Training While Sick

Wildalaska · August 29, 2006, 01:08 PM

Sitting here with snot dribbling out my nose, hacking cough, 102 degree plus fever, feeling like a dead duck, of course with my sawed off under the desk makes me think of the fact that during my entire life, I have NEVER seriously shot while sick..

Now since we prepare for all eventualities, should I stagger to the range and pop a few off. Is it inmportant to train while you are under the weather.

Anyone else do this?

WildofcoursethereisthesafetyissueAlaska

DeathRodent · August 29, 2006, 01:24 PM

IMHO stay home and get well, don't go and spread it ta the range

If something occurs this is when your mental training kicks in

calvinike · August 29, 2006, 01:25 PM

Wild,
Unless you can get a guarantee from the bad guys or the game shot of a lifetime, that they will not appear when you are ill, I would say yes. Get well soon.

Samurai · August 29, 2006, 01:46 PM

dry fire at home. Don't go out spreading your germs around.

springmom · August 29, 2006, 01:51 PM

I'm with the others. Practice dry firing. Play house ninja. Clear the rooms of your house over and over. Just keep your germs to yourself. AND TAKE IT EASY. Chicken soup is a good thing. Otherwise, you'll be laying in the hospital trying to figure out how to be tactical in a hospital gown (talk about open carry....!)

Springmom

threegun · August 29, 2006, 01:55 PM

I have shot sick, a PPC match. I shot my average just as I do every time. You will shoot the same sick as you do well unless running and gunning is required. Fever tends to make the desire to move disappear, makes me feel weak. I still performed the same on the PPC course given its lack of running and such. I would stay home and get wildsnifflingsneezingcoughingachingstuffyheadfeveralaska better before hitting the range again.

meanoldman · August 29, 2006, 02:17 PM

You sure get sick alot. Maybe you're not drinking enough alcohol to kill the germs.

Get well soon. Don't worry about shooting when sick. The adreneline will overcome the fever and you can sling the snot on the bodies.

David

VirgilCaine · August 29, 2006, 02:18 PM

Dry fire at the TV, and eat plenty of polish penicillin (chicken soup).

Practice tactical or combat reloading. Take a nap and dream about it.

Does vomit clean off of pistols the same as cosmoline?

VirgilyougotsomekindofcrazyalaskanfluorwhatCaine

spacemanspiff · August 29, 2006, 02:42 PM

Quote:

Maybe you're not drinking enough alcohol to kill the germs.

The alcohol can only kill the germs from kissing so many random barbabes.

i keeeed, i keeeeeeed!!!!

OuTcAsT · August 29, 2006, 02:55 PM

They may be on to something WA, you may have too much blood in your alcohol stream

Blackwater OPS · August 29, 2006, 03:03 PM

Quote:

The adreneline will overcome the fever

Said before I could, It's the best drug on the planet, cures everything from head colds to a missing kidney. (for a minute or two anyways)

Denny Hansen · August 29, 2006, 03:48 PM

The old adage,” Practice makes perfect.” is not quite right. It should be, “Perfect practice makes perfect.” IMO having being sick (especially with a fever) may only help you train in a poor fashion. As others have said, good, repetitive training will kick in during stress.

Denny

Trip20 · August 29, 2006, 04:31 PM

What better to cheer you up than shooting guns?

Don't train, just go shoot and have fun. Or, go home and guilt SWMBO into caring for your every whim (if that's possible!).

All kidding aside, I can't imagine having ear plugs stuffed into my plugged up ears, and dealing with muffled bangs while having a flu headache/fever-type thing going on. Yuk - no thanks.

I'd rather go home, lay on the couch, and huff Hoppes #9 while watching old westerns.

skeeter1 · August 29, 2006, 05:11 PM

Get yourself one of these:

http://www.do-alltraps.com/shootinggallery.php

You can set it up in your garage, basement, backyard, wherever, and practice with your .22. No one will be around to notice your runny nose, and you won't be sharing your viruses with the others at the range.

**JohnKSa** · August 29, 2006, 10:21 PM

Dunno...

If you think it might impair your concentration, maybe it's not such a good idea to mess with guns.

threegun · August 30, 2006, 09:30 AM

Quote:

You can set it up in your garage, basement, backyard, wherever, and practice with your .22. No one will be around to notice your runny nose, and you won't be sharing your viruses with the others at the range.

Careful for the lead fumes shooting indoors.

Glenn E. Meyer · August 30, 2006, 09:37 AM

Not really being sick but injured. A few years ago, I broke my wrist, ribs and badly sprained my ankle. It turns out that I was scheduled to take an Advanced Tactical course from Karl Rehn at KRtraining. By the time the course came around, I had my arm in a cast that just covered my forearm. The course focused on injured shooter drills by happy circumstance. Since my dominant arm was out of action, I took the course with my nondominant hand and it was a quite useful learning experience.

It certainly convinced me NOT to carry unchambered.

As far a being ill - if I thought that I was a risk to others and the practice would be degraded, I would pass. I did pass on an AR course as I was flu'ed out. Bummer - no need to engage in tactical puking. Some folks at work with the same bug ended in the hospital. I was bummed as I had all the gear packed.

Lurper · August 30, 2006, 10:33 AM

Wild,
J. Michael Plaxco told me decades ago that a good shooter wil go out and shoot even if he doesn't feel like it or feel well. I'm guessing that you are not a competitive shooter, but it still applies. In Oct. 1985, I was involved in an auto accident. I busted my femur (had a steel rod since then) and fractured my acetabulum (sp?). Some of the doctors said I may not walk again, blah, blah, blah. Two weeks after being relased from a 5 week hospital stay, I was shooting my first match - on crutches. A week later, my next one - with a cane. That year I went on to win the state championship and on.

Shooting while you are sick/injured is good therapy. It forces you to concentrate on what your are doing, not your affliction. When you are done, you will be tired and that will also help you get the necessary rest to speed your recovery. Just try not to spread your germs around if you have something that is contagious.

springmom · August 30, 2006, 10:38 AM

I'd disagree with Lurper on this one. There's a difference between "playing through pain", which is what Lurper did, and doing something that can both impede recovery (activity when sick) and spread your illness to others. Living with a chronic illness, I have to make this determination more often than I'd like...if my arthritis is just hurting, well, it's going to hurt regardless of what I do. However, if I'm flaring (sick) with it, which is systemic, the better choice is to take it easy and by doing so hurry my recovery.

Springmom

odessastraight · September 1, 2006, 07:33 AM

Well, make sure you've got your lightweight .32 with you...easier to hold up in your degraded, sick condition. Also, you might consider shooting in the rain, because the target and cardboard backing would be good and wet and make it easier for the little .32 bullets to at least make a dimple (probably still wouldn't punch a hole).

OK, get well soon, too.

springmom · September 1, 2006, 08:59 AM

So, Wild, are you feeling better? Did you shoot with your flu or stay home with your chicken soup? Inquiring minds want to know....

Springmom

skeeter1 · September 1, 2006, 03:51 PM

Quote:

Careful for the lead fumes shooting indoors.

My fault. I should have mentioned that my garage has an exhaust fan in it. The previous owner's sons were into rebuilding and repainting cars, hence the fan. For me, at least, I don't think lead dust will be a problem.

bclark1 · September 1, 2006, 04:14 PM

i'd count on adrenaline to make my flu leave me be for a couple hours if i ever got in a bad situation. rest up and feel better!

Dr_2_B · September 1, 2006, 07:58 PM

Well, Alaska, I"m a believer in O'Brien's Law. Ever heard of O'Brien's law? O'Brien says Murphy was an optimist. I say bundle up in clothes that impede your movement, go out to shoot at dusk, run at a full sprint for 100 yards, then fall down and do a roll about a dozen times on the ground picking up some mud in your eyes and get soaked enough for a good chill. Then shoot the target until it begs for mercy. Hopefully you'll have to perform a stoppage drill in the process.

There's a reason the Navy Seals train in hypothermia conditions in sand and mud and crap. When the poop hits the fan, it has an amazing way of happening at the most inopportune times.

Then get back to us. I'll be reading your play-by-play from the comfort of my easy-chair with a cup of hot coffee to warm me as I peruse your recounting of the event.

Wildalaska · September 1, 2006, 08:22 PM

Dude I can barely blow my nose

WildgettingweakerAlaska

August 29, 2006, 01:08 PM	#1
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Training While Sick Sitting here with snot dribbling out my nose, hacking cough, 102 degree plus fever, feeling like a dead duck, of course with my sawed off under the desk makes me think of the fact that during my entire life, I have NEVER seriously shot while sick.. Now since we prepare for all eventualities, should I stagger to the range and pop a few off. Is it inmportant to train while you are under the weather. Anyone else do this? WildofcoursethereisthesafetyissueAlaska

August 29, 2006, 01:46 PM	#4
Samurai Senior Member Join Date: November 20, 2001 Location: Knoxville, TN Posts: 901	dry fire at home. Don't go out spreading your germs around. __________________ - Honor is a wonderful and glorious thing... until it gets you killed! - Why is it that we fire 1,000 rounds and know that we need more practice, but yet we punch a bag 10 times and think we know how to fight? - When in doubt, train, train, train...

August 29, 2006, 01:51 PM	#5
springmom Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2005 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,823	stay home I'm with the others. Practice dry firing. Play house ninja. Clear the rooms of your house over and over. Just keep your germs to yourself. AND TAKE IT EASY. Chicken soup is a good thing. Otherwise, you'll be laying in the hospital trying to figure out how to be tactical in a hospital gown (talk about open carry....!) Springmom __________________ I will not be a victim home on the web: www.panagia-icons.net (my webpage) www.nousfromspring.blogspot.com (Orthodoxy) "I couldn't hear you. Stop firing the gun while you're talking!" Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun

August 29, 2006, 02:18 PM	#8
VirgilCaine Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 2004 Location: Northern Michigan Posts: 419	Dry fire at the TV, and eat plenty of polish penicillin (chicken soup). Practice tactical or combat reloading. Take a nap and dream about it. Does vomit clean off of pistols the same as cosmoline? VirgilyougotsomekindofcrazyalaskanfluorwhatCaine __________________ "Danger Itself Is The Best Remedy For Danger"

August 29, 2006, 02:55 PM	#10
OuTcAsT Senior Member Join Date: January 8, 2006 Location: Eastern, TN Posts: 1,236	They may be on to something WA, you may have too much blood in your alcohol stream __________________ WITHOUT Freedom of Thought, there can be no such Thing as Wisdom; and no such Thing as public Liberty, without Freedom of Speech. Silence Dogood *Does not morality imply the last clear chance?* - WildAlaska -

August 29, 2006, 01:24 PM	#2
DeathRodent Senior Member Join Date: August 22, 2006 Posts: 209	IMHO stay home and get well, don't go and spread it ta the range If something occurs this is when your mental training kicks in

August 29, 2006, 01:25 PM	#3
calvinike Member Join Date: March 16, 2006 Posts: 71	Wild, Unless you can get a guarantee from the bad guys or the game shot of a lifetime, that they will not appear when you are ill, I would say yes. Get well soon.

August 29, 2006, 01:55 PM	#6
threegun Junior member Join Date: March 1, 2006 Location: Tampa,Fl Posts: 4,000	I have shot sick, a PPC match. I shot my average just as I do every time. You will shoot the same sick as you do well unless running and gunning is required. Fever tends to make the desire to move disappear, makes me feel weak. I still performed the same on the PPC course given its lack of running and such. I would stay home and get wildsnifflingsneezingcoughingachingstuffyheadfeveralaska better before hitting the range again.

August 29, 2006, 02:17 PM	#7
meanoldman Senior Member Join Date: December 14, 2000 Posts: 218	You sure get sick alot. Maybe you're not drinking enough alcohol to kill the germs. Get well soon. Don't worry about shooting when sick. The adreneline will overcome the fever and you can sling the snot on the bodies. David

August 29, 2006, 03:48 PM	#12
Denny Hansen Staff Emeritus Join Date: June 29, 2001 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 2,422	The old adage,” Practice makes perfect.” is not quite right. It should be, “Perfect practice makes perfect.” IMO having being sick (especially with a fever) may only help you train in a poor fashion. As others have said, good, repetitive training will kick in during stress. Denny __________________ S.W.A.T. Magazine Weapons, Training and Tactics for the Real World Join us at TFL or at AR15.com or on Facebook

August 29, 2006, 04:31 PM	#13
Trip20 Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2005 Posts: 2,181	What better to cheer you up than shooting guns? Don't train, just go shoot and have fun. Or, go home and guilt SWMBO into caring for your every whim (if that's possible!). All kidding aside, I can't imagine having ear plugs stuffed into my plugged up ears, and dealing with muffled bangs while having a flu headache/fever-type thing going on. Yuk - no thanks. I'd rather go home, lay on the couch, and huff Hoppes #9 while watching old westerns.

August 29, 2006, 05:11 PM	#14
skeeter1 Senior Member Join Date: April 11, 2006 Location: Northeast Ohio Posts: 3,403	Get yourself one of these: http://www.do-alltraps.com/shootinggallery.php You can set it up in your garage, basement, backyard, wherever, and practice with your .22. No one will be around to notice your runny nose, and you won't be sharing your viruses with the others at the range.

August 29, 2006, 10:21 PM	#15
JohnKSa Staff Join Date: February 12, 2001 Location: DFW Area Posts: 25,005	Dunno... If you think it might impair your concentration, maybe it's not such a good idea to mess with guns. __________________ Do you know about the TEXAS State Rifle Association?

August 30, 2006, 09:37 AM	#17
Glenn E. Meyer Senior Member Join Date: November 17, 2000 Posts: 20,064	Not really being sick but injured. A few years ago, I broke my wrist, ribs and badly sprained my ankle. It turns out that I was scheduled to take an Advanced Tactical course from Karl Rehn at KRtraining. By the time the course came around, I had my arm in a cast that just covered my forearm. The course focused on injured shooter drills by happy circumstance. Since my dominant arm was out of action, I took the course with my nondominant hand and it was a quite useful learning experience. It certainly convinced me NOT to carry unchambered. As far a being ill - if I thought that I was a risk to others and the practice would be degraded, I would pass. I did pass on an AR course as I was flu'ed out. Bummer - no need to engage in tactical puking. Some folks at work with the same bug ended in the hospital. I was bummed as I had all the gear packed. __________________ NRA, TSRA, IDPA, NTI, Polite Soc. - Aux Armes, Citoyens

August 30, 2006, 10:33 AM	#18
Lurper Senior Member Join Date: March 21, 2006 Posts: 943	Wild, J. Michael Plaxco told me decades ago that a good shooter wil go out and shoot even if he doesn't feel like it or feel well. I'm guessing that you are not a competitive shooter, but it still applies. In Oct. 1985, I was involved in an auto accident. I busted my femur (had a steel rod since then) and fractured my acetabulum (sp?). Some of the doctors said I may not walk again, blah, blah, blah. Two weeks after being relased from a 5 week hospital stay, I was shooting my first match - on crutches. A week later, my next one - with a cane. That year I went on to win the state championship and on. Shooting while you are sick/injured is good therapy. It forces you to concentrate on what your are doing, not your affliction. When you are done, you will be tired and that will also help you get the necessary rest to speed your recovery. Just try not to spread your germs around if you have something that is contagious.

August 30, 2006, 10:38 AM	#19
springmom Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2005 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,823	I'd disagree with Lurper on this one. There's a difference between "playing through pain", which is what Lurper did, and doing something that can both impede recovery (activity when sick) and spread your illness to others. Living with a chronic illness, I have to make this determination more often than I'd like...if my arthritis is just hurting, well, it's going to hurt regardless of what I do. However, if I'm flaring (sick) with it, which is systemic, the better choice is to take it easy and by doing so hurry my recovery. Springmom __________________ I will not be a victim home on the web: www.panagia-icons.net (my webpage) www.nousfromspring.blogspot.com (Orthodoxy) "I couldn't hear you. Stop firing the gun while you're talking!" Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun

September 1, 2006, 07:33 AM	#20
odessastraight Senior Member Join Date: October 27, 2005 Posts: 199	AAHCACHOOOOOO! .Sneeze or .32? Well, make sure you've got your lightweight .32 with you...easier to hold up in your degraded, sick condition. Also, you might consider shooting in the rain, because the target and cardboard backing would be good and wet and make it easier for the little .32 bullets to at least make a dimple (probably still wouldn't punch a hole). OK, get well soon, too.

September 1, 2006, 08:59 AM	#21
springmom Senior Member Join Date: October 26, 2005 Location: Houston area Posts: 1,823	checkup! So, Wild, are you feeling better? Did you shoot with your flu or stay home with your chicken soup? Inquiring minds want to know.... Springmom __________________ I will not be a victim home on the web: www.panagia-icons.net (my webpage) www.nousfromspring.blogspot.com (Orthodoxy) "I couldn't hear you. Stop firing the gun while you're talking!" Frank Drebin, The Naked Gun

September 1, 2006, 04:14 PM	#23
bclark1 Senior Member Join Date: January 5, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,531	i'd count on adrenaline to make my flu leave me be for a couple hours if i ever got in a bad situation. rest up and feel better!

September 1, 2006, 07:58 PM	#24
Dr_2_B Senior Member Join Date: December 21, 2005 Location: midwest Posts: 502	Well, Alaska, I"m a believer in O'Brien's Law. Ever heard of O'Brien's law? O'Brien says Murphy was an optimist. I say bundle up in clothes that impede your movement, go out to shoot at dusk, run at a full sprint for 100 yards, then fall down and do a roll about a dozen times on the ground picking up some mud in your eyes and get soaked enough for a good chill. Then shoot the target until it begs for mercy. Hopefully you'll have to perform a stoppage drill in the process. There's a reason the Navy Seals train in hypothermia conditions in sand and mud and crap. When the poop hits the fan, it has an amazing way of happening at the most inopportune times. Then get back to us. I'll be reading your play-by-play from the comfort of my easy-chair with a cup of hot coffee to warm me as I peruse your recounting of the event.

September 1, 2006, 08:22 PM	#25
Wildalaska Junior member Join Date: November 25, 2002 Location: In my own little weird world in Anchorage, Alaska Posts: 14,172	Dude I can barely blow my nose WildgettingweakerAlaska