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Just About Over an Unpleasant Respiratory Infection— Thoughts on Training
Related: Everest Challenge, foam roller, hard core, health, heart rate, nutrition, particulate respirators and masks, recovery, training
After two weeks, the respiratory infection is broken, and I’ve resumed training. I had to miss 4-5 days of riding in the middle of the infection, which was very disappointing after training intently since Dec 31.
Sidebar: I obtained the infection courtesy of my daughter, who is still getting over it 3 weeks later (pernicious bug). She got it courtesy of the thoughtless parents who send overtly sick children to school. Public schools are a health menace, with most teachers shirking their duty to send sick kids home. Every year it’s the same BS.
Resuming training after illness
I’ve found that it’s safe to resume training gradually even with remaining phlegm and sinus drainage so long as the training is not too hard, and the next day proves that one has not grown weaker— if so, back off, take a day off, then try again a few days later.
Very helpful is a power meter, which unequivocally measures whether power output is normal, or in some cases improved— the enforced rest can allow long-suffering muscles to fully recover, which is what I am experiencing. I feel a compelling urge to start training hard, but I won’t do so until the respiratory crud disappears, which is likely to take another week or so. Hard training could allow the lingering virii to reassert themselves, so that’s not wise, especially with respiratory infections.
Weight loss with illness
Curiously, the infection accelerated weight loss even as I ceased training for a few days; my appetite was suppressed and perhaps fighting an infection burns calories. Weight has popped back up after deliberately eating in excess, the thought being that calorie deprivation while trying to fight illness is well, stupid.
