Cycling with a cold / flu ??

Tjgoodhew

Do you ? Dont you ?

The reason i ask - i am off to Majorca on Thursday for two days riding 85 miles - 9000ft climbing p/d. It will be the hardest two days cycling i have ever done.

I get into the office this morning and the whole place seems to be a germ factory - people looking like death, sneezing etc.... I just know that i will wake up Thursday morning with a cold.

If the inevitable happens is it a wise idea to push my body on these rides. I am a pretty determined person but physically is this going to be a problem.

I know its all hypothetical at the moment but curious to see what others have done in this sort of situation ?

cougie

Flu - no way. If you're even thinking this - you haven't got flu.

If its a head cold - yeah get out and enjoy.

If its neck down - I'd probably not - take it easy and rest.

I'd be anti baccing my hands a lot and taking vit tablets to avoid the bugs - and basically shun your buggy colleagues.

DavidJB

If its in your chest..forget it. Take simple prevention's...don't touch any door handles without a tissue, alcogel your hands take multi-vits...also at the first sign of a cold get some vicks first defense up your nose...it REALLY works...I've headed off about 5 colds this year with it and not been sick once.

lakesluddite

DavidJB wrote:

If its in your chest..forget it. Take simple prevention's...don't touch any door handles without a tissue, alcogel your hands take multi-vits...also at the first sign of a cold get some vicks first defense up your nose...it REALLY works...I've headed off about 5 colds this year with it and not been sick once.

+1 for Vicks First Defence - it's marvellous stuff, as long as you use it at the very first signs of a cold (which for me is usually a sore throat). Not pleasant to take, but works like nothing else.

cyclingfury

cougie wrote:

Flu - no way. If you're even thinking this - you haven't got flu.

If its a head cold - yeah get out and enjoy.

If its neck down - I'd probably not - take it easy and rest.

I'd be anti baccing my hands a lot and taking vit tablets to avoid the bugs - and basically shun your buggy colleagues.

+1 re flu. If you genuinely have flu you are physically incapable of riding.

peat

cougie wrote:

I'd be anti baccing my hands a lot and taking vit tablets to avoid the bugs - and basically shun your buggy colleagues. with a flame thrower

FTFY

I am reknowned for getting pretty sh!tty with colleagues dragging colds into the office. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?? DO YOU THINK WE'RE ALL IN AWE OF YOUR BRAVERY? NO!"

Stay vigilant OP, take preventative measures and cross your fingers that those selfish pr!cks don't sneeze in your direction.

cougie

We need a "Like" button on here...

Tjgoodhew

Peat wrote:

cougie wrote:

I'd be anti baccing my hands a lot and taking vit tablets to avoid the bugs - and basically shun your buggy colleagues. with a flame thrower

FTFY

I am reknowned for getting pretty sh!tty with colleagues dragging colds into the office. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?? DO YOU THINK WE'RE ALL IN AWE OF YOUR BRAVERY? NO!"

Stay vigilant OP, take preventative measures and cross your fingers that those selfish pr!cks don't sneeze in your direction.

I am pleased to let you know that the main culprit is not in the office today. I think she was warned off when i told her she would be held responsible for potentially ruining my trip i have been looking forward to for the past 6 months !!! Especially when she realised i wasnt joking..

ballysmate

Peat wrote:

cougie wrote:

I'd be anti baccing my hands a lot and taking vit tablets to avoid the bugs - and basically shun your buggy colleagues. with a flame thrower

FTFY

I am reknowned for getting pretty sh!tty with colleagues dragging colds into the office. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?? DO YOU THINK WE'RE ALL IN AWE OF YOUR BRAVERY? NO!"

Stay vigilant OP, take preventative measures and cross your fingers that those selfish pr!cks don't sneeze in your direction.

FFS it's a cold.
Some people may be lucky and not get penalised for losing time off work, others have to go in or lose money.
No wonder the country is on its arse productivity wise if everyone is downing tools for a cold.
'The Rules' say MTFU but people get arsey about someone working with a cold.

I am pleased to let you know that the main culprit is not in the office today. I think she was warned off when i told her she would be held responsible for potentially ruining my trip i have been looking forward to for the past 6 months !!! Especially when she realised i wasnt joking..

Yeah, I dare say you have health screened all the hundreds of people you come into contact with each day in case anyone has the misfortune to cough, sneeze or breathe in your presence.

Mikey23

In the care industry one is not supposed to come in if suffering with cold / flu / infectious stuff in case vulnerable people we support are infected. Unfortunately we dont get paid if we dont turn in and its unlikely that we will be covered anyway. And if we keep not turning up we will get the bullet anyway cos we are unreliable. Very little absenteeism in the care industry therefore...

as others have said, cycling or running or anything else, ride with a cold, rest with a chest infection, slow down as you will fatigue easily...

crispybug2

My dad worked on the principle that a cold would last for nine days (3 days to bed in 3 days to hang around 3 days to bugger off) and that has always been a fairly accurate guide in my estimation.

I had a cold myself recently (9 days!!) and I went out riding after day six, although the main reason I missed the first five days was that the cold made my snoring so bad that it was waking me up several times a night so I would be too tired to face cycling first thing in the morning.

veronese68

If it's just a head cold you just need to mtfu and ride. Caught a cold off the Mrs last week but still did 75 miles on the L2B off road on Saturday. Felt a bit grotty when I set off, but once going you're working hard enough that it actually helps to clear your head.
As said above if it's in your chest it can be more of a problem. If it's flu you wouldn't even consider riding.

Kieran_Burns

http://theconversation.com/health-check ... ents-22887

Vitamin supplements... <sigh>

pinno

Ballysmate wrote:

Peat wrote:

cougie wrote:

I'd be anti baccing my hands a lot and taking vit tablets to avoid the bugs - and basically shun your buggy colleagues. with a flame thrower

FTFY

I am reknowned for getting pretty sh!tty with colleagues dragging colds into the office. "WHY ARE YOU HERE?? DO YOU THINK WE'RE ALL IN AWE OF YOUR BRAVERY? NO!"

Stay vigilant OP, take preventative measures and cross your fingers that those selfish pr!cks don't sneeze in your direction.

FFS it's a cold.
Some people may be lucky and not get penalised for losing time off work, others have to go in or lose money.
No wonder the country is on its ars* productivity wise if everyone is downing tools for a cold.
'The Rules' say MTFU but people get arsey about someone working with a cold.

I am pleased to let you know that the main culprit is not in the office today. I think she was warned off when i told her she would be held responsible for potentially ruining my trip i have been looking forward to for the past 6 months !!! Especially when she realised i wasnt joking..

Yeah, I dare say you have health screened all the hundreds of people you come into contact with each day in case anyone has the misfortune to cough, sneeze or breathe in your presence.

But what if it is man flu?

djhermer

I was in Mallorca last week. Went out there with the first signs of a cold and a sh1t load of First Defence. Woke up on the first morning with full blown manflu. Went out for the first of the planned rides - it was 30 degrees and i figured i'd blow it out of me. Half way up the Lluc climb from Pollensa my head exploded and i turned around before the vineyard. I've done that climb countless times.

It was only sore throat, bunged up and a cough. Not chesty, but i couldn't chuffing breathe - especially on the climb where there was no breeze and it was like being in a sauna. Obviously my mates didn't hang about so i was desperately trying to catch them.

Spent the rest of the afternoon sulking and most of the next day. I could handle the flats but the climbs were killing me. I thought the heat would ease it, but it made it worse.

Was fine by day 3, clear by day 4. But then you're only going for 2 days.

I usually a hard ass, but on this occasion, i was definitely pussy.

craker

Did a tri on b/h Monday, nearly sank after 5 lengths of the pool. Couldn't work that out as I know I can swim; life guard and race director came over to see if I was OK and one question ... 'Have I been ill recently?' caught my attention. I had been laid up in bed 5 days before with a dose of man-flu. I felt fine on the Monday but was obviously unable to exert myself at anything like the effort I was expecting.

After an unspectacular ride (didn't get overtaken :-) ) (but then I was last out of the pool) (:-( ) and a weary trot through the rain I did complete though.

Initialised

Use an HRM and keep your BPM under 75%

awavey

well if you are flying to Majorca, arent you more likely to pick up some horrid bug on the plane through the air con anyway.

and I dont know if its myth or not, but its before people start coughing/spluttering everywhere they are most infectious, so if youve caught it, youve already got it, so to speak.

it was notable within a week of the kiddies going back to school and all their parents at work moaning about the horrid colds theyd all picked up, suddenly find Im battling a lingering head cold that keeps threatening to go chesty as even my usual trick of eating spicy food at the first sign of a cold isnt really working to get rid of it, and havent been on my bike for nearly two weeks now as a result as I just dont think Id do myself any favours and possibly just make it worse.

redbikejohn

Most bugs get into the body via the eyes. You touch a pen or door handle and get germs on your hand then rub your eyes, gems enter your body.
I carry my own pen at work and don't allow anyone else to use it. Also carry some tell in my pocket. Asked for a special pen holder to be used in reception for signing in and out but got laughed at.....and the wonder why colds spread so easy!

ballysmate

redbikejohn wrote:

Most bugs get into the body via the eyes. You touch a pen or door handle and get germs on your hand then rub your eyes, gems enter your body.
I carry my own pen at work and don't allow anyone else to use it. Also carry some tell in my pocket. Asked for a special pen holder to be used in reception for signing in and out but got laughed at.....and the wonder why colds spread so easy!

Adrian Monk?

redbikejohn

Lol - had to Google that! Nope not as bad as that.........

eric_draven

redbikejohn wrote:

Most bugs get into the body via the eyes. You touch a pen or door handle and get germs on your hand then rub your eyes, gems enter your body.
I carry my own pen at work and don't allow anyone else to use it. Also carry some tell in my pocket. Asked for a special pen holder to be used in reception for signing in and out but got laughed at.....and the wonder why colds spread so easy!

once read one of Ross Kemp's book on gangs,the section where he is in Brazil and gets taken to a prison,him and his whole crew are told to wear caps and not to look up at he ceilings because of the risk of infection from anything falling from above,as apparently most known viral diseases are on them and the eyes is the easiest place to get infected

As for me i tend not to ride till i have got rid of a cold,being asthmatic and having a cold are not the best combination

briantrumpet

cyclingfury wrote:

cougie wrote:

Flu - no way. If you're even thinking this - you haven't got flu.

+1 re flu. If you genuinely have flu you are physically incapable of riding.

I assume that anyone who puts a cold and flu in the same category hasn't had flu. When I had it (24 years ago, and I still remember it), I don't think I'd have even had the energy to switch a computer on (had there been such a thing in the house in 1990). I genuinely wondered if it felt the same to die. It took me about a month to recover fully.

thegreatdivide

If it's in the head - get out of bed.

If it's in the chest - have a rest.

Manc33

I've had a sore throat the last few days but its like 10% of what full flu is like, or can be. I did bike it last night but I am nowhere near bad enough to have to avoid it. It did make me have about 9 hours sleep because of it though when it was only a 5 mile ride.

When your eyeballs hurt in their sockets, when all food tastes like crap, when you can't even drink tea or coffee and sipping water is horrible, you can hardly move because of how weak you feel, your chest is killing... I would rather die than get on a bike lol. The worst I ever had it I was in bed with a fleece coat on, shivering - but sweating. Only ever had flu like that once in my whole life and I thought I was dying at the time lol.

I seem to get it bad about once every 10 years. :roll:

Its good for you, it clears you out. I always feel better after having flu, than I felt before it. Almost as if you need to get it from time to time. Some sort of cleansing is going on.