Sick and Cranky...

[OakLeaf]

Are you sure you're not overtrained? It's more than your specific training load that contributes to that, it's your whole life - work stress, family, everything. How many recovery days are you incorporating into your week? Maybe add another one. How's your resting heart rate the morning after one of your "good, hard" rides? Hard training does suppress the immune system, that's why professional athletes get colds so often.

[alexis_the_tiny]

Malkin, I'm not volunteering with the school any more for this term because of work stuff so there's no more chances for me to get exposed to stuff. But its really hard to avoid catching colds when a sniffly kid comes up to you and just CLINGS.

Oakleaf, trouble is, its hard to isolate one particular cause of stress. I've had a crazed year with all sorts of stress and trouble coming at me in all directions. Before this current bout of cold, I've cut training days to a bare minimum and am taking about 3 full days of rest. I don't about my resting heart rate because I keep forgetting to take it.

Now that this bout of sore throat-sinus infection thing is going away, I'll be starting a fresh log when I start training again. Hopefully, being a bit more religious about keeping it, getting some blood work done and seeing my therapist again will help to answer some questions.

[spindizzy]

Some thoughts....Are you getting enough sleep? Are you a diligent handwasher/keep your hands away from your face person?

[bunny_ninja]

When my bf was riding a lot (200+ miles/week and sometimes 2 centuries on the weekend), he was sick all the time. Performance athletes get lowered immune systems. You should consider a rest week every fourth week, and try to sleep 9.5hours/day. I think that is the rule of thumb for training.

[Crankin]

I went through this when I was teaching 6-8 aerobics classes a week, as well as working full time, with 2 little kids. I constantly had swollen glands, sinus infections, bronchitis, and my asthma reared its head. I was also super skinny, and not from trying to lose weight. Oh, and I also got up at 4:15 AM 2-3 days a week to teach at the gym.
After a bout with heart palpitations, from lack of sleep and too much caffeine trying to sustain this lifestyle, I decided to cut my schedule of classes. The issue slowly resolved itself, after years of this. It was just plain over training and lack of down time. While I ride and do other sports now, I am very careful about my rest time, both physically and mentally. Being 20 years older helps, too!
Everyone is different. I know I couldn't keep up the training schedules some others here do, even though I might want to. Get a good physical and maybe a nutritional check up.

[Lesley_x]

I worry a lot about this as I'm not prone to bugs and things. I did wonder when I started cycling, is this going to make me sick more?

Is the increased susceptibility to viruses only in performance athletes or also those of us who are exercising casually?

It makes me wonder about the supposed health benefits of exercise.

[indysteel]

I worry a lot about this as I'm not prone to bugs and things. I did wonder when I started cycling, is this going to make me sick more?

Is the increased susceptibility to viruses only in performance athletes or also those of us who are exercising casually?

It makes me wonder about the supposed health benefits of exercise.

This is by no means intended to serve as an exhaustive answer to your question, but I thought I'd post it neverthless:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/1...oost-immunity/

From the studies cited, it sounds like "casual" regular exercise generally boosts your immunity, while extended, intense exercise actually lowers it, at least temporarily.

That said, there's far more to health that our suspectibility to colds and the flu, as serious as they can sometimes be. My mental health, for one, depends on regular exercise. And let's not even talk about my heart. I also firmly believe that if I have any hope of remaining vital and active as I age, I have to exercise now.