I've been training for the past few months for my first half marathon. Race is on Sunday and now I've caught a cold arggghhhh. According to the programme I've been following I should be easing up this week anyway but not sure what my strategy should be to try and be as fit and healthy as possible for Sunday. Any advice gratefully received as I'm feeling rotten at the moment and can't imagine surviving 13 miles.

I had a fairly bad cold once when running a cross country but I took some beechams 4-in-1 tablets, rubbed loads of vicks on me and I ran fine. Rubbing Vicks (or is it Vix?) on the shirt is a method often favoured by footballers when you always see that greasy stain on their upper chest. It worked for me too which was great.

However, if you don't feel up to it, don't do it. I hate the phrase "listen to your body" but its a good phrase to adhere to in this situation.

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Thanks for your advice Nick, I'm determined to run the race but have skipped my run today and may try a gentle jog tomorrow. Will search out some Vicks.

Hi Jane - Nick is spot on with remedy and also listen to your body. When this has happened to me i take ecanecia (sorry for spelling). I start taking it a few weeksbefore an event.If i do feel ok despite having the cold i do the event but take plenty rest afterwards.
Hope you get on ok.

How could I forget ecanecia! Its fab stuff, even if sometimes it only appears to have a placebo effect, but I'd also recommend that.

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general rule. if the symptons are...

above the head- cold, headache stuffy nose etc. -should be fine but take care

below the head, then don't run, because there's arisk of more seriously hurting yourself. I did it once over a 5k track race and was pretty bad by the end.

....and If You've Suffered Food Poisoning The Night Before, As Happened To Me In Amsterdam, Then Forget It, Unlike Me, And Live To Run Another Day!

Tottenham Hotspur did quite well to overcome food poisoning and still manage to play.

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I'm also doing half on Sunday, and I, too, have caught a cold! Trained well for 4 months never had a sniff, 4 days to the race - feeling like a bag o spanners. DOUBLE TURD!

I'm just going to give it my best, and hang in there!

flakey

TH players only had to stop/start though...not go 13.1m non-stop!

This post might well be better aimed at a medical forum !! - during the summer months I'm fine, as soon as things start to get damp and cold I seem to have an almost daily cold (well, it feels that way anyhow)

Does anyone else suffer in the same way, I guess my diet might not be the best in the world, any suggestions on what might be done to help the situation ??