If you’re anything like me, you can give pretty good advice about running but then have a hard time practicing what you preach. Getting sick is the perfect example of this. It’s so easy to tell someone ‘oh rest up for a day or two and you’ll be fine’, but actually doing that is so hard. “A day off? Crazy talk. You’re crazy.” Just getting over a nasty little sinus infection, I was happy to find an email sitting in my inbox from Runners Connect about this very topic.

A couple of highlights:

Running when Congested

If your symptoms are congestion related – runny nose, chest congestion or coughing – it’s typically safe to run.

Actually, an easy run and a nice hot shower afterwards may help clear you congestion and give you a few hours of feeling normal.

Running with the Flu

If you have flu like symptoms, especially achy muscles or a fever, you should not run. Running with a fever is not only dangerous, but will significantly lengthen the amount of time it takes you to get back to 100%.

A fever, by definition, is a rise in the body’s internal temperature in response to bacterial or viral infections. Running also increases your internal temperature, which will make your fever symptoms even worse and could result in dangerous and long-term health consequences.

Be Patient when Sick

No one wants to get sick and lose training time. However, by being intelligent and patient in your approach, you can avoid having the flu set you back for weeks instead of days and be back to normal training before you know it. Likewise, setting expectations when suffering from a cold or other illness will enable you to adapt and keep your training progressing smoothly.

Tough to follow my own advice, but easier to take when it comes from a trusted, independent source. Check out the full article for even more info:

Are you Putting Your Body in Danger by Running While Sick?