working out with a fever

Don't train.

Rest.

The downside exposure to long term problems is much, much greater than the any upside benefit.

You know all the stories about guys like me who did 250 triathlons and wound up with a sudden, mysterious cardiac condition or other seemingly unusual malady? Don't risk becoming one.

What are the chances of it happening? Very minimal. But it happened to me.

This is a truly great sport, but not worth risking your short or long term health.

Enjoy the rest and get well soon.

Ditto on all of the above.

Working out when you're sick is dubious anyway, but it's an absolute no-no with fever.

That's all the science talking. As for the voice of experience? I've done it a hundred times (probably literally that many) and it's always been BAD. At least short term, and in several cases long-term.

This week is the first time, ever, that I've actually taken all the advice I know to be true and have given (have a fever, cold symptoms, and am resting).

Bizarre, but I'm not actually getting worse.

Also, my training will only benefit rather than suffer with a sufficiently recovered body.

Rest and sleep it off as best you can. You're not gaining any new conditioning this week but you could put yourself in a position to get worse and weaken or miss your race. What kind of quality would you have from working out today?

For marathon training it's OK to run through a head cold. The general rule I follow is if it's neck up and no fever you're OK. If it's in your chest, rest.

Your body raises your temperature as a defense mechanism to kill what ails you.  You risk raising your temperature even more, to a point where it's too high and can cause bigger problems.

My workouts always suck when I workout sick, and I look for every reason to continue pushing myself.  Ultimately, without rest, it leads to a longer lasting illness for me.

thanks everybody. i feel a little less guilty about taking it easy today. turns out i have strep throat and bilateral ear infections (my hubby demanded a doctor visit), so tomorrow may be a rest day too. 

thanks again for all the good advice

Oh man, this has movie marathon written alllll over it!