advice please. sick 1 week before race day

If it's the real flu, you might be in trouble.  If it's just a cold, 1 week should be enough time to rest.

I would say if it's just in you head (no serious coughing) then you can probably go for it after a week's worth of rest and fluids.  Don't look for a stellar performance,  but it should be doable.

I'm usually back training after 5-7 days after getting a cold.

racing new orleans 70.3 on sunday april 18th, i started feeling off last sunday (thought it was just allergies due to the very high pollen count for the last couple of months) , just kept pushing through.....needless to say i weakened myself (mild cold went to bad cold or something)....tried to take two days off (hate that guilty yucky feeling of not training) and rest and i did, it was still getting worse....i don't know why i put off doctors visits til the point of misery but i do...went to the doctor on friday, my throat culture came back negative...he wasn't sure exactly what was wrong with me but wanted me racing so he hit me with a shot of cortizone in one hip and antibiotics in the other....gave me a script for antibiotics, prescription strength nasonex and told me to load up on C and zinc, vicks under the nose and chest, time in the steam room.... + we have a nebulizer at home for breathing treatments.....saturday i swam 2000m and ran 3 miles.....yesterday i biked 38.4 miles.....i feel great today (still coughing up some).....i'm back on track.....

all this to say, i think one of those two shots did the trick

i just did this.

april 11th was my race short distance (800 yrd swim, 19 mile bike, 4 mile run)

but i got sick week prior to race, i took entire week off.  AS OTHER HAVE SAID.  last 1 week you won't gain fitness but you can put more strain on your body.

it was a cold but it did get worse and had to stay in bed 2 days, with a nasty fever.  like i said did nothing except for a 10 min bike ride, 10 min swim, 20 min run the day before.  still managed to race well. 

also make sure that after the race you bundle up and try to get home so you can rest.

I just posted this right before you did! Looks like we are sailing in the same boat!  Sucks!

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=203265&posts=2&start=1

yeah, real flu... I was achey and feverish all day saturday.  I stated a Tamiflu  regiment Saturday evening.  I've also been coughing up some nastiness as well.  Oh well, someone has to come in last...  my goal is just to finish and not have a DNF by my name.