Racing in the rain

[Mongol_Waaijer]

On wednesday night I rode a 70km RR.

Spent the first 30 mins going flat out in a 6 man break, which was then caught by the pack. It then started to rain very heavily, and was unseasonably cool for this time of year.

The race slowed down in the foul conditions, and I got really cold, especially riding home through the city afterwards in wet gear.

I felt fine yesterday, even went running with my girlfriend....but today my throat is killing.

It interests me that I (and others I know) often feel like sh*t after racing in the rain. Have I caught a virus? Or is it a reaction to getting cold? did i have a virus but not notice the symptoms until the exertion in the cold brought it out?

 

[L'arriviste]

On wednesday night I rode a 70km RR.

Spent the first 30 mins going flat out in a 6 man break, which was then caught by the pack. It then started to rain very heavily, and was unseasonably cool for this time of year.

The race slowed down in the foul conditions, and I got really cold, especially riding home through the city afterwards in wet gear.

I felt fine yesterday, even went running with my girlfriend....but today my throat is killing.

It interests me that I (and others I know) often feel like sh*t after racing in the rain. Have I caught a virus? Or is it a reaction to getting cold? did i have a virus but not notice the symptoms until the exertion in the cold brought it out?

I would say first be sure it's your throat and not your lungs. Sometimes bronchial issues can appear to be higher in the air canal than first thought. Do you have other symptoms?

Secondly, the delay does suggest a virus because there is usually a period of incubation during which time the body might have failed to control the spread. The other thing is that going out running will have increased your exposure to cold and delayed the restorative processes that your body probably started right after you got home off the bike. Rest and take some warm honey or olive oil (I prefer the former). All being well, it'll ease quickly, but you have to let your body do what it's paid to do.

 

[Mongol_Waaijer]

I would say first be sure it's your throat and not your lungs. Sometimes bronchial issues can appear to be higher in the air canal than first thought. Do you have other symptoms?

Secondly, the delay does suggest a virus because there is usually a period of incubation during which time the body might have failed to control the spread. The other thing is that going out running will have increased your exposure to cold and delayed the restorative processes that your body probably started right after you got home off the bike. Rest and take some warm honey or olive oil (I prefer the former). All being well, it'll ease quickly, but you have to let your body do what it's paid to do.

yeah now started sneezing and blocked nose....a summer cold. Great. and its weekend too. so can be ill over the weekend, and better in time for work ;-)

think i might go for the unconventional extremely spicy Indian curry with bottle of red wine remedy....

 

[L'arriviste]

yeah now started sneezing and blocked nose....a summer cold. Great. and its weekend too. so can be ill over the weekend, and better in time for work ;-)

think i might go for the unconventional extremely spicy Indian curry with bottle of red wine remedy....

Classic solution and the best tasting medicine there is. Enjoy, you deserve it!

 

[Archibald]

there's an interesting theory regarding colds - simply put, they are already in our systems and held at bay by our immune systems. They only emerge when the conditions are right for them, and your example of spending the day soaked would be just such a senario as used to illustrate the theory...

 

[L'arriviste]

there's an interesting theory regarding colds - simply put, they are already in our systems and held at bay by our immune systems. They only emerge when the conditions are right for them, and your example of spending the day soaked would be just such a senario as used to illustrate the theory...

Quite right, though it's fact rather than theory. The bugs hang about and most of them can be expelled by white blood cells when the body gets the opportunity build up to it. Equally, there are other viruses that cannot be expelled and will hang out there until they're treated by drugs if available.

So as you say, we have to give our body the opportunity to fight. MW went out running after which, even if he's constitutionally strong, probably put enough pressure on his resources to cause a problem.

If you're reading this, MW, hope you feel better now after the weekend (and the curry/wine went down well)!

 

[Archibald]

Quite right, though it's fact rather than theory. The bugs hang about and most of them can be expelled by white blood cells when the body gets the opportunity build up to it. Equally, there are other viruses that cannot be expelled and will hang out there until they're treated by drugs if available.

So as you say, we have to give our body the opportunity to fight. MW went out running after which, even if he's constitutionally strong, probably put enough pressure on his resources to cause a problem.

If you're reading this, MW, hope you feel better now after the weekend (and the curry/wine went down well)!

did the same thing myself, although not by riding in the rain - am training for both a half marathon and sizeable sportive, so not really getting in the rest that I should, along with commuting 150-170kms a week not really helping.
long story short - i ended up with a bad cold/flu thing for most of last week and still trying to shake if off now...

 

[L'arriviste]

did the same thing myself, although not by riding in the rain - am training for both a half marathon and sizeable sportive, so not really getting in the rest that I should, along with commuting 150-170kms a week not really helping.
long story short - i ended up with a bad cold/flu thing for most of last week and still trying to shake if off now...

I once read an old '80s guide to cycling - a Christmas gift from a relative who like to shop in used charity stores. All the photos were slightly brown and there was one that showed what Dag Otto Lauritzen ate in a day whilst riding for 7-Eleven.

Anyway the author wrote anecdotally when talking about rest, RICE, etc that he'd known a young rider who trained hard, intending to "ride through" his cold only to have it turn into a bad 'flu because he'd continued to neglect himself. This guy stayed in bed for a day but then continued training, suffered a major bronchial infection as his immune system fell apart and he eventually died.

Don't have nightmares, folks!

 

[Archibald]

I once read an old '80s guide to cycling - a Christmas gift from a relative who like to shop in used charity stores. All the photos were slightly brown and there was one that showed what Dag Otto Lauritzen ate in a day whilst riding for 7-Eleven.

Anyway the author wrote anecdotally when talking about rest, RICE, etc that he'd known a young rider who trained hard, intending to "ride through" his cold only to have it turn into a bad 'flu because he'd continued to neglect himself. This guy stayed in bed for a day but then continued training, suffered a major bronchial infection as his immune system fell apart and he eventually died.

Don't have nightmares, folks!

I got drowned for my entire 45min commute this morning, so we'll see how things pan out over the next few days