Adam’s training journal
At long last, my summer of marathon training is poised to pay dividends. In early October, I will toe the starting line of the Chicago Marathon and, hopefully, notch my fastest 26.2-mile time in at least a half-dozen years.
That is, unless H1N1 flu or some other bug intervenes.
With influenza sweeping the country, I’ve become increasingly fearful that the virus will lay me low, scuttling my hopes for a peak performance. And because my mileage levels are near my all-time highs, I suspect that my immune system is particularly prone to infection.
I’m most concerned about the week leading up to the race, in which I’ll be taking three plane flights (including one to the marathon itself).
What can I do to minimize my chances of picking up a bug while on a plane?
Dr. Prescott prescribes
Well, for starters you might have thought about running a marathon closer to home. My sources tell me that the Spirit of Survival Marathon in October offers a great tour of the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge.
Tulsa’s Route 66 Marathon is a perfect way to spend the weekend before Thanksgiving (if you’re a masochist).
But I digress.
Although there’s a widespread perception that air travel significantly increases your risk of contracting a communicable illness such as the flu, the risks may not be as large as most believe. Air circulation patterns aboard standard commercial aircraft are side- to-side, with air entering the cabin from overhead, circulating across the aircraft and exiting the cabin near the floor. This means there is little or no front-to-back airflow, and that air circulation is compartmentalized into sections within the cabin.
In other words — and studies have confirmed this — the spread of airborne particles throughout the passenger cabin is limited. That’s the good news.
The bad news is that you’re still sharing a confined space and air with people who may be carrying illnesses transmissible by tiny, airborne droplets.
Your best defense against infection is to keep your hands clean by washing them often and effectively. A hand sanitizer with at least 50 percent alcohol will do nicely (and avoid irritating the guy sitting on the aisle next to you who has to keep getting up when you go to the lavatory to wash your hands).
Also, be sure to keep your hands away from your nose, eyes and mouth.
All are among your mucous membranes, and touching them can lead to infection.
In case you’re wondering, there’s no need to don a mask. Studies during Mexico’s recent H1N1 outbreak showed them to be ineffective in preventing the spread of the virus. Plus, they freak people out.
Finally, if someone seated nearby on a plane appears sick, do your best to get moved.
And if you figure out how to make that happen, please let me know; I have a couple of flights coming up.
[ask-drp]
