This is not new to me of course because it usually comes when I resume running after prolonged stop. And I am so bad in planning and preparation. This immunity compromise comes after overdoing any exercise program I fancy. It also comes when other stressful events occur in my life while in the running season.
What do I forget specifically (again, this applies to my body and I don’t claim it a general rule):
I forget to start gradually: Yeah, it doesn’t mean that because I hadn’t had a cold throughout the past year (despite everyone else in my workplace having had it one time or another) that I have an indestructible body. That’s wrong assumption. So don’t just run there and do a five miler in your fastest pace everyday on your return to running. That invites depressed immune system or worse, an injury. Start light, small, gradual. Incorporate rest, exercise variety and relaxation. Remember I was never and will never be an Olympian.
Before re-starting my running season, a few things I need to make sure of : Can I complete my regular minimum 7 hours sleep? Do I have healthy nutrition, (no skipped meals, complete meals, vitamins supplementation) ? Can I avoid stressful situations such as overwork, conflict at workplace or family, broken social relations, school work, break-ups (I don’t claim the last one was applicable to me, I wish!)? Avoid them or at least, learn how to sweep them aside. They will reduce your energy and fun.
So the moment I felt the slightest sign of a cold ( I also suffer from allergies which go away after a night of sleep ), this one however, I felt it as the beginning of a congestion, meaning, I felt something building up in my lungs that I needed to cough out. I felt a little sluggish and co-workers comment something like, ‘You look tired.’
That was a sign.
My approach is the same: Put running on hold, increase sleep, take supplements (Vitamin C and Zinc and other multivitamins usually work for me), cut down stress (school was stress for me this summer - I will tell you more about it later) and eat good. Unfortunately, the last one had an impact on my weight. This I did for at least a week and soon, I was back to zero again. But that is alright, as I said in my previous posts, I anticipate failures in my quest to running and this sure was one of them. But I intend to get back after I recover.
A good link about immune system: Immune system