be, before you'd have a 3-4 days of feeling like crap, then 2 days getting over it, these days it take about 3 weeks! Suffered myself the middle 2 weeks of January when i felt shocking, every symptom going. Thought I was recovering then wallop, cold hits again and I'm ill for another week. I'd say its taken me about 6 weeks to fully shift it. I hope my story helps!

navrig

To help clear the gunk use Olbas oil steam inhalations.

djm501

I was taken out for three weeks over christmas and new year. Was planning my first century ride during this time and was therefore highly frustrated especially as it was holiday season and so there was plenty of time for it - or not of course.

Do not train at all if you are suffering below the neck - this is highly dangerous.

My experience was that I probably went back a bit early as I really wanted to get that first century in. I cycled 100 miles between Cardiff and Bristol and back on the 29th or 30th December when the weather was terrible. On the way back I got s**t on by heavy rain and high winds all the way - this was not enjoyable, I had lost fitness and so the high winds in my face really hurt - a total nightmare of a ride really.

It did the business though - I made it and it set me up for now where I'm fine and doing bigger and better rides. There will be an end to it and you'll be surprised at the fitness you retain. So cheer up, get back on the playstation or whatever and just get better. You'll be fine.

Peddle Up!

Navrig wrote:

To help clear the gunk use Olbas oil steam inhalations.

Interesting. To help clear the oil, I use Gunk.

elderone

I hope my story helps! ..ha,helps me feel worse,but thanks.

Do not train at all if you are suffering below the neck - this is highly dangerous.
Does this include lite turbo work as want to spin the legs at least..

djm501

Yes.

There is plenty of stuff on the net about this - the problem with feeling shivery and fluey is that you just feel that. You don't know where the infection is. You could well be infected somewhere dangerous like the heart. This is OK if you just let it get better but if you exert yourself in any way significantly it can cause heart problems with (and yes I know this sounds to panicy and scaremongery) potential death as the outcome.

It really isn't a good idea to train at all with a cold.

elderone

djm501 wrote:

Yes.

There is plenty of stuff on the net about this - the problem with feeling shivery and fluey is that you just feel that. You don't know where the infection is. You could well be infected somewhere dangerous like the heart. This is OK if you just let it get better but if you exert yourself in any way significantly it can cause heart problems with (and yes I know this sounds to panicy and scaremongery) potential death as the outcome.

It really isn't a good idea to train at all with a cold.

Thanks,not feeling shivery or fluey now,just a bit of snot and gunk of the chest.I had a chest infection which the doc gave me anti biotics for and think thats gone and just the dregs as above left to clear.
bugger.

johnny25

Currently suffering with a nasty head cold. Tried to burn it off by going down the gym, but literally broke down after 30mins training. Probably made it worse, as my neck and shoulders have now stiffened up.

Leaving the bike well alone until I'm fully over the cold. I'm of the opinion you'll do yourself more damage rushing back too early. I was of a good standard of fitness before so I'm hoping it won't take long to get back to where I was.

Glad the weather's rubbish at the moment.

rickyrider

I've just got over flu. Came down with it two weeks ago yesterday, got back on the bike for gentle 20 mile ride on Friday. 12 days of no riding was really driving me a bit mad, but as others have said, its wise to take it easy. I was in bed for 3 days with full shivering and sweats, and then left with chesty cough for a week. I went for a spin yesterday, but still not wanting to go really hard with intervals or anything like that.

Patience is a virtue and all that. And it might keep you alive

chrisaonabike

rickyrider wrote:

I was in bed for 3 days with full shivering and sweats, and then left with chesty cough for a week.

Sounds quite mild to me, think yourself lucky

djm501

Well if it's just the last dregs you may be alright.

The proper advice is to wait something like 3 days without symptoms before going out...

But I can't be bothered to wait that long either ;-)

CambsNewbie

I know exactly how you are feeling. Been ill now for 5 weeks. Had a cold which lasted about a week but left me with a nasty cough I couldn't shake off. Last week started feeling a little better and got down the gym a couple of times for a bit of easy cardio just to get my blood pumping. Thursday even managed 60 mins on the cross trainer on a low level.

Friday woke with a really sore throat and couldn't stop coughing all day. I had picked up another cold from someone at work. Saturday felt like crap and came home early from work (which I never do!) and yesterday could barely move. From all the coughing on Friday I must have pulled a muscle in my ribs and was in agony. Trying to Cough when you can't breathe in properly is hard!

Getting really pee'd off with it all now. Not been on my bike since the beginning of January. Put weight on from all the comfort eating. Just want to feel healthy again now.

crumbschief

Oh it's a pain,that sounds similar to me CambsNewbie,i got a few cracked ribs on my left side at the beginning of January, nearly recovered but managed to catch a virus from the kids which of course involved alot of sneezing,in the middle of that the virus got that bad that i got up in the night to be sick after the 4th day of no sleep and a high temperature and i managed to pass out on the landing hitting my head and bruising / cracking my right side ribs as well,i still can't do a full breath without pain but you gotta laugh eh,aha.Another week or so and i hope that's it.My bike is looking very smart btw and i feel i am getting closer to the birds visiting the garden.

rickyrider

ChrisAOnABike wrote:

rickyrider wrote:

I was in bed for 3 days with full shivering and sweats, and then left with chesty cough for a week.

Sounds quite mild to me, think yourself lucky

Hah - its because I'm such a fine physical specimen I can shake it off within 2 weeks

elderone

Some of your illnesses have been worse than mine so count my blessings on that one.Mine is just lingering and as crumbs said,its the youth who brought it home with her and passed it on.The worse is behind and I feel ok just this gunk and snot which is less than yesterday so hopefully by the weekend can have a ride out side.
What I,m amased at, is how cycling gets so under your skin that all you think about is not cycling.

djm501

Oh hell yes. I've had two episodes off the bike since I got into it in the middle of last year. The worst was being ill over Xmas but the first was when my LBS held my bike for four days when I put it in for a repair. I was climbing the wall so much without it that I bought a new bike to make sure it never happened again! ;-)
And so n+1 began.

route666

If you want to understand what a real flu is, this is a must watch: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6keUdzwFCHU

Frank the tank

I have only had Flu once in my life (I mean flu, not a heavy cold or such like) and for the first week TBH I'd have sooner been dead. It must have taken me six weeks to get over it and as for riding a bike after three weeks, dream on.

Bozman

I had a chesty cough/cold and last Thursday, but I foolishly went out and pushed myself on a very cold morning, that cold turned into something else and it left me in bed for three days and I'm still not right now.
I knew what was going to happen within 10 minutes of leaving home, cold air on a bad chest and I'm still paying for being bloody impatient and not giving myself time to get better.

elderone

Bozman wrote:

I had a chesty cough/cold and last Thursday, but I foolishly went out and pushed myself on a very cold morning, that cold turned into something else and it left me in bed for three days and I'm still not right now.
I knew what was going to happen within 10 minutes of leaving home, cold air on a bad chest and I'm still paying for being bloody impatient and not giving myself time to get better.

Thats exactly whats on my mind.Go out to early and be poorly again or just keep waiting.Have been on the turbo today,1.5hrs gentle zone 2 spinning.Legs feel knacked now but its a nice feeling.

briantrumpet

Frank the tank wrote:

I have only had Flu once in my life (I mean flu, not a heavy cold or such like) and for the first week TBH I'd have sooner been dead. It must have taken me six weeks to get over it and as for riding a bike after three weeks, dream on.

Yup - that's what flu feels like - death seriously feels like the better option.

"I had flu, but I went in to work." Yeah, right.