Comments on: The Sick And The Suffering

By: Pete @ quicktofit

Pete @ quicktofit — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:51:28 +0000

Wow, if i was having problems with my stomach like this I can guarantee i wouldn’t have the get up and go to go out running. You’re a better man than me!

By: Shéamus

Shéamus — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:01:41 +0000

You guys are right on paper, of course. Normally I’m kind of in the middle on this - I firmly believe that if you’re really ill you should skip any kind of extreme exercise as it can make you worse, absolutely.

However, if you’ve just got a cold or a mild bug then I often think ’sweating it out’ can work to your benefit. You rarely feel worse after working out, if ever.

If I hadn’t been running every single day, would I have taken yesterday off? Possibly. But you’ve got to remember what I’m doing and who I am as a person. I’m a bit of a no-holds barred kind of guy. If I’m sick and feel I can only do three miles, well then if I do five miles it makes me feel pretty great.

That’s how it was yesterday. Three miles would have satisfied the conditions of my rules for this challenge but in terms of where I am now (both in the number of days and how I feel about myself as a runner) it would have felt like a giant failure.

Also look at it this way - as I’ve said before, if I can bang out five miles while sick, then when I’m healthy five miles is going to seem like a complete doddle. And when those five miles comes at mile 18 in a marathon or mile 42 in an ultra or something when I’m feeling totally spent, I can look back at days like this one where I felt equally as bad (if not worse) and say, “I can do this.”

And I can and will, because I’ve done it before.

By: michelle

michelle — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:04:18 +0000

Sheamus i have to agree with Rahn on this one! Why make yourself sicker? While i agree that running makes you healthy, if your sick to begin with and push too much, it may very well make you feel worse!

Rahn is right on when he says abort! There is always tomorrow and running 2 miles in horrible heat and humidity is just as admirable as running 8 in easier conditions!!

Just my 2 cents!

By: Rahn

Rahn — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 11:54:55 +0000

Here’s my free advice for when this happens again.

Abort!
I’m not saying give up your running streak. Do the minimum necessary to meet your goal for the day, then stop.

However, don’t get caught up in the “If I don’t get 8 miles in today, I’m a loser and might as well kill myself” mentality. That’s how you get injured and/or sicker.

In the overall scheme of things, going 2 miles instead of 8 once in a while is not going to set anyone back.

By: Spartan7

Spartan7 — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 08:41:25 +0000

I really sympathize with you, as I know how days like that can be completely awful. You amazingly soldiered through it, which speaks volumes about your character.

I’m sure that you are monitoring your fluids, so you could have picked up a “bug” somewhere. I hope that you feel great Monday and that Sunday was a fluke.

Be thankful that it wasn’t on your travel day. Stuck on a plane and feeling lousy really is a bad situation.

Your doing great!

By: AndrewE

AndrewE — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 02:37:17 +0000

Running while sick sounds rather awful.

I reckon it’s all natural. He’s tall and he rocks!