Adrian from Queensland asks:I am 52 used to racing and have been doing about 150Kms in the weeks when I can get on the bike (not enough I know!). The last week I have a form of flu with a slight chest infection - not severe but enough to keep me off work for 2 days and off the bike for 6 days. My question is when is it safe to get back on the bike so as not to run the risk of myocarditis - and how slowly should one build back. Is there a simple formula such as one day off means one week back in the program etc.Coach:This is a vexed issue. Some people think it is better to train through a flu others don't. My experience is that if you have a head cold, then you can train and probably race. But again, it is a virus and any physical activity reduces your bodies fighting capacity.However, anything that is located on the chest should be respected. This means that you should not ride with a chest cold or flu. You not only prolong the virus but also as you say risk worse problems which will see you off your bike for longer. So, when is it okay to start riding again. I have found that a heavy flu takes a week to clear and then at least a week of easy riding after that before you resume your programme. Resuming your programme does not mean starting where you left off. It means usually going back about a month. I plan on losing a month with a flu. So while this view is not based at all on medical science, but is merely my experience, I would start riding after a week. Of-course, you have to be informed by your body. I am told that you can take blood tests to tell whether the virus is gone from your body. That seems to be too much trouble. Take a week off and then ride really easy for the next week, and probably only about an hour a day. Then start again. There are no simple rules of thumb. |