So I've been fighting a cold off for about a week. At first I thought it was allergies, so I've still have been doing my regular weekend rides(~50 on Sunday...in rain) and cycling to work on Monday (in that torrent that came down in the morning) and Wednesday this week.
Yesterday, during the day I suddenly started feeling much worse as the cold started to move down into my chest. Getting home (down Mt Washington and then up Greenfield Ave) was awful since it hurt to take big breaths. Based on that, I decided to drive into work today.
I guess I'm asking for advice: if you're not feeling well, what's the tipping point for riding vs not riding?
listen to your body. If you feel like you should be taking it easy, take it easy. My understanding is that light to moderate exercise boosts your immune system and can help you fight off a cold. However, heavy exercise or exercise when you have a fever has the opposite effect, causing excessive stress and lengthening the recovery period.
+1 to what Pratt sez.
I've found that at my advanced age, if I'm not feeling so hot, and the weather is less than optimal, I'll take advantage of my ability to work from home and just skip the commute. It's better to sit around for a day or two and get better faster rather than keep up my routine and feel marginal for a week or two.
There's a "rule of thumb" out there for what it's worth. Head cold=okay. Chest cold=no.
Otherwise yeah, if taking it easy seems to be the thing to do, embrace it. Remember, your body is hard at work fighting off that infection. Adding additional stress means it has to work that much harder.
For me? If I'm too sick to cycle, I'm too sick to go to work.
But then, I'm used to being non-athletic when I ride.
I've ridden to the hospital before.
I have a "theory" that laying around and breathing shallowly lets mucus hang around in your lungs, and exercise makes you cough it up. Some years ago, I had a persistent cough and I was a whole lot slower on the bike, so after about three weeks I went to the doctor. "You have pneumonia." How could I be riding 200 miles a week? I'm climbing Hazelwood Ave every day! "You have pneumonia, here is a prescription for antibiotics." This might be evidence for pratt's analysis.
Rule of thumb for racers:
Above the neck = train
Below the neck = rest
Thanks for the advice everyone. I can't believe this is the first time it has come up for me, but there ya go.
Drove into work today (can't call in sick, first full week of new job), and I'm hoping that I'll be recovered enough tomorrow for a 50 mile ride up near Irondequoit Bay in NYS.
