How to approach the plan when you get sick?

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II’m a bit over 3 weeks away from my main race this year. Unfortunately, I got sick (probably a cold) on Monday and I’m trying to get back tomorrow back on track. While I was able to do my sessions on Monday and Tuesday, Wednesday and today (Thursday) where forced “rest” days to let me body recover.

There are two ways I want to approach this:

  1. I was thinking to do two sessions in one day: For instance, do my Threshold and Strength Endurance (low cadence) session tomorrow but not sure if is too much for the body to handle it. Or just do a short easy aerobic development (1.5 hrs) and combined my long aerobic development session plus threshold session on Saturday.

  2. Delete one of the sessions that I’m not able to do and just try to follow as much as I can the weekly plan that I have.

How Athletica AI responds to deleting vs missing a session? Or doing two sessions in the same day?

Any advice would be appreciated it

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Ah, illness and return to training…. Probably the most frustrating thing about training!!

I’m self- proclaimed expert on how NOT to return and it has taken me years to let go of missed sessions due to illness.

Here’s what I would do:
First day after I feel back to normal (and I mean fully healthy, not 50%, 60% or “just a little stuffy” I know THIS is the hardest part, to know when you are fully 100% healthy).
… I digress…
First day after fully healthy, do easy z1/2 session depending on what is typical training day for you (are you a triathlete, runner, halfIM, marathon etc?) . No intensity what so ever. 45min to 60min. Play it safe!

Second day, if no negative reaction to first day, add a bit more time but no intensity.

Third day, if no negative reaction to second day, return to normal training with whatever is in your calendar. If negative reaction, take a day off. Go for a walk. Start from day 1 again the next day if 100%.

My main point: do not try to catch up with sessions that you missed while being sick. Let them go. Don’t move them from earlier the week to the latter part trying to make them up.

You don’t want to add extra load to your system after you’ve just been ill. It’ll come back and to kick your butt. Been there way too many times.

While you are getting to the 100% : walk. Do some easy walking to keep your aerobic engine going. This has saved me many many times, learned from the best, @Prof .

If you feel like 90% and eager to get going again, I’d probably do an easy strength session to remind those fast twitch muscle fiber who’s the boss. Easy!! Definitely not a max strength session.

Three weeks to race? You’ve got plenty of time and the main focus should be to allow enough rest and recovery for your body to heal itself. Plenty of good healthy foods, avoiding processed foods, meditation and yoga to keep calm and believe in the process.

Trust me, if you’ve had a decent build up to this point, you are going to be just fine. :heart:

Training journey never quite goes to plan. How we bounce forward makes all the difference. You’ve got this!

MJ

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Thanks @Marjaana! Always is good to have someone to remind one that this is all part of the process. I will follow your recipe to allow myself to get back to training as soon as I feel 100% recover. Today at 80% and tomorrow I will assess how I feel.

Thanks for your kind words and support!

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Anytime :smiling_face_with_three_hearts: that’s what we are here for !

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