Running with a Cold

by Sally Fenn
(Daventry (UK))

I have been running for several years but due to injury (hamstring) I have had a six week layoff. Recently I have had a cold and cough and now I cannot get my breathing correct.
I am finding it harder and harder to even do 2 miles... please help.
I am so frustrated I feel like giving up.


Answer by Dominique:


Sally,
Thanks for your question.
Talk about a double whammy! You can lose quite a bit of fitness after not doing anything for six weeks. And now with a bit of a cold, that makes it even harder to get back into it.

It is quite imaginable that even shorter distances are hard now. My advice to you is to focus on easy, slow running.

First of all, after a longer period of not running easy, slow running is the best way to get back into it.

Second, with your cold I would advice against any more strenuous exercise. The easy, slow running should keep you from having to do heavy breathing.

Take care of yourself and within a little while that cold of yours has disappeared and you will be ready to get into the tougher work again. Until then, have a bit of patience. Don't throw several years of running out of the window, because of a tougher period.

As a last piece of advice: don't expect too much from yourself right now. I have only just started running again, after suffering from a cracked rib for a while. The first few runs were very, very frustrating because I had lost some fitness. But if you have a good base, it should not take too long to regain your fitness.

Good luck.
Cheers,
Dominique