No matter how hard we try, we’re going to get sick. Whether it’s a small cold, a nasty bacterial infection or a viral ass-kicking like COVID itself, it can be hard to know how to make decisions around your training when you’re getting sick, currently sick, or recovering.
I have a simple rule for most cases.
The Neck Rule:
1. If you’re sick above the neck (headache, sinus congestion, etc.) train EASY
2. If you’re sick below the neck (chest congestion, fever, extreme G.I. distress, extreme fatigue, etc) NO training.
3. If you’re not sick at all, trainHARD .
Two important notes:
1. Walking isn’t training. If you feel shitty but have some energy and WANT to, a short walk (no elevation gain, slow pace, and less than an hour) is fine.
2. Sometimes when you’re at the end of a sickness and you still have shit in your lungs but no other symptoms, it can be ok to start training easily.
It’s important to remember that EVERYONE gets sick, and that taking the time to get better will actually give you an advantage over anyone who just pushes through. I know plenty of athletes (and maybe myself once or twice), who’ve broken the neck rule and trained through an illness only to have their training go poorly for weeks, when taking a couple days off would have nipped the illness in the bud.
The lesson? Follow the neck rule and deal with your illness now!
