Training with a cold

When it comes to training with a cold I used to believe that it was best to get in as many "regular" sessions as possible and then take a few days off when the cold gets bad. I don't believe this any more. 

An illness, even a mild one, is a stress and the body needs energy to fight it. If someone is doing hard sessions while sick it's likely that they will not only perform bellow their best, they also won't be able to get the full training effect that comes during recovery periods. The stress of hard training and a cold can be a lose-lose as it can take longer to fight off the illness. In my experience trying to maintain regular training with a cold means that the workouts don't go as well, the recovery is slower, and the illness lasts longer. Recovery is a crucial part of training. If your body isn't able to adapt to the stress of your training sessions you're not only wasting your time, you may be making things worse.

One of the goals of training, especially early in the year, is to get in as much work as possible. Although it can be hard for athletes to accept, sometimes this means we have to take it easy. In my experience I can get in about 3 fairly regular sessions at the beginning of a cold, but I feel progressively worse each day and then I get really sick and have 7-10 days where I can only manage relatively poor quality sessions, if any at all. This means that I'm not getting much out of my training for about 2 weeks. 

I started feeling sick Sunday night and rather than try to plow through I've adjusted my training. I'm doing light workouts every other day (weights: sets of 12 at 60% with 1 min rest and 5x20m sprints). I started this as soon as I began to feel a little sick. It's not much work, but better than nothing, and it allows my respiratory system to take a bit of a break. If I feel like I'm getting worse I back off and maybe do 10 minutes of light circuits. That's all. My cold hasn't become worse but I can still feel it progressing through the regular stages: sore throat -> stuffy nose -> cough. At this rate I should be able to resume regular training early next week, if not Monday. That means that rather than practically wasting 2 weeks as before, I'm getting in one "maintenance" and one "regular" week. As an athlete it's important to have a focus on what you're doing day-by-day, but sometimes it's good to remember the bigger picture, too. 

Tips for training while sick:

-A cold is a stress on the body that you will need to recover from. Think of it as a kind of unplanned workout. If you decide to continue training imagine you are doing two-a-day sessions and adjust the intensity and/or volume a bit.

-If your symptoms are mild and "above the neck" light training should be fine. If they're more severe or "below the neck" rest is best. Respiratory infections are bad news for athletes.

-If you have a fever, take a rest.

-If your resting heart rate is about 10bpm higher than normal, take a rest.

-If you really don't feel like going out for a session try taking a walk. If you don't feel better, consider taking a break.

UPDATE: See part 2, Training AFTER a cold.