-I'm sick.  But smiling because the sun's on my shoulders and I'm riding my bike.  Should I train when I have a cold? That depends on how I feel.
 
If I have no energy, no.  I stay in bed.  If I feel sorta okay, I'll hop on my bike for a easy recovery ride.  I just seem to get better quicker if I do something.  And there's some scientific validity to this.
 
As many of us know, the high levels of endorphins released during an intense session or race can weaken immune system.  But some endorphins from lower intensity exercise can help our immune system.  So keeping the intensity down is key to recovering from a cold.  In addition, when your heart is pumping, it helps white blood cells circulate, oxygenate your muscles and raise your temperature slightly - all of which also help you get better.  So a little bit of easy to moderate training has lots of benefits.
 
Perhaps the hardest part is knowing when you shouldn't do anything at all.  Coach Phil Mosley who has written for numerous endurance magazines wrote an excellent blog at https://www.myprocoach.net/blog/should-you-train-when-youre-sick/ .   While I typically prefer more scientific-based articles, like Coach Mosley's, I did find this Shape magazine article ( https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/how-get-rid-cold-lighting-fast) interesting because it gave a day-by-day account on how to treat your cold.  I do think zinc helps but I haven't tried the other suggestions; let me know if they work for you.
 
And just like talking to a friend - not a doctor or an expert - about your cold, at the end of the day you need to do what is right for you.  But hopefully we can all get back to training faster.  

​If cadence helps your power on the bike (it does!), watch this video
​and see what cadence (or strokes per minute) can do for your swim. 

When your chest and waist are one size; and your hips (okay…butt 😂) are another, it’s hard to know what size tri suit to order.  That was my quandary today because I can't try this one on.  In the end, I let the centimeters decide: only  1-2cm off the butt if I went with the smaller size but 5-6cm off my chest and waist if I went for the larger size.  The boobs and waist won; I ordered the smaller size.  

Why wouldn’t I just go with the larger size?  Because I’ve found that if the tri suit is too big, it moves - and that can cause chafe.  Owww.  In addition, I don’t want to drag around any extra fabric on the swim. Fingers crossed I don’t regret my decision on race day and split a seam!  😂

If you’re going to buy a tri suit, I definitely recommend trying it on - preferably with your sports bra - before buying it.  Move around in it.  Do some freestyle in the changing room; jog around the store.  Besides thinking about the fit and your range of motion in it, check to see if any of the internal seams chafe.  I have to use Glide with one of mine for that very reason.
 
If you’ve never bought a tri suit, the “Women’s tri-suit buyer’s guide” written by Alison Hamlett a couple years ago at www.220triathlon.com/gear/gear-guides/womens-tri-suit-buyers-guide/8603.html has some other points to consider, especially if you think you might need to go to the bathroom on course 😉.  (Hint: think two-piece suit and not one)