General Cycling Discussion - what's the sickest you've been and still saddled up?

I am sitting here in my recliner with a thermometer sticking out of my head and at the same time waiting for the rain to clear so I can get on with things and go for a spin. Now I don't mean 20 miles or anything but I still plan to hit the road for just a little while. Is this normal? My husband says that this is how he determines my degree of illness...by whether I ride or not. Believe it or not there have been times that I have had a low grade fever and went for a slow ride and the fever broke within a few miles and I suspected the activity had something to do with it.
What is your threshold?

I have ridden with the flu before. Seemed to make me feel better!

I am very cautious about riding or any other intense physical activity when I'm sick. There is some evidence that continuing training while suffering from a virus can increase your chances of complications like myocarditis or meningitis. A 25 year old co-worker continued working with the flu this spring. It turned into meningitis and she spent 14 days in the hospital. Her hospital co-payments (she owes after her insurance paid their portion) are over $10,000. When I was running, after several bouts of seeming to clear colds by running, I turned a cold into pneumonia by going for a 15 mile run. Now I say, better to be sick and be done with it.

guess what...just looked outside and the rain has finally moved out of here !!
My helmet is strapped on, my 3 LED's and headlight are ready to roll...and I have given myself strict orders that tonight is a "light" night. meaning no serious stuff. I think mild exercise does help some , but I also agree with you, Jean, in that training while sick can be a real gamble.


See you people later...got a fix to get!

I had a very soar case of strep throat and I biked 200km from Toronto - London.

I had two significant colds this past summer and fall, and I biked through both of them. I also recovered faster and felt better during them. I'm not sure how eager I'd be to bike with a cold during winter, though. I think general fitness helps one recover from colds.

What's the sickest you've been and still saddled up?

Only everyday...

:D

Originally posted by Cyclesister
I have ridden with the flu before. Seemed to make me feel better!

Yep, been there. Last year (the only illness I've had in four years) I was so sick that I actually vomited while riding. True story. I felt better immediately, went to university and put in a 15 hour day - one of the most productive I've ever had! I killed that illness completely the next weekend with a 150km ride.

Last September, during my OATBRAN tour across central Nevada, after training all year- I got sick chest cold, two days before I left.
Runny noise all the way across Nevada plus incessent coughing. Camping out in the cool nights with non-stop coughing. Great combo.. No one camped near my tent.. But it was still a great ride..

Originally posted by WorldIRC
I had a very soar case of strep throat and I biked 200km from Toronto - London.

Now that I think about it, when I arrived in London I went right to sleep. The next morning, my symptoms were all gone. I still had to take the drugs though.

Riding almost always makes me feel better. Or maybe just distracts me from my misery!

Anyway, I recall the old adage from when I was a young, snot-nosed racer type--"if its above the neck, ride. If its below the neck (in other words in your chest) don't."

Dave

I'm happy to report that I don't get sick very often, but the sickest I've been and still rode was December 8, 2002. (For those in other parts of the world - 8 December 2002) ;)

It was the second week of my three week bout with the flu. Just had to get out of the house and ride. Only had the strength and energy to do 13-14 miles, but I did feel better when I got home.

Unlike Brian (WorldIRC), the ride didn't get rid of the flu. It hung around for 4 or 5 days. :( :crash:

Any energy that you waste on excersize is energy that you can't use to fight off the illness.

Well I guess sometimes the riding helps your immune system but other times it can be hard on your immune system because you are tiring yourself. It all depends on how much energy you have when you go out I guess.

I believe that sweating cures most illness' that I've had. If you aren't too bad then ride. Else chicken soup and maybe a little whiskey and go to bed and sleep and sweat first.

Joe
:beer:

I also dont' get colds very often- the last one was just after Xmas last year, and it's not like I'll be cycling at that time. When I do get colds it's usually in the winter or spring anyways. However, if I were really sick, say, with strep or a fever, forget it.

The common wisdom is the 'above the neck' test- that if it's just a head cold and you don't have a fever, then go ahead. If it's in your chest or you have a fever, not a good idea- you can get bronchitis or pneumonia and that takes a lot longer to go away. If it was just a cold, I'd just wait until the worst was over and then go. I also tend to get over colds really quickly.

The only other thing that might keep me off a bike would be stomach flu. I don't get that very often but the last time, about four years ago, I couldn't even leave the house!

I usually ride anytime I'm sick. When I get sick, I deny it until I can't any longer....My mom always says I'm going to kill myself.

cancer.

Originally posted by joeprim
I believe that sweating cures most illness' that I've had. If you aren't too bad then ride. Else chicken soup and maybe a little whiskey and go to bed and sleep and sweat first.

Joe
:beer:
that sounds good to me, delete "maybe a little" & it sounds even better:D

Hey Lance,

good point, I'd say that trumps anything else :-)

Hmm. Thats not actually Lance... ... is it?

Originally posted by WorldIRC
Hmm. Thats not actually Lance... ... is it?

Well if it is.. he's got most of us beat... if its not...?


I tired to get on the trainer with a Sinus thing going on... I lasted 5 minutes... I didnt even get my heart rate up to 150... Arrrrgh the pain... lol

Originally posted by WorldIRC
Hmm. Thats not actually Lance... ... is it?

Do a search of his posts and you'll see that it's quite definitely not Lance. I have my suspicions about who it might be...

Originally posted by Chris L


Do a search of his posts and you'll see that it's quite definitely not Lance. I have my suspicions about who it might be...

If you only knew how wrong you are.....

HAHA

been out with the flu in December here in UK!! but was overheating like mad even though I only had one fleece on!!! strange how u forget that u are ill when u are cycling!!! Brain is focused on getting home I guess!!! It's amazing how u can still cycle with so many things wrong!!! I had a slight hairline fracture in my thighbone(got kicked by a horse with its back legs) and broken toes but was still cycling about 20 miles a day to the stables and back home!!! having sprained ankles didn't stop me either I couldn't really feel the pain in the cycling position!! :D

Originally posted by Lance Armstrong
cancer.
Nothing can beat that...., so stop whining ang just go out and ride, buddy

I went out last year with Flu on my bike did 20 miles and got chronic chest infection two days later :( so by going out I made it worse and missed out on cycling time by being even more ill than
I started out as!!!! I have cycled with broken toes and a hairline fracture in my thigh bone :rolleyes:

Although I've never had this particular illness, I seriously believe I'd still saddle up and ride if I was dead. I don't see any reason not to.

Well...

I haven't ridden ill, but I am one sick puppy....:D

Does that count?


Koffee Brown

Of the 428 miles I rode across Nevada last September- I bet there is not more than 3 miles that I did not excreet some upper body fluid upon the pavement.. And certainly every mile merited a hacking cough.. I was miserable but had a great time..
Some Jaguar fanatics have been burried upon their leather seats.. can not a cyclists be burried propped up on their his bike, as Chris suggests.?

Originally posted by cyclezealot
Some Jaguar fanatics have been burried upon their leather seats.. can not a cyclists be burried propped up on their his bike, as Chris suggests.?

I wouldn't need to be propped up. I'd rise quite voluntarily of my own accord every day for my morning ride.

About 4 years ago, winter of 98 think it was.
I continued my work commute through what I thought was a nasty flu.
This went on for about a week, I was feeling really lousy, as things were not improving with time, I finally submited to the illness and called in at the surgery.
I had been cycling with Pneumonia!.

i think the "above the neck ok, below not" is about right. whenever i feel a little crappy with a cold or sniffles or a headache, cycling will almost always make me feel better. it's amazing what it does for sinus problems...

now if you're really ill then no, cycling wears down your immune system so that's not good.

of course it's not always easy to tell... personally i only get REALLY sick (like flu or strep or ... never had pneumonia or anything) maybe once ever 3-4 years. but maybe once every few months i have a cold or sinus thing and cycling is a great cure.