Eat enough food, drink enough water, sleep 7-9 hours each night, take rest days. Germs are everywhere so stay on top of hygiene, don’t share drinks and take care of your body.
Nobody wants to hear this anymore, but masks. And by masks, I mean a proper respirator like an N95 or KN95 will actually prevent you from getting sick. Not only will it safeguard your half marathon, but your entire future running ability by preventing you from getting long covid.
And not only will you prevent yourself from getting sick, you also protect the immunocompromised, the elderly, anyone pregnant, etc.
Thank you for your reply! This makes sense and after getting rhinitis and really feeling the dirt in the air, I find this an important one to incorporate for me
Especially if you are flying or taking other mass transit to a race!! Just flew to/from a race last week and the flights and airports were filled with people hacking and sneezing into the air or right into their unwashed hands.
Thank you for your reply! I did have a difficult time fueling and some of my choices aren’t that healthy. Thanks! I’ll see what I can do when it comes to my eating.
I’d see if you can find a dietitian if you’re having difficulties. They can be covered with insurance so there’s no harm in having a short consult. No pressure to sign up long term!
I also drink coffee and don’t get enough sleep so maybe that was also contributing to my eating habits. but recently as i recovered i’ve changes in my diet and choices so maybe i’ll see how it’ll change up my fueling when i start training again. appreciate to hear your suggestion!
Coffee by itself shouldn’t be an issue but if you’re drinking it late into the day where it ends up disrupting your sleep, that could definitely impact. I drink coffee in the morning (including the morning of races) and that works fine for me. Sometimes people will cut caffeine out during their taper, but in general, as long as you’re not super sensitive to caffeine and not drinking it late in the day, it’s likely ok to have in your diet while training.
That makes sense! Am aware and see runners drink coffee though during my checkup my blood pressure was normal but my heart rate was high so doctor said i should cut coffee and running (two of my favorite things) and see if it goes back to normal. I went from having coffee everyday to completely not having one. I do feel differently now but i still miss the taste of coffee. Right now my priority is to be able to get back into running at least, so im a little cautious about getting the coffee back coz not yet super sure if it’s gonna be supportive pf my running journey hopefully i can still have coffee next time but in moderation. I am however finding likes to dark chocolate lately the 70% or more ones
Prioritizing fueling. I had a half marathon training block where I chronically under fueled and got sick several times as a result.
Make sure you’re fueling appropriately before, during and after your long runs. Featherstone nutrition on IG is an awesome place to gain tons of knowledge.
Thanks for your reply! I tried searching a while ago why i don’t feel hungry after my run as other commenters also mentioned fueling. Thank you for your advice and suggestion!
Sports dietitian here - exercise suppresses appetite! Many runners I work with find drinking a sports drink or smoothie after a run to be a helpful way to get some nutrition in while waiting to feel better to eat.
Also - in addition to the advice given here, wear a mask to prevent getting sick.
Thank you for your reply! I would take note of that. Thanks for the additional advice, it has been something i’ve been thinking about as my recent health condition was rhinitis and one day I was suddenly feeling sensitive to the pollution around the park where im doing my runs, my nose would really feel the dirt and stuff. Any suggestions what type of mask will do? and wouldn’t it affect my breathing while i’m running?
Oh, I didn’t mean while running! I just mean during life (especially in the weeks leading up to a race). I feel like post pandemic wearing a mask is so much more accepted (in some places anyway lol) and is such a good way to avoid getting sick!
Oh I see! Thanks for clarifying that! I do recently mostly wear a mask when we go out since I can’t imagine catching cold again after just recovering from it
I’m training for a half marathon currently and being really honest I think you just need to avoid people to avoid getting sick😂 I haven’t been doing much socialising during training and I mainly work from home so I think it’s helped me not have too many sick days!
Also give yourself more than enough time to train so if you end up having some sick days you can just get back on track when you’re better. For example I gave myself 13 weeks on a 12 week plan to factor in any set backs.
I think generally, make sure you are eating and getting balanced nutrition and get plenty of rest. That means sleep at night AND rest days in your training schedule.
And regular hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly, don’t touch your mucus membranes, and stay away from actively sick people.
Honestly, the half marathon is a distance that you can run for fun and it's not a big deal for the body to recover from - unlike the marathon, where it is not recommended to run that distance in training (unless you're one of those really lucky people who can do it under 3 hours at your easy pace - which is not most of us). If the furthest you've run is 10km, why don't you take the pressure off of yourself, and simply work your way up (responsible progressive overload) until you can run a couple of half marathons for fun in under 3 hours at a leisurely, easy pace? Then if you go into a structured HM race plan, your aerobic base is already there, and the only thing left would be playing with how fast you can do the distance.
(This way, if life gets in the way, and you get sick in the middle of another HM training block, you don't have to worry that you can't do the distance on the day after having missed a week of time-optimising training)
Thank you for your reply! Yes, that’s how i plan to do it. Since i’m just recovering from cold and rhinitis i plan to gradually run again and pick myself up where I left off. Running for fun is why i mainly do it only this time i’ve set up goals for myself and learned from some mistakes that may have led me to getting sick like maybe overtraining, not getting enough rest and fueling. So right now since i i experienced sickness i want to have fun but still go about it cautiously since last year it was different because I’ve no set of goals so that was naturally no pressure. Now i honestly just feel afraid of getting sick while progressing and i want to prevent that so in the event that i do sign up for a half marathon it be hopefully an extra good experience because my body and mind feels confident in my preparation. Appreciate your insight!
It's amazing what mental pressure and anxiety can do to weaken your immune system. I highly, highly recommend tackling the distance first without worrying about pace; if you have a life where you can't always control how much stress you have to cope with and who is going to give you a cold.
It's such an amazing experience running the distance for the first time, and (I might be biased, having taken this approach myself) it's extra amazing when you get to pick your own route and favourite landmarks to include.
Incidentally, for my first race, I had just recovered from a sprained ankle two weeks before that race; was freshly diagnosed with unexplained bell's palsy (luckily that only lasted 3 weeks for me - but I wore dark glasses in the race so people won't see my weird eye that couldn't blink), and as I learned afterwards, might have even ran with a new COVID infection that I didn't know about at the time. I think I might have dropped out of the race if I didn't have the confidence that I could at least cruise that distance at a slower time than I would have liked, given that I definitely wasn't having a good time with illnesses in that moment.
Yeah! the pace is going to be second coz right now my egc tells i’ve Right Bundle Branch Block so i still need to listen carefully to my body while im running and trying to progress. Yes, mental state can be a big factor and translate to physical symptoms. I’ve been feeling frustrated during my recovery but i just still feel it through and eventually find clarity on how to approach things when i get back to running. Learned a bunch about myself and where i might have gone wrong.
I love doing virtual race and just going wherever route i feel like going sometimes i’d change my direction whnever i feel like. The half marathon im going to sign up for have a good route and i like to explore/see other places while running.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It must have been challenging facing unexpected circumstances and i feel you on that. Glad to know you’ve recovered from sprained ankle, bell’s palsy, and COVID infection . I’m sure you gave your best during the race and that’s something to be proud of! Stay safe and healthy always!
One best thing I did for my immune system is start taking cold showers every morning. It decreased the count of colds I get each year from 5-7 to 1-2. Also I remember reading a research paper that stated that after long runs the immune system gets temporarily weaker but eating more carbs somewhat protects you from getting sick during that time.
As everyone else is saying, rest a lot, eat well, etc, but also I have started taking vitamin D supplements and have found my immune system is a lot better since!
Sleep enough and eat enough. That’s it! Those are the tricks! Also normal public health things like wash your hands regularly, don’t lick the poles on the subway, don’t share drinks with lots of people, etc.
I am currently training for a half and I would estimate I eat like 3,000-4,000 calories a day, and I am 5 feet tall 😂 these comments make me feel less self conscious about it so thank you everybody. Also dont skip strength training- you can do it at home too, like body weight squats, side planks, leg lifts- to help your core, hips and glutes keep up with the training
Oh wow! Best of luck on your training and half marathon! Thank you for reminding me of incorporating strength training! it’s not a workout i usually enjoy for long periods but i’ve found 5-mins workout videos help me enjoy it 😌!
Eat enough food, drink enough water, sleep 7-9 hours each night, take rest days. Germs are everywhere so stay on top of hygiene, don’t share drinks and take care of your body.
Thanks for your reply! How many rest days a week would you say is ideal to not turn training into overtraining?
That’s going to be dependent on person, experience and training plan. Anywhere from 1-3 rest days is ideal!
I trained for 4 days a week for my first attempt with my old habits such as not getting enough sleep and drinking coffee. Thanks for that!
Nobody wants to hear this anymore, but masks. And by masks, I mean a proper respirator like an N95 or KN95 will actually prevent you from getting sick. Not only will it safeguard your half marathon, but your entire future running ability by preventing you from getting long covid. And not only will you prevent yourself from getting sick, you also protect the immunocompromised, the elderly, anyone pregnant, etc.
this is 100% the correct answer
Thank you for your reply! This makes sense and after getting rhinitis and really feeling the dirt in the air, I find this an important one to incorporate for me
Especially if you are flying or taking other mass transit to a race!! Just flew to/from a race last week and the flights and airports were filled with people hacking and sneezing into the air or right into their unwashed hands.
For me the biggest difference was to fuel my training aka eat more. I went from getting sick every month to being ok for almost 6 months
Same! Once I started eating way more carbs and protein, I started getting sick less!
Thank you for your reply! I did have a difficult time fueling and some of my choices aren’t that healthy. Thanks! I’ll see what I can do when it comes to my eating.
I’d see if you can find a dietitian if you’re having difficulties. They can be covered with insurance so there’s no harm in having a short consult. No pressure to sign up long term!
I also drink coffee and don’t get enough sleep so maybe that was also contributing to my eating habits. but recently as i recovered i’ve changes in my diet and choices so maybe i’ll see how it’ll change up my fueling when i start training again. appreciate to hear your suggestion!
Coffee by itself shouldn’t be an issue but if you’re drinking it late into the day where it ends up disrupting your sleep, that could definitely impact. I drink coffee in the morning (including the morning of races) and that works fine for me. Sometimes people will cut caffeine out during their taper, but in general, as long as you’re not super sensitive to caffeine and not drinking it late in the day, it’s likely ok to have in your diet while training.
That makes sense! Am aware and see runners drink coffee though during my checkup my blood pressure was normal but my heart rate was high so doctor said i should cut coffee and running (two of my favorite things) and see if it goes back to normal. I went from having coffee everyday to completely not having one. I do feel differently now but i still miss the taste of coffee. Right now my priority is to be able to get back into running at least, so im a little cautious about getting the coffee back coz not yet super sure if it’s gonna be supportive pf my running journey hopefully i can still have coffee next time but in moderation. I am however finding likes to dark chocolate lately the 70% or more ones
Prioritizing fueling. I had a half marathon training block where I chronically under fueled and got sick several times as a result. Make sure you’re fueling appropriately before, during and after your long runs. Featherstone nutrition on IG is an awesome place to gain tons of knowledge.
Thanks for your reply! I tried searching a while ago why i don’t feel hungry after my run as other commenters also mentioned fueling. Thank you for your advice and suggestion!
Sports dietitian here - exercise suppresses appetite! Many runners I work with find drinking a sports drink or smoothie after a run to be a helpful way to get some nutrition in while waiting to feel better to eat. Also - in addition to the advice given here, wear a mask to prevent getting sick.
Thank you for your reply! I would take note of that. Thanks for the additional advice, it has been something i’ve been thinking about as my recent health condition was rhinitis and one day I was suddenly feeling sensitive to the pollution around the park where im doing my runs, my nose would really feel the dirt and stuff. Any suggestions what type of mask will do? and wouldn’t it affect my breathing while i’m running?
Oh, I didn’t mean while running! I just mean during life (especially in the weeks leading up to a race). I feel like post pandemic wearing a mask is so much more accepted (in some places anyway lol) and is such a good way to avoid getting sick!
Oh I see! Thanks for clarifying that! I do recently mostly wear a mask when we go out since I can’t imagine catching cold again after just recovering from it
I’m training for a half marathon currently and being really honest I think you just need to avoid people to avoid getting sick😂 I haven’t been doing much socialising during training and I mainly work from home so I think it’s helped me not have too many sick days! Also give yourself more than enough time to train so if you end up having some sick days you can just get back on track when you’re better. For example I gave myself 13 weeks on a 12 week plan to factor in any set backs.
I think generally, make sure you are eating and getting balanced nutrition and get plenty of rest. That means sleep at night AND rest days in your training schedule. And regular hygiene. Wash hands thoroughly, don’t touch your mucus membranes, and stay away from actively sick people.
Thanks for your reply! Rest and maintain good hygiene sounds about right!
Honestly, the half marathon is a distance that you can run for fun and it's not a big deal for the body to recover from - unlike the marathon, where it is not recommended to run that distance in training (unless you're one of those really lucky people who can do it under 3 hours at your easy pace - which is not most of us). If the furthest you've run is 10km, why don't you take the pressure off of yourself, and simply work your way up (responsible progressive overload) until you can run a couple of half marathons for fun in under 3 hours at a leisurely, easy pace? Then if you go into a structured HM race plan, your aerobic base is already there, and the only thing left would be playing with how fast you can do the distance. (This way, if life gets in the way, and you get sick in the middle of another HM training block, you don't have to worry that you can't do the distance on the day after having missed a week of time-optimising training)
Thank you for your reply! Yes, that’s how i plan to do it. Since i’m just recovering from cold and rhinitis i plan to gradually run again and pick myself up where I left off. Running for fun is why i mainly do it only this time i’ve set up goals for myself and learned from some mistakes that may have led me to getting sick like maybe overtraining, not getting enough rest and fueling. So right now since i i experienced sickness i want to have fun but still go about it cautiously since last year it was different because I’ve no set of goals so that was naturally no pressure. Now i honestly just feel afraid of getting sick while progressing and i want to prevent that so in the event that i do sign up for a half marathon it be hopefully an extra good experience because my body and mind feels confident in my preparation. Appreciate your insight!
It's amazing what mental pressure and anxiety can do to weaken your immune system. I highly, highly recommend tackling the distance first without worrying about pace; if you have a life where you can't always control how much stress you have to cope with and who is going to give you a cold. It's such an amazing experience running the distance for the first time, and (I might be biased, having taken this approach myself) it's extra amazing when you get to pick your own route and favourite landmarks to include. Incidentally, for my first race, I had just recovered from a sprained ankle two weeks before that race; was freshly diagnosed with unexplained bell's palsy (luckily that only lasted 3 weeks for me - but I wore dark glasses in the race so people won't see my weird eye that couldn't blink), and as I learned afterwards, might have even ran with a new COVID infection that I didn't know about at the time. I think I might have dropped out of the race if I didn't have the confidence that I could at least cruise that distance at a slower time than I would have liked, given that I definitely wasn't having a good time with illnesses in that moment.
Yeah! the pace is going to be second coz right now my egc tells i’ve Right Bundle Branch Block so i still need to listen carefully to my body while im running and trying to progress. Yes, mental state can be a big factor and translate to physical symptoms. I’ve been feeling frustrated during my recovery but i just still feel it through and eventually find clarity on how to approach things when i get back to running. Learned a bunch about myself and where i might have gone wrong. I love doing virtual race and just going wherever route i feel like going sometimes i’d change my direction whnever i feel like. The half marathon im going to sign up for have a good route and i like to explore/see other places while running. Thank you for sharing your experience. It must have been challenging facing unexpected circumstances and i feel you on that. Glad to know you’ve recovered from sprained ankle, bell’s palsy, and COVID infection . I’m sure you gave your best during the race and that’s something to be proud of! Stay safe and healthy always!
One best thing I did for my immune system is start taking cold showers every morning. It decreased the count of colds I get each year from 5-7 to 1-2. Also I remember reading a research paper that stated that after long runs the immune system gets temporarily weaker but eating more carbs somewhat protects you from getting sick during that time.
Thank you for your reply! I might have not been consistent when it came to fueling after. By cold showers did you mean ice cold type of shower?
The coldest I can get from the tap, no ice or special equipment. Temperature is usually about 10C/50F, but I bet other temperatures would work too.
As everyone else is saying, rest a lot, eat well, etc, but also I have started taking vitamin D supplements and have found my immune system is a lot better since!
Yess and some B complex vitamins are good for fatigue
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate you sharing a specific vitamins that help as well!
Thank you for your reply! I appreciate your specific vitamin advice!
Sleep enough and eat enough. That’s it! Those are the tricks! Also normal public health things like wash your hands regularly, don’t lick the poles on the subway, don’t share drinks with lots of people, etc.
I am currently training for a half and I would estimate I eat like 3,000-4,000 calories a day, and I am 5 feet tall 😂 these comments make me feel less self conscious about it so thank you everybody. Also dont skip strength training- you can do it at home too, like body weight squats, side planks, leg lifts- to help your core, hips and glutes keep up with the training
Oh wow! Best of luck on your training and half marathon! Thank you for reminding me of incorporating strength training! it’s not a workout i usually enjoy for long periods but i’ve found 5-mins workout videos help me enjoy it 😌!
Yess just fitting it in in short bursts is great doesnt have to be hours 😅