A few days ago, I asked some of my friends for ideas they would like to see on The LITMO Life. Sometimes, it’s hard to think of things other people might like to read about while you are living a particular life (because it seems so normal to you!).

Someone suggested a post on getting sick while traveling might do well. And, because the universe thinks it’s hilarious, I just now woke up with a sore through, three days before my marathon. So, here I am!

This has happened before (well, not so close to a marathon!) and I’ve figured out a few tips for dealing with the totally un-fun part of getting sick while traveling (keep in mind here, I’m talking about a minor illness like a sore throat or cold, for major illnesses – well, that’s another blog post!):

1. Stop doing anything, for at least a day.

Resist the urge to continue touristing just because you “don’t want to miss anything.” I have fallen into this trap, and trust me, it is NOT worth it, especially because it’s likely that you will just make yourself sicker. As soon as you start to feel something coming on, give your body a total break from activities.

2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.

When I was in Denver, I didn’t realize that my body would react so crappily to the altitude. I was walking around with a constant headache, sleeping a LOT more than normal, and generally, just feeling crappy. One thing I should have been doing better was hydrating properly! Sometimes, even just being a little dehydrated can wreck you.

3. Give your body good calories.

No more vegan baked goods and wine (oh…you mean, we don’t all look for those things in new places?). As soon as you start feeling under the weather, eat some damn vegetables. Your sickness may have come on because you haven’t been eating the right foods, so give your body the right foods now.

4. Put your phone on DND and sleep as long as you can.

When you’re traveling full-time, or long-term, or even short-term sometimes, people will want to check in on you, because they love you and want to touch base. That said, sometimes your mind needs a break just as much as your body. Put your phone on Do Not Disturb, shut the door of your airBNB or motel or hostel and get some damn rest.

5. If it’s still bad, head to a walk-in clinic.

I’m hoping in the case of my sore throat that it goes away in a few hours. It could have been sleeping under a fan or something easily solvable (please god let it be that so I don’t have to run a marathon sick). That said, if it’s still bad in a few days, I’ll head to a quick clinic to get a checkup. A lot of times, this is easier than trying to find a doctor on short notice.

There you have it – I was looking for blog ideas and the universe laughed at me and got me sick instead. I’ll take any healing thoughts you may want to send for a full recovery before my race. I hope these tips will help you next time you get sick on the road – and I hope even more that you don’t get sick on the road!