Training While Sick

[Wildalaska]

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]

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]

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]

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

[springmom]

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....!) :eek:

Springmom

[threegun]

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]

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

:D

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]

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]

Maybe you're not drinking enough alcohol to kill the germs.
The alcohol can only kill the germs from kissing so many random barbabes. :D

i keeeed, i keeeeeeed!!!!

[OuTcAsT]

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

[Blackwater OPS]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Dunno...

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

[threegun]

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]

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. :D

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

Springmom

[skeeter1]

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]

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]

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]

Dude I can barely blow my nose:(

WildgettingweakerAlaska

[JohnKSa]

In that case, I recommend immediately removing any facial hair in the general vicinity of your nostrils.

[Blackwater OPS]

Hey Wild, if you have had a fever for more than a week, it's time to visit the doc. I don't want to be losing a good priced FFL.;)