Should You Run When You're Sick?

It's no big secret that we runners are a bunch of “Type As”, and for many of us skipping a workout due to illness is a heinous thought. When my husband brought a hideous stomach virus into our happy home last week I continuously repeated my Mantra, “I have a strong immune system from miles of running – I will not get sick, I will not get sick…” So much for the power of positive thinking.

Yesterday late afternoon I started feeling really woozy; bad headache, upset stomach and badly aching muscles. Nooooo!  Still, I held out hope that when I woke up in the morning the invader would be gone and my early morning 5 miler would become a reality. NOT! My intestines are behaving unspeakably and my body is aching all over. Still, I really did entertain the notion that I would do my run. This morning I got dressed and was about to walk out the door when a bout of well, unpleasantness struck and I decided it all was for naught.

It is true that my symptoms are nowhere near those of my husband’s (the result of those good runner antibodies) but it does seem clear that running today just wasn’t in the cards. Of course, all of this brings up the question, should you run when you’re sick?

Well, the general rule of thumb is that if your symptoms are “above the neck” and you don’t have a fever, you can probably work out – although keeping it light (no heavy tempo work or high mileage stuff) is a good idea.  Running with a fever will definitely make it worse because when you run your heart pumps large amounts of blood from your muscles into your skin dissipating the heat your body generates. If you are feverish, your temperature will rise even higher, and your heart will be put under even greater stress to keep your temperature from climbing higher. Bad idea. In the worst possible scenario, this can cause an irregular heartbeat. Take note: you cannot “run out a fever.” Also, running with a viral infection can cause your muscles to feel sore and achy and exercising when your muscles are already sore can lead to injury.

In the case of sinus problems, doctors warn to take extra caution when training with anything worse than a minor cold because it can escalate into more serious conditions affecting the lower respiratory tract and lungs. Sinus infection, or sinusitis, is an inflammation of the sinus cavity that affects 37 million Americans each year. Symptoms include runny nose, cough, headache, and facial pressure. You know the drill.  With a full-blown sinus infection, you rarely feel like running anyway, but if you do, consider the 72-hour rule: "No running for three days," Even without the presence of a fever, some sinus infections, when stressed by exercise, can lead to pneumonia or, in extreme cases, respiratory failure!

Here’s something to note: at training levels of about 60 miles a week, research shows that you are twice as likely to get sick than normal. A study conducted on 2,300 runners in the LA Marathon by David Neiman of the Human Performance Research Lab at Appalachian State University, revealed that the odds of getting sick were six times higher in runners than normal following the completion of the race. Running less than 60 miles a week evidently helps stave off “marathoner’s throat.”

It seems the final message here is really “know your limits and be realistic.”

I recall many years ago I ran my first big race for which I had seriously trained (a 10K) with strep-throat. I had a fever, headache, etc. – but there was nothing that was going to keep me off that starting line. The result? A sucko time and several weeks of recovery during which I couldn’t run at all.

Ah, hope springs eternal. I took off my running clothes this morning and went to bed…but as Scarlett famously said “After all, tomorrow is another day!”

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