Winter rest

[-Adam-]

Greetings from liverpool,

So ive finally succumbed to freshers flu, but in the shape of tonsillitus...

NOT GOOD, but ive been on penicillin since last friday and seem to be over the worst now.

But here lies my dilemma, when will it be safe to start training again? everythinhg ive read/been told hints at about 2 weeks after being 'all clear' but i was wondering if anyone had any first hand experience of my predicament.

And linked to this, bearing in mind i have ridden my bike 4 times since coming to uni almost 7 weeks ago, i am basically rested from the season past. So would mid november be too early to seriously start building for the 2007 racing season?

cheers,

scouse adam

[huw williams]

Adam

I've had lots of experience with this.

After an illness which involves Antibiotics give yourself at leats seven days since you started the antibiotics before you start riding again and even then, only if all the symptoms are gone. Infections around the throat/chest area are THE worst for fooling you that they've gone then re-occuring.

Even more importantly - go steady one day for every day you were off the bike with your illness. In your case about ten days. You might feel frustrated because after the rest you'll be keen to get going but remember - it's almost winter and riding easy for a couple of weeks will do you no harm after the summer you had!

Anti-biotics will kill everything in your system but they also deliver a sizeable kick to your immune system, leaving you more prone to relapse or even worse picking up something else - especially as you'll be starting to ride just as the waether goes bad. You can siginificantly boost the time it takes you to recover with good nutritional practice and by staying away from large social groups, especially those which are drinking and smoking - not easy at Uni as christmas approaches from what I can recall. So tread carefully, repeated infections can lead to chronic fatigue and long-term illness

Mid November is a perfect time to start training if you want to build an aerobic base over the winter - Roughly speaking, a lot of coaches espouse 16 week build-up periods (taking you to end of January) and then more specific interval and speed training for an 8 week period to get you to the start of next season in good shape.

Be patient - remember, if you're at your peak in January/february you probably won't be in May/June/July when it really matters

H

[-Adam-]

Thanks huw, think im gonna stay off for a couple more weeks just to make sure im properly rested and to let my immune system recover a little.

If anyone else has any suggestions im all ears!?

[siwickm]

Sounds like you have not been training enough. Go out and do 4 hour rides every day as a penance for being such a lazy ass student. Fill your water bottle up with strong lager and if you are getting pains then drink your bottle faster. Try Tenants Super or something else of that nature. If you do get ill at least you will be able to laugh it off as you should be hammered.

Cheers

Marek.....

[huw williams]

Marek could be onto something, this is a quote from the next Cycle Sport magazine from the legendary Alan Peiper on his days at Davitamon

"It’s OK for a rider to have a glass of wine or two with his dinner, but they would regularly drink three beers before dinner and half a bottle of wine with it, while they were on stage races. And when I pointed out that this wasn’t good for them, I was just laughed at."

[-Adam-]

Yeah, i was thinking a large bottle of rum and coke should do the trick, none of that bacardi s*** though.

A bit of Mount Gay Extra Old should do the trick, after all its made from sugar so the extra glucose should give me that extra boost to get to march with a severe liver condition...

Besides, who says students are lazy!? I have to do a whole 7 hour surveying practical tommorow. Holding tape measures in the rain all day should be fun, almost as much fun as winter training

Cheers,

Adam