I have come down with a common cold this week...just before a big race on sunday. I am starting to feel better today(thurs) but am concerned I may not be 100% by race time. Do you guys have any suggestions on what I might be able to take or do on sunday morning to help me get up to speed?

thanks...
Brian

i am in the exact same circumstance, i dont have a race sunday i have a charity ride. My head feels like it's going to explode any second. I am going to stay off the bike until sunday and hope for the best.

The general rule of thumb I have always used is that if you have a head cold, go light. But if it is in your chest, go home. My personal demons (no pun intended) tend to be that my allergies can be indistinguishable from a cold, so I just go ride, and if my head clears after I warm up, I keep pushing.

DEMON

I always get my flu jabs just as the summers ending without fail. 3 years ago I got infected with one hell of a virus that started out as a cold and then flu. It laid me flat out for 2 weeks, weak as hell. I lost alot of fitness especially my lung capacity, I could feel it when I got back on the bike and even more from my hill sprints, it felt like I was back to square one with alot of pain scheduled to get back. From then on, I have always told myself that I was never going to go through this again. Needles scare me but I thought I was going to die from that virus.

I haven't had a cold, flu or virus since.

There were some days in winter when I was underclothed and froze out there and it was really testing the effectivness of the jab and it came out in flying colours.

Brian,

If you have been comsuming gluten (contained in wheat, rye, and other foods)
I would eat just a little right before the race after abstaining from it completely until then.

Also, I would eat a little piece of as fresh as possible fruit with the cracker or whatever.

Of course, I could not give a thorough analysis because I do not know you.

Bon voyage,

Jacob

update

Well, I felt a little better the morning of the race and drank a ton of fluids before starttime...I think adrenaline took over b/c I ended up 5th out of 82.