Does anyone (else) get sick after racing?

Oh, like illness...

Not really.  But many times I feel like puking right when I'm done. 

X2

Make sure you get some vitamins in after your race/hard workouts.  

For me personally, I need to make sure I take some vitamins and extra nutrition to help my body through the recovery process.  If I overwork myself, all of my resources go to repairing the muscular system and abandon my immune system.  This makes me very suscepible to sickness.

Make sure you are getting enough calories and take an emergen-C or a multi-vitamin.

After big events I haven't actually become sick, but have been in a state where it felt like I more easily could.

This happens to me after every race.  I wish I could figure it out.

This happens a lot I think.  What I've found to work is regularly taking probiotics, and drinking Kefir as a recovery drink post race. 

I have actually barfed at the finish line of a race before.  Just a little embarrassing ... sprinted too hard at the end.

Almost the same thing at MCM the year I did it - I was at the end and didn't realize that the finish was still a bit away from the uphill and sprinted it a little too hard only to turn and find I was still a couple of hundred metres away - i was worried my finisher photo would be of me retching ... yuck. 

/hijack

I rarely get sick after a race but it's not unheard of. I know my hubby got pretty sick the year he raced a HIM in pouring rain all day.  This time of year - the temp changes can be hard on the body  - along with a hard race effort.

Feel better soon!

Oooh, same. After one half marathon I was, uh... not far from the bathroom for at least 3 days.

My first couple of years in long distance racing I used to get "post marathon sickness" as I called it. I haven't been sick post-race in several years as I seem to have perfected my post-race recovery (for me!). 

I make sure I get enough sleep the week leading up to the race, eat very healthy fruits & veggies (oranges, greens, etc), especially after. SLEEP SLEEP SLEEP. Hydrate. Hydrate. 

Even after my first 50m, I was SURE I'd get sick. However, I didn't. The next morning I went and got some oranges, had a big salad, rested as much as I could. 

Maybe look at your routine? What can you change to get more rest and optimal nutrition? Having a small child probably makes this a little difficult. 

I would sure like to see an actual study on this because I was thinking about it last week.

Last Saturday, I ran a very hard effort HM and had a great time (for me).  On Monday, I had a blood test for semi-annual cancer screen and my white cell count was below normal.  Not alarmingly but below the normal range and I wondered if there could have been a correlation with decreased immunity from lower white blood cell count after a race.  I asked the doc but he has little experience with sports related issues.

Definitely. My job always exposes me to a lot of germs and I do tend to come down with colds and flu after a hard race. Some things I've noticed that seem to reduce the possibility (besides pre-emptively calling in sick or avoiding my students!), are getting a massage after the race (maybe it clears the junk out), taking a nap, having a good post-race meal with plenty of protein, and drinking lots of water. But sometimes I still get sick. I think in many cases I was already coming down with something and the race just further lowered my resistance.