Running advice, please!

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Somebody_Loved
Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello all you runners, need some more advice!

I'm in week 6 of marathon training and have come down with a nasty flu and fever. I haven't been able to run any of my mid-week runs this week (3m, 6m, 3m) and unless I get better quickly, I can't imagine getting my long run in this weekend, either (14m). My question is, should I try to make up the miles somehow? Or is it early enough to where missing my long run one weekend isn't a big deal?

I'm trying not to stress over missing the long run this weekend but I know long runs are the most important. Next weekend I'm running a 10k on Saturday, so I could "make up" the 14 mile run I'm missing this weekend next Sunday. Any thoughts?

TIA!

Replies

  • dpwellman
    dpwellman Posts: 3,271 Member
    edited March 2016
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    No. Just pick up training where you left off. . or nearly left off and try to get consistent miles in. I just lost a month (almost) of training and am almost equal with everyone else who hadn't missed any training (although I dropped to a slightly slower pace group).

    Well, I added cycling, too since I wasn't able to run as fast/far coming back from illness.

    Rule of thumb for illness:
    Symptoms above the neck run
    Symptoms below the neck no run

    But depending on severity, feel like you can go, go. But definitely don't push it. Cardio wastes histamine mitigators.
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    dpwellman wrote: »
    No. Just pick up training where you left off. .

    Agreed, unless you are unable to run for an extended period of time you're not going to lose a discernible amount of fitness.

    As to doubling up next weekend my only concern would be if you were killing the 10K, if to dialed it back a bit an treated it as a training run you'd probably be fine with the longer run on Sunday but if you're racing it for a PR not so much....
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
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    @dpwellman @BrianSharpe - Thank you both for the advice. I'm hoping to be able to pick back up where I left off next week. I've had a bad fever so the last run I attempted ended very short and left my body in a lot of pain. I can easily treat the 10k as a training run to get in additional miles on Sunday, I don't have a problem with that.
  • scorpio516
    scorpio516 Posts: 955 Member
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    dpwellman wrote: »
    No. Just pick up training where you left off. . or nearly left off and try to get consistent miles in. I just lost a month (almost) of training and am almost equal with everyone else who hadn't missed any training (although I dropped to a slightly slower pace group).

    Well, I added cycling, too since I wasn't able to run as fast/far coming back from illness.

    Rule of thumb for illness:
    Symptoms above the neck run
    Symptoms below the neck no run

    But depending on severity, feel like you can go, go. But definitely don't push it. Cardio wastes histamine mitigators.

    +1

    One of the books I have has a chart for getting back into it. Basically, under a week, don't worry about it. Between a week and a month, go at something like 90 or 95% of what you were.
  • 777cbr
    777cbr Posts: 15 Member
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    scorpio516 wrote: »
    dpwellman wrote: »
    No. Just pick up training where you left off. . or nearly left off and try to get consistent miles in. I just lost a month (almost) of training and am almost equal with everyone else who hadn't missed any training (although I dropped to a slightly slower pace group).

    Well, I added cycling, too since I wasn't able to run as fast/far coming back from illness.

    Rule of thumb for illness:
    Symptoms above the neck run
    Symptoms below the neck no run

    But depending on severity, feel like you can go, go. But definitely don't push it. Cardio wastes histamine mitigators.

    +1

    One of the books I have has a chart for getting back into it. Basically, under a week, don't worry about it. Between a week and a month, go at something like 90 or 95% of what you were.

    Great advice! and love the Boston bling.
  • kristinegift
    kristinegift Posts: 2,406 Member
    edited March 2016
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    I'd just pick it up where you left off. When's the marathon that you're training for? I'd bet you'll have plenty of other 14+ mile long runs later. You aren't missing too much.

    And good luck at the 10k next weekend!
  • Somebody_Loved
    Somebody_Loved Posts: 498 Member
    edited March 2016
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    Thanks, everyone!

    @kristinegift - Thank you! The marathon isn't until June 18th, so it's still quite a ways out.

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