IM training and immune system

See, i had the opposite - when i am in the throes of training I rarely get sick. Despite taking very crowded public transit every day.  Last time I had a cold/flu was March of this year just as i was beginning IM training but haven't had a lick of anything since.  *knock on wood* 

But this has been the case through multiple marathon training cycles, HIM training, etc. Only once did I get sick from my hubby got sick after a HIM in the rain and it impacted my main A race.  I feel like it revs up my immune system. 

The 'after' of a race is different - the year I did my first HIM and got married three weeks later I was definitely ripe for something and I got it - on our honeymoon

We got to Mexico 5 days before the IM. I think husband picked something up on the plane, and he was sick and congested most of the time we were there. I may or may not have stayed as far from him as possible, and refused to kiss him on the mouth, until after the race.

A week after, he was still sick and I think my immune system finally caved and I got it. Yuck. Eye infection is better but I'm sneezing and sniffling and I feel like I've been hit by a truck.

I'm another one that really never gets sick.  The day after IMFL I got a sore throat, and ended up sick for almost 2 weeks with congestion/cough.  At first I wondered why I was so sick.  Then I thought about how many hands I touched on race day!!!  Of the 4000 volunteers, I likely touched the hands of 2000 of them!  Or I grabbed cups they were handling.  Or I was putting my hands in bins of pretzels, etc like every other athlete.  Then there were all the spectators I high fived and hugged. Don't forget about touching the handles on the porta potty doors!  It's a wonder we don't all get sick!

You'd think I would have learned my lesson.  But 2 weeks later at IMAZ (my home town) I was the volunteer touching athletes and I was the spectator high fiving and hugging athletes.  The experience of that day is SO worth it!  

I felt like I was on the edge of getting sick a couple of times.  Eased off the training and convinced my body to send the extra energy to my immune system.  But I slept at least 7 hours every night.  Sleep helps with that.