Last week originally was planned 2 x short 3 mile easy runs and a steady 7 mile run, which is the same as what was planned for the previous week. The first two weeks of marathon training were all about building a base. So cue panic, when last Monday came along and I was full of cold. I was quite rational, knowing that I’m at the start of my training block I wasn’t too worried about missing big runs. But to help you if you’re feeling the winter bug too, here are some tips for how to cope with illness during training.
Rest Up
In short this is the one thing you need to do. It’s all well and good saying it’s OK to run if your symptoms are just above the neck etc. But if you feel fatigued, dizzy, are running a temp, or any symptoms that make you just feel not quite right, just go to bed. The best thing you can do is sleep. But also making sure you’re taking on calories to help fight the bug too. If you’ve gone off food, just go for what you feel like. I think in this case, just eating whatever you can helps. Also be mindful to keep some water by the bed too, so you can keep hydrated.
Get Some Fresh Air
If you’re feeling up to it, a little walk may help. I managed to get out for some little walks when I was poorly and I genuinely think a little walk around the woods was perfect. Some nice scenery, fresh air (wrapped up warm) with a little exercise can help shift things. The first little walk I went on I definitely knew I wasn’t very well because I was a little warmer than I should have been and struggled, so I kept it short. But I found it helped me feel a little better afterwards and it helped me to get to sleep that evening (after all the caffeine including cold and flu meds keeping me awake!)
Strength and Conditioning
If you find your recovery after the worst of it a bit slower and you’re struggling with the cardio, why not head to the yoga studio? A Yin yoga class or Slow Vinyassa can help with restoring energy but provide gentle exercise that could aid your recovery. I use yoga a lot for running recovery, but it has definitely helped with getting over this cold! If you don’t want to go to a class you could find a Yin video on Yoga with Adriene. Yin is nice because you can use pillows and bolsters to help support your body and it’s less of a stress on your body that way.
