General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu? Rss Feed  
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2015-04-05 8:37 PM

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Subject: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?

I'm on day 3 of this horrific Flu. It's all over body sickness. Slight fever, but the WORST chills and muscle weakness I've ever felt. I'm wearing 2 sweatshirts and 2 sweatpants, laying in a ball on the bed right now. I can't help but feel so sad... My first triathlon this season is in exactly 2 weeks.

This is a first for me, to be flattened so horrendously. How do you guys take up your training after a flu? Last week was the ramp/tough week for me, the previous week was a recovery. Usually I'm on 3 weeks tough, consistent training then the 4th week is recovery.

My 2 yr old brought the horriblness home, then daddy got it, then my 4yr old had it. I was doing pretty good! Taking care of my sicky tribe... But the tough training, my stress eating, and lack of sleep just completely killed me.

How should this coming week go? Treat it like a recovery week?



2015-04-05 9:03 PM
in reply to: #5106202

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Treat it like a recovery week. You're going to feel pretty weak even after the symptoms are gone. No intensity..your strength will come back after a few days of light workouts.
2015-04-05 11:59 PM
in reply to: #5106204

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
I've been traveling the past 2-3 weeks so my routine has been out of whack. However, I did get a horrible stomach bug that put me out for a few days while on the road. I've taken it slow getting back into it but I took the week I was sick off and rested. Just let the sickness run its course and when your body is feeling okay to train, just take it slow working back to your routine. Get well soon!
2015-04-06 3:33 AM
in reply to: rizztalah

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Looking at it positively, two weeks out is too early to have much effect on your race day performance (assuming it's a normal flu with no complications and you take it easy recovering), and too late in the training game to cause you to miss many key workouts. So in a way, if you have to get sick, it's the best time to get it out of the way!

My usual rule of thumb goes like this--no training at all until I feel normal doing daily activities and energy levels are close to normal. Just easy, low-volume workouts the first few days. No harder or longer workouts until the easy stuff feels good/normal again. Usually it takes me about a week to get back to normal training, sometimes a bit longer. I have asthma and it really becomes an issue when I have a cold or flu, so I'm probably a bit more conservative than most about coming back from illness. Nonetheless, I've had good races two weeks after being down with colds, flu, and strep.
2015-04-06 8:00 AM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
From the hollistic standpoint, I had my best overall healthful winter season with steady hard training and I attribute it to consistent immune system help from using:
>Astragalus
>Elderberry
>Zinc
>Oscilloccinum

Get them into your system to give your immune system some strengthening on the rebound
2015-04-06 8:05 AM
in reply to: rizztalah

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Be sure not to push too hard, you need to really be in touch with your body here. Over-fatigue will not help your training.


2015-04-06 9:03 AM
in reply to: ChemNerd23

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Rest, rest and more rest.

I had a really nasty bout with the flu this year. It was worse than I've ever had it. After being sidelined for 4 days, my fever started to break and I decided to be a hard @ss and sweat the rest out. I was really just frustrated from being couch bound. That was REALLY dumb. It set me right back to the beginning and extended it another week. I'm convinced I could have recovered in half the time had I not been stupid about it. Don't start training again until your fever is 100% gone, without medication.

I've heard a number of people that have had similar situations this year, it seems that there is a really nasty flu strain going around. I personally never felt anything like that personally. I couldn't believe how much it affected me physically. I track my weight, and you can see where I lost a couple pounds, in a really short time period. I'm sure it was all muscle due to my body composition and how my performance dropped as well. The good news is that it comes back pretty quick, just don't rush it!!




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2015-04-06 7:40 PM
in reply to: 3mar

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
I had a nasty flu in January. Took me nearly 3 weeks to feel 'normal' again. Don't push it with training until you feel recovered. If you don't let your body recover and get well, you'll be sorry. Get healthy before you jump back in.
2015-04-07 7:45 AM
in reply to: Mike_D

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?

I traveled to do a race on March 7th and felt fine. The next day, flu symptoms hit me and two later I was in bed sick with chills. Had type B flu and took a week to recover. The first time I did any training was on March 15th with easy bike ride.

Listen to your body and get rest.
2015-04-07 8:12 AM
in reply to: rizztalah

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?

First thing has been to get over being sick. Trying to sneak in some training has extended out the sickness before. Then get in a few easy workouts to see how things are coming around. It's not necessarily that different from coming off an injury as your body is beat up pretty well in a different way. It might take a week or two for me to be all the way back up to speed. Just have to see how things go and not expect to suddenly just be right back to where I was before getting sick.

2015-04-07 1:45 PM
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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Ok,

Just got back from the doctor and I have STREP THROAT.

And an ear infection. D:

I am so flattened. I'm on 10 days of giant antibiotic pills. I'm so sad... I was thinking I could go on a super light 30 minute bike ride today but I feel like my head is just going to fall off of my body.

This is the sickest I have ever been... ugh. But my first race is in 2 weeks and I have done 0 activity for 4 days now... I'm so sad and scared I'm losing all my fitness.

It sounds crazy, I know you don't just wake up and BAM are out of shape but it's hard not worrying a little.

:'( :'(

Edited by rizztalah 2015-04-07 1:46 PM


2015-04-07 5:03 PM
in reply to: rizztalah

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Have faith--strep resolves pretty quickly with antibiotics--IF you rest up. Just let the drugs and your body do its job. The only tri I ever won was two weeks after being diagnosed with strep. Didn't feel better instantly but was fine by race day. The bigger issue was that the antibiotics can sometimes mess up your gut--I had just come off them a few days before the race and still had some issues during--didn't affect how well I raced but that pre-race and last-few-mile "I'm gonna puke" feeling was definitely at a worse level than usual. I think I did one or two easy runs in the two weeks before that race, maybe no swims, not sure about riding. Don't worry about it. The training either is there or it isn't. Even if healthy, nothing you do in the last two weeks makes a big difference. All you can do (and even more true if sick) is screw up your race by doing too much.
2015-04-07 5:49 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
Originally posted by Hot Runner

Have faith--strep resolves pretty quickly with antibiotics--IF you rest up. Just let the drugs and your body do its job. The only tri I ever won was two weeks after being diagnosed with strep. Didn't feel better instantly but was fine by race day. The bigger issue was that the antibiotics can sometimes mess up your gut--I had just come off them a few days before the race and still had some issues during--didn't affect how well I raced but that pre-race and last-few-mile "I'm gonna puke" feeling was definitely at a worse level than usual. I think I did one or two easy runs in the two weeks before that race, maybe no swims, not sure about riding. Don't worry about it. The training either is there or it isn't. Even if healthy, nothing you do in the last two weeks makes a big difference. All you can do (and even more true if sick) is screw up your race by doing too much.


Amen. You are lucky it's strep. The antibiotics will take care of it lickety-split. If it was a virus then who knows, you could have been looking at one or two more weeks of sickness as I had a couple of months ago. Rest and let the drugs do their miracle. You should be fine for race day.
2015-04-07 7:58 PM
in reply to: rizztalah

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?

take care, and get well soon.  This too shall pass.

when this happens to me, I just try to imagine if I were a pro athlete, and the olympic trials or Kona was a week away.  

And then I realize how truly unimportant my individual time is in the next race.  Just be the best you can be, and appreciate it.  

2015-04-12 7:16 PM
in reply to: rizztalah

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Subject: RE: Training after the terrible flu... How do you recover from a flu?
It's so demoralizing having all the training, and hard work eroded away by sickness. I've been sick twice this year and always feel I am playing "catch-up" after recovering. Take as much time as you need to get better and start to ramp up again to where you were. There's nothing more you can do.
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