How to Handle Training When You Get Sick

A Personal Experience with Illness

No one likes getting sick, especially when it disrupts a well-structured training plan. Recently, I was laid low with a fever for three days—worse than when I had COVID! It was a frustrating experience, but it also reminded me of an important lesson I learned throughout my years of training and coaching: missing a week or even two of training is not a catastrophe if you’ve built a strong base of fitness.

The Immediate Aftermath: Feeling Weak is Normal

When you first return to training after being sick, you’ll likely feel weak, sluggish, and out of breath. This can be disheartening, but it’s completely normal. In my experience, that feeling lasts only a day or two. Then, suddenly, you start to feel better—often even better than before you got sick.

Why? Because your body has had a chance to rest. The nervous system gets a break, allowing it to recharge. Lingering aches and pains from hard training have time to heal. As a result, you may return feeling stronger in your lifts, sharper in your paddling, and more energized overall.

The Power of a Strong Training Base

The key to bouncing back from illness without major setbacks lies in consistent training. If you’ve been putting in the work, your fitness base is strong enough to handle the temporary pause. Even if you miss 7-10 days—or even two weeks—your body will retain much of its endurance and strength. This is one of the primary reasons we train consistently: to build resilience against unexpected setbacks like sickness or minor injuries.

The Best Approach When You Get Sick

So, what should you do if you wake up feeling awful—head cold, fever, sore throat, or body aches?

1. Don’t Force It – Trying to push through illness can prolong recovery. Rest is the best thing you can do.
2. Let Your Body Fight the Virus – The faster you allow yourself to recover, the sooner you can return to training.
3. Trust the Process – Know that taking a break won’t erase your progress. Your base fitness will carry you through.
4. Mentally Reframe the Time Off – Think of it as an opportunity for your body to recharge, not a loss of fitness.
5. Ease Back into Training – Expect to feel sluggish for a day or two, then trust that your strength will return quickly.

Rest, Recover, and Come Back Stronger

When sickness strikes, the best approach is to listen to your body. Give yourself permission to rest, knowing that your fitness will bounce back in no time. If you’ve been training consistently, a short break won’t derail your progress. Instead, you’ll likely return feeling stronger, fresher, and ready to paddle at your best.

Even at 62, I find that my body responds to illness the same way it did when I was in my 20s. If you’ve been doing your training homework, you’ll experience the same resilience. So next time you get sick, relax, recover, and trust in your training base—you’ll be back on the water before you know it!

Happy training!

Related Posts:

• Spring Base Training Program Starts MONDAY, March 17th
• Unlocking Your Paddling Potential with Sports Science
• When to Intensify Your Paddling Program: A Smart Approach to Training Progression
• How to Handle Training When You Get Sick
• Transitioning to the Spring Competitive Program: What You Need to Know