Every year getting sick at the Holidays is easier for me to do than finding that perfect gift. Most of us will come down with some bug this winter. And if you have young kids in school or deal with the public the odds go up to 99.9%.
So let’s assume that all of your preventable measures (constantly washing the hands, not having kids, avoiding people…) went to naught and you catch something. What you get and how it progresses plays a big part with your life on and off the bike.
Because of the many things we can catch, I took the liberty of grouping them into three categories, based on severity and how we should address them as cyclists.
Group one: I feel something coming on (this can’t be good).
You can ride, but back off from hard or long rides. Let your body and mind fight the illness without adding to the stress from a hard training day. Doing so may gave you the best chance of not ending up in group 2 or 3. You will know soon enough if what was “coming on” is getting better or grabbing ahold. If you do feel better keep riding and progress back into normal training.
Group two: I’m sick (I hope it’s just a cold).
As hard as it may be, the best thing is to accept the fact that you are sick and you need down time. By backing off and resting you will give yourself a fighting chance to put a stop to the slide. I know from being there how hard it is to back away from training. But remember that it should be about getting better so you can benefit from the training you are doing.
Group 3: Not good, this sucks (this is what hell must feel like).
Staying off the bike is easy, who can think about riding when it’s hard just making it through the day. Now may be the time to see a doctor. It may be more than just a cold and you’ll heal faster if treated properly.
Bouncing Back (I’m dying to ride my bike)
So you are starting to feel like your old self and want to get back on the bike. First thing is to make sure you are not jumping back in too soon. One more day of rest will never hurt and may help in the long run.
The first ride back should be a “lets see how I feel” ride. Easy and alone with nothing more to it, than to see how the body reacts to some stress placed on it. If the fist ride back felt good, start easing back into your normal training. Do not fall in to the trap of trying to make up for lost days, going too hard, just to find yourself back at square one. Remember after a long illness it may take a week or more to get back to full strength. But you will.
Happy Holidays
