Stay Healthy - Don't Slobber on Communal Water!

Some people think I'm a bit paranoid about not getting sick, and I'll admit that I am on occasion. I'm not really a germ-freak, but being sick is no fun at all (and it puts a dent in your training!). Some people think my concern might be excessive, but I'm really just being pre-emptive (and Kelly McMahon has my back on this!).

Since the best defense is a good offense, here are my tactics for tours and rugby weekends: EmergenC and vitamins every morning, free distribution of Airborne to anyone who might be getting sick, actively avoiding sick people (don't sit next to them at dinner or on the bus!), making sure there is Purell in a communal spot, and NOT SHARING WATERBOTTLES!

A few years back when there was the SARS outbreak, a lot of the NY team came down with something awful (something that we only half jokingly called SARS). During that time I noticed that everyone would share water - either their personal water or the gallons jugs of water. It was no surprise that the NYRC SARS pandemic erupted. The problem was (and is) that people put the water right up to their mouth. I try to steer clear of communal water, but sometimes you gotta take it (at one point, I bought squeeze bottles for the team but I think they disappeared).

So as a public service blog-nouncement, please don't slobber on the communal water ...just pour it in your mouth and your teammates will thank you when they're not coughing up a lung and bedridden, watching bad daytime TV.