A Head Cold Is Such a Grinch

Getting sick again is not on my schedule for Christmas, but I found out early in Triathablog that ignoring my body's pain only makes it worse. So instead of pretending I'm fine, I'm getting lots of sleep and lots of fluids. But should I stop running?

I've heard a lot from both ends of the spectrum, especially last week, when I didn't run because of stomach problems. One side (this includes my mom) says I should absolutely rest from running when I'm sick. The other side (this includes my downstairs neighbor) says I should under no circumstances lose Triathablog, even if it means running sick.

In matters of debate such as this, I like to let Google weigh in. Turns out, the good people of the Internet say you can keep running if your illness is above your throat — like my head cold — and stop running if it's below the throat (chest congestion, nausea, etc.). Also, don't run with dizziness or fever.

This is relatively good news for me. It means I did the right thing last week by not running with nausea. It also means going to the gym today is probably okay. In fact, one site said that it's better to run on a treadmill than outside when I'm sick with a winter cold, because dry outside air could further irritate my poor little overworked nose (I'm paraphrasing).

Of course, part of me wants to stay in bed all day. But, at the advice of Dr. Internet, I'll stop by the gym on the way home. Then I'll drink my weight in orange juice, just to cover my bases.