Cycling with a cold / flu ??
Tjgoodhew
Posts: 628
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 ?
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 ?
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Posts
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 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.
+1 re flu. If you genuinely have flu you are physically incapable of riding.
Titanium Bertoletti
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..
Canyon Aeroad 8.0
http://www.strava.com/athletes/goodhewt
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 censored productivity wise if everyone is downing tools for a cold.
'The Rules' say MTFU but people get arsey about someone working with a cold.
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.
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...
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.
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.
Marin Nail Trail
Cotic Solaris
Vitamin supplements... <sigh>
2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
2011 Trek Madone 4.5
2012 Felt F65X
Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
But what if it is man flu?
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 censored , but on this occasion, i was definitely censored .
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.
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.
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?
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
2012 Colnago CX-1
2015 Colnago AC-R
Exeter Wheelers
If it's in the chest - have a rest.
When your eyeballs hurt in their sockets, when all food tastes like censored , 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.