I should be halfway through my first ultra trail race at this very moment but instead I’m sitting at my desk on a sunny, blue sky Saturday afternoon writing this post. I am extremely disappointed to miss out on the race and sharing the experience with a friend – but I am also 100 percent certain that I made the right decision in skipping it. Even though our plan was to do way more hiking than running, I likely would have ended up DNFing, with the medical team or with pneumonia had I pushed forward as planned. My body was just not up for 30 miles on the trails after spending a week fighting the flu.
WORKING OUT + THE FLU
Ultra trail races aside, I haven’t done much of anything since testing positive for flu A on Tuesday. I’ve watched three movies and a documentary, snuggled a ton with Finn, worked on a thousand piece puzzle and done some cooking and baking when I felt like it.
Workouts have been the furthest thing from my mind and just getting through day-to-day household and personal care activities has felt like more than enough. I was fortunate to have a relatively mild case of the flu which I’m crediting to having a flu shot but it has still wreaked havoc on my body. Here’s what I’ve noticed from my own experience and what my Oura ring has told me:
- Chesty, deep cough
- Low appetite, on and off GI upset
- Increased respiratory rate (Oura)
- Increased body temperature, especially at night after initial fevers subsided (Oura)
- Reduced heart rate variability (Oura)
- Low energy and muscle fatigue
- Poor sleep quality, specially not enough deep sleep (Oura)
This morning was the first morning I woke up to my Oura ring telling me I had no major symptoms and was getting back to my baseline. I ventured out of the house and made it to the gym for the first time in a week to train one client. I thought “maybe I’ll stay after and do a light workout” but honestly couldn’t fathom picking up a weight or pushing myself so I came home and had another cup of coffee instead. I just now the energy is not there yet. It’s not time.
WHEN TO PUSH AND WHEN TO REST
I am sharing all of this because there is a time to push and a time to rest.
- We push when we are at the peak of marathon training, running on tired legs and doing one more 20 miller feels like it might be the end of us. That’s how we get stronger.
- We push when the alarm goes off at 5a for that early morning lift and the last thing we want to go to the gym but we know at 5p we’ll be so proud of ourselves for getting out of bed and getting it done.
- We push when we signed up for that yoga class and our day has gotten crazy but making time for our practice is what will set us straight again.
- We rest when we are sick.
- We rest when our inner voice tells us that we are walking that fine line where more is not more and we are risking injury or overtraining.
- We rest when we make the decision to take a rest day or enjoy a vacation or focus on family or whatever it may be.
It’s no secret that working out is an important part of my regular routine. I like the way being active makes me feel inside and out. I enjoy movement and pushing myself – I’m the first to admit that it’s hard for me to stay still or sit out for very long. Generally, these qualities serve me well and I feel fit, healthy and energetic. But one gift I’ve received with age is an appreciation for rest and slowing down when it’s needed.
WILL I LOSE ALL MY FITNESS?
I had planned to kick off spring marathon training this week. Instead I am taking a full week off of running. Will I lose a little running fitness? Maybe, maybe not. But what I know and respect is how hard my body is working to get me well so that I can have a really strong training cycle when it’s the right time to run again. Pushing myself to run (or lift!) too soon will only set me back further and put me at risk of secondary infections.
The plan is to start with some easy walking and yoga and see how it goes. Finn and I did one glacially slow walk around the block on Thursday just to get some fresh air as we hadn’t been out of the house in three days. Half a mile was plenty for us haha. That was the extent of my steps for the week.
That’s all I really have to share today. I know that I won’t feel like this forever and one day soon I WILL feel up to an easy run or lift – but I’m not pushing that to happen before it’s time!
QUESTIONS
How do you handle workouts when you are sick?
Is it hard for you to take time off of your normal training schedule when you’re not feeling well?
