Tuesday, August 09, 2011

The virus effect

After several weeks of feeling weaker and less motivated than usual in my workouts, I was finally ready to admit that maybe I was experiencing my annual August slump that hit last year and 2008 and really dramatically in 2009 post-Tour-Divide. Yes, clearly I needed some kind of outside boost to lift me out of the gully, which appeared to happen Sunday when I pounded out one of my fastest Stevens Creek mountain bike loops. That evening, I felt the scratchy beginnings of a sore throat, congestion and a sinus headache. When I told Beat that I thought I was getting a cold, he suggested that my burst of energy could have been spurred by my immune system, putting up one last shock-and-awe bombardment of defense before the virus clamped down.

When I woke up, my throat was still sore and my nose was running, but the symptoms weren't really uncomfortable enough to justify putting off my planned long run, which I felt I needed to complete just to see if I stood any chance of finishing the 50K I entered this coming weekend. I haven't really experienced an even remotely good run since mid-July, so I wasn't expecting much. I took off toward Black Mountain in the heat of the afternoon, tapping a deep well of motivation to at least jog the 7-mile, 3,000-foot climb up a dusty trail lined in spider webs and thorny bushes. I broke near the top and walked a bit until the dizziness abated and the thorny bushes stopped spinning. But as I crested the peak and turned around, I realized that I felt kinda OK. Actually, I felt pretty good. I took off down the trail on an seeming set of wings, pumping fire that was only partly contained by my clumsy legs' fear of running downhill. A few more rollers and I wrapped up a sub-three-hour 15-miler, which for me and 3,500 feet of climbing is probably a PR.

Returned home with legs feeling fresh and new — but, sure enough, the sore throat and congestion is still there.

I wonder if I really have that awesome of an immune system, or maybe just the world's most ineffective cold.

Or maybe it's just the molten Haribo gummy snacks that Beat and I have been consuming during these hot August efforts. Just a few blobs of highly concentrated rocket fuel to feed a summer virus, and suddenly I'm up and running again — at least for now. But really, how else do you explain these sorts of things?


8 comments:

  1. Bof! I'm experiencing the same thing - two weeks after the Tour Divide, I ride up Mt. Evans from my doorstep in record time and the next 3 weeks, I'm in a never-ending cold, starting on the eve of my ride.

    My only salvation is telling myself this helps me somehow recover but I always feel like I'm losing all my hard-earned fitness!

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  2. I have experienced the same effect. Sick pre run, fine on run, sick post run. From what I understand, your body actually suppresses your immune system when you run (a side effect of fight or flight - the body thinks it must be being chased if you are running).

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  3. Either your illness is negligible or you should have rested or done a short easy run or hike rather than done a long hard run while sick. That's my expert medical opinion.

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  4. Immune system does slump after an endurance effort. I still usually ride an edge:) Sometimes I can never put a finger on what fixes me. But very few (and very rarely) things break me. So, lets go for a ride (or run)!

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  5. Do the Iditabike! Ride across Alaska! Do the first winter bike ride across the Colorado Trail! Ride across Antarctica! Circle the entire Arctic Circle by bike! Bike onto a calving glacier, let it drop into the ocean, melt, don a packraft, and paddle to Iceland!

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  6. I see the gummy bears and just think "I feel so optimistic!"

    I have a co-worker with a kid in daycare. I find the more cardio I do, the less often the colds catch me. Either the symptoms are hidden, or I am more robust?

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  8. Maybe its allergies? Post nasal drip can cause the sore throat. Congestion can cause dizziness and even nausea. Often the congestion is just in the upper areas of the nose/ear "system" and not particularly noticeable.

    If you feel fine otherwise, take a couple of antihistamines you know you tolerate well--I like Sudafed--and if you feel normal in 20 minutes then a good chance it is allergies.

    Allergies often develop months or years after moving to an area.

    Tom
    Fairbanks

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Feedback is always appreciated!