Sick

tddaileyjr

I'm curious if anyone else has had this issue. Since I have started triathlon training I've gotten the most Ill I have ever been THIS YEAR on multiple occasions. Started taking zinc and it helps but I missed two days and no I'm laid up again. Any advice would help. Thanks

-Tim

Al Truscott

I'm assuming by "ill" you mean things like colds, GI issues, etc. Here's my take on it: viruses which can infect us and cause symptoms are always out there, we're constantly exposed to them (especially if we have kids in the household). So at any moment, we are at risk of becoming "sick". In my mind, if I start to get symptoms like a scratchy throat or little sniffle, that's a sign that my training is overwhelming my body's ability to win the constant fight against those little bugs; it plays havoc with our immune system. So it's an early warning sign of over-training, relative to my body;s ability to handle the load I;m putting on it, and I IMMEDIATELY back off, even if it just means making sure I drink some extra Vit C and get a good night's sleep. I really don;t get colds anymore, the past ten years or so, since I figured that out. I used to take echinacea to try and help with it, based on an actual medical study of triathletes, but not any more. I just don;t let myself overdo it, knowing that working out on a daily basis at, say 90-95% of my ability has better results in the long run that trying to go 120%, crashing for a week with a cold, and trying to ramp up all over again.

Coach Patrick

Tim, I think it's only fair that you admit you are one busy mofo whose job is probably as hard has triathlon. My guess is that the training (EN or otherwise) has you pretty fatigued and has compromised your body's ability to fight off even the small stuff.

Al has great tips above, I would add consistent sleep. My guess is if you go back and look at the calendar, you'd see big work + training + low sleep and possibly stress (you have family events every weekend!) that add up...

~ Coach P