Man flu - when should I run

[GettingFitter]

Following my run with 14 year old niece and my daughters 18th party I have picked up the dreaded lurgy. Feeling bad and not running is making me feel worse. SHould I try a run anyway? Haven't run since saturday. Any advice? Should i just get on with it and go running?

[Bazza1234 Graduate]

Be VERY VERY careful. It has been proven medically and scientifically that man flu is one of the deadliest diseases known to medical science - life threatening!! . Completely debilitating - the only cure for it is complete rest -- and I mean complete!!!! Do you have sufficient support at home??

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to Bazza1234]

Thanks Bazza. My support keeps leaving me home alone, having to get my own lemsip (other medecines are available), find the tv remote and fill my own hot water bottle. Are these grounds for divorce given the serious nature of this disease?

[misswobble Graduate in reply to GettingFitter]

Hmmm. It's your call this one. If you feel like running then you must be ok, right? You could go out, taking a big hankie with you, and see how you go. Or you could sit in front of the telly for a few more days watching interminable episodes of Grand Designs - and heaven forbid -Flog It! The dog needs to go for a run so you can't really avoid it can you

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to misswobble]

Thanks MW. Will see how I feel later. Rico is still getting his walks but I haven't done those either. Still been working through it but working from home today so might go out later depending on my temperature or might just wait until the weekend which isn't far off. Work is mad at the moment which doesn't help

[IAASA Graduate]

I haven't run since the weekend. This womans version of man-flu that I seem to have picked up doesn't want to shift and I haven't had the energy....

Hope you feel better soon!

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to IAASA]

Sorry to hear that. It is frustrating as you know you want to but also know you shouldn't until you're better. Hope you get better soon too.

[Hidden]

As long as you feel ok "in yourself" (#peterkay) - and you can breathe properly, then I don't see why not?

Man up!

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Will do Mossy

[Hidden in reply to GettingFitter]

In all seriousness, there's a short section about this on the NHS C25K website:

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Colds are more common in winter, but you don’t necessarily have to stop running if you’re feeling under the weather. According to Dr Keith Hopcroft, a GP from Basildon in Essex, use common sense and listen to your body.

“If your symptoms are not severe and you generally feel OK, then you can go running. If you feel absolutely rotten, then it’s best not to go.”

However, it’s important not to run if you have a fever. A fever is when your body’s temperature is 38ºC (100.4ºF) or above and is rarely a symptom of a cold. “If you run with a fever,” says Dr Hopcroft, “it’ll make you feel worse. In very rare cases, running with a fever can lead to the virus affecting your heart, which can be dangerous.”

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks for sharing Mossy - off to take my temperature

[Tomas Graduate]

Exercising (despite all its healthy benefits) reduces the effectiveness of your immune system. It's not a coincidence that athletes pick up "bugs" more than Joe Average. If you run while not being 100%, chances are that it will take you longer to get to 100%. Whether the feel-good factor of a run is worth that is of course something only you can answer

Hope you feel better soon.

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to Tomas]

Cheers Tomas

[Zev1963 Graduate]

I have man flu too this week I did my Week 7 run 2 wednesday morning, I'm still not sure whether I shall do run 3 as planned on friday morning. I dont think that wednesdays run made me feel any worse, and the run itself went well. However I did feel really tired yesterday afternoon.

if I feel no worse tommorow then I shall run, otherwise I'll postpone until saturday.

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to Zev1963]

Hope you get better soon Zev there's a lot of it about

[Zev1963 Graduate in reply to GettingFitter]

Thanks GettingFitter

[misswobble Graduate]

Having a very runny nose is no fun when you're running, but the symptoms can linger for weeks, so at some point you have to get back out there, with a ruddy gert hankie or two

Rest up GF if you feel cruddy. It won't hurt. You won't lose fitness over the weekend. Make yourself some hot stew or soup with lots of veggies and pulses, chilli, garlic and onions. Chilli is really good for clearing your nasals!

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to misswobble]

mmm chilli

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Man flu is drastic and incurable but nurse Juicyju says take some lemsip and go for it if you feel able ( perhaps take it slow). The fact you want to suggests your man flu is not terminal...

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks Nursey but it's got worse so I'm leaving it until tomorrow

[DownNotUp Graduate]

I've got manflu too (except since I'm a woman - its just a cold and a runny nose). Two days ago I did Run 2 of Week 6 on a beautiful beach road. The waves were lapping the shore as the sun was rising on a Greek Island, it was wonderful and I felt great. The thought of going anywhere outside in this weather or onto a treadmill to do 25 mins is just unbeareable. Help.

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to DownNotUp]

Hi DownNotUp I took Nurse JuJu's advice and went for a run walk today, I do feel better since I got back and I really did enjoy it despite the runny nose. Your Greek Island sounds idyllic - just pretend you're there and actually the weather isn't that bad

[DownNotUp Graduate]

Thanks, I took her advice too and went for it. I put on what I wore last week plus a thin jumper, tucked a hankie in my knickers and did it. First time I have just opened the front door and run round the block. I now know that running round the block takes just under 5 mins (thanks Laura). So now I can run for 25 mins and I'm a runner - wow! Hope your cold gets better soon.

[GettingFitter Graduate in reply to DownNotUp]

Fantastic DownNotUp. That's such a great result. Go you runner you!! Hope you're also on the mend too

[Zev1963 Graduate]

Me too. Lots of good advice there I postponed my run 3 week 7 yesterday (friday) as I was feeling so cruddy with man flu. But this morning (saturday) decided to go for it. My first run in the daylight, as all my other runs have been at 6am on work days. Happy to report that it went really well. Ran further than the other 25 minutes runs and saw quite few other people running too :). So sunday rest day to shake off the man flu then start Week 8 on monday (slow_Rob I'm on your tail, Watch out ).