I suspect that intense efforts during the incubation phase or early days of an infection can put some people at higher risk for long covid (my guess is viral persistence). I was in a TR build phase and hammering some pretty good workouts around the time I was likely exposed. It wasn't unusual for me to feel a bit ragged after a harder TR effort, and sometimes I would sub out a recovery ride in place of a planned ride or even move up a recovery week if I was starting to feel a bit run down. First two symptomatic days of covid, which I didn't initially recognize as such, were on the weekend -- Saturday long run and Sunday longer trainer session. Both days I felt unusual fatigue after workouts and took an uncharacteristically long daytime nap (2 hours). Initial symptom other than that was Sunday night and the weird covid "puff" cough. Monday I awakened to intense burning lungs and a dry cough and stopped exercise at that point. Although my acute infection was on the mild side, I did experience at least a half dozen different symptoms over the next couple weeks and have never been well again (28+ months now).

I think the TdF was interesting because all of those guys are chronically underweight. COVID is a real setback for some (Adam Yates said he was really sick during his latest bout) while guys like Majka and Bob Jungels are riding well when they are still PCR positive. It makes me think that your outcome is determined to a large part by genetics.

I guess time will tell if some of the pros are permanently damaged. Guys like Sagan and Uran have had COVID two or three times and their performances were underwhelming.

It makes me think that your outcome is determined to a large part by genetics.


Yes - I'm not a doctor or a scientist, but already they are starting t look into this. As I said in a previous post, NO ONE knows how hard this will hit them and what the impact will be on them short term or long term (Long COVID). So to blow it off as "Just a cold", you are really flirting with Russian roulette. If it infects 10 people - how it impacts each of those 10 will be different!

That's why the best course of action is to NOT contract COVID in the first place. There are some basic things one can do to NOT make this happen, but that's where things get all political, and many don't like to take advice, even when it's in their own best interest!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Just replying to last...

My doctor just referred me to a "post-covid" study at one of the local hospitals. She says she is hearing more and more stories like mine where the initial illness wasn't really all that bad, but the after-effects are significant and lingering.

10 weeks since testing positive and I think this is the first week I feel like I can do something that resembles "training". I've been able to do a few super easy workouts, but nothing consistent or anything better than "recovery pace".

I'll give a shot to a more "full week" next week, still all SUPER easy stuff, but I think I can handle a session every day at this point.

10 weeks... it's been 10 weeks... My entire race season is shot because of this.

Sorry to hear. I'm curious as to what, if anything that you've done recently to get your condition to improve. I'm still feeling the effects 4.5 weeks post diagnosis and just scratching my head wondering if I should be doing something other than resting. Cheers, Steve

I haven't done anything really. Just rested. Occasionally attempted a workout when I felt like I could. But always kept it easy. Most of the time I would do something like a 45 minutes super light spin on the bike, and that was enough to make me fatigued even the next day. Lately I have been able to do a few days of easy workouts in a row. But I didn't do anything other than wait it out

It's still very initial, but there's interesting new research indicating how COVID might attack the heart muscle directly. Really good reason to be very conservative in resuming training. (which you are since you said you waited 10 weeks, just pointing out the new information justifying it).

Indeed. I just want to point out that I didn’t “wait” 10 weeks. I was more like forced into rest. I was basically unable to do more than walk for a few minutes up until maybe 2 weeks ago. Walking the dog for 15 minutes required a lay down afterwards. So my body forced me into this rest period. I plan to just gently resume basic exercise this week and see where that leads me.

You experiencing other symptoms still besides the fatigue and exercise intolerance?

No. The only symptom of the illness I had was a tightness in my chest. That took a few weeks to resolve (and a chest X-ray showed nothing whatsoever). All covid did to me was make my chest tight for a couple weeks and leave me fatigued. I was never “sick”.

That said I’m on my bike as we speak and I feel pretty good here. I’m hoping this means I’m coming out of this mess.

With that extended post-exertional malaise you've described, I'd suggest that you strongly consider keeping recovery days between any bike days for quite a while longer, limit intensity to the low end (like low z2 at the most), and don't worry about adding duration. What you risk by doing more is crashing back down. Sometimes recovery from those fatigue crashes becomes more and more difficult.

I think I’m about two weeks past that post-exertional malaise. I purposely didn’t push for workouts during a time I knew I was fragile. I am carefully listening to what my body is telling me. I want to get back to training but I also am fully aware of the consequences of going back in too soon. I *think* I’m at a safe place to start easing back in. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not jumping back into 100mi rides. But I think I rested properly and can get back to a full week of 45ish minute sessions.

It’s baby steps for now.

 https://apple.news/AN-RlGo19Qpu-WS-jhZXNyw[/url]

I am dealing with a similar issue, In April I was pretty fit (60yo 144lbs FTP 348) had to travel to Florida for work for a week. After getting home I came down with a gnarly sore throat...few days later massive fatigue and cough to go along with it. I took a rapid test and it was neg so I assumed it was just a cold (never developed a fever). After about 10 days I started to feel normal again, just a little chest congestion. Two days later I relapsed and this time it hit me like a ton of bricks this time same symptoms but with the addition of a massive headache, it's gotta be COVID right? Another rapid test still neg I waited it out...it didn't improve then my GF got it. She took a rapid test and it was also neg. It's now late May and neither one of us is getting better so we go get PCR tests also neg. I end up going to the doc and she put me on some antibiotics and Prednisone and administered another PCR test, again neg. After a week on the meds I feel better (GF gets on the same meds also feels better). I go out for an easy flat Z1 ride and I can't breathe. I wait a week try again same result. Wait another week and it still feels like I'm breathing through a straw. I went out yesterday another attempt and same results. I call this COVID not COVID because I had just about every symptom but 6 total neg tests, the doc just tells me to rest and wait it out but this feels more like my new normal and I'm scared I may not be able to ride anymore.

I'm on that baby step train myself. Went for a ride yesterday. Felt like I was doing ZR watts, breathing rate fine...HR through the roof. Frustrating as hell.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Just went through this in a series of unfortunate events.

First symptoms were in my 8 and 13-year-olds about July 10th, then my 11-year-old, followed by me (65-year-old), my wife (age unknown ;-), 15, 21, and finally 20 year old. I hadn't left the house unmasked since the beginning of covid until 4th of July, where we probably got it. (Stupid me.)

Currently only the 20-year-old, my wife and I are showing symptoms. My main issue is (and has been) a lot of coughing, elevated pulse, and general weakness: I feel like a 65-year old! For months I've been taking vitamin D supplements when I haven't been in the sun (and over the winter), and I think this has been instrumental to my not suffering due to this too much. (On the other hand, the 110mph windstorm resulting in the 2-1/2 day power outage just before my symptoms started (what freezer?); all our uprooted trees, although we were lucky nothing hit the house; the A/C breaking down immediately after the power outage resulting in 90 degrees in the house; and the need to get a car to replace the one totaled by an unlicensed driver.)

Anyway, this is a rambling post partly to emotionally purge all the crap that's been going on lately, as I've been so isolated. Thanks for being patient. (At least the A/C got fixed today, although for a little over $7K.)

My main advice (maybe I was just lucky), but I think taking the vitamin D (over 60% of Americans are deficient, and sunscreens block the frequencies needed to generate it), was tremendously helpful. I think back to the nursing home at the beginning of covid where the residents who had had vitamin D supplementation had a much lower death rate (25%?) than those who hadn't (60%).

My racing season is probably done, but I just have to deal with it. I'm alive to fight another day.

Best of luck to all.

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Tri or tri not; this is no du. (--- with apologies to Yoda.) Slow triathlete who survived Huntsville, Lelystadt, Colmar, Fontanil, and
Szekesfehervar/Lake Velence. Arbor hydration specialist in a kid's park in Monterrey 4 times in the 1990s (and in the pits in 1994).

Took me a solid 4 weeks to see the HR come down and even then it was like 5 beats above what it normally is. It does improve though, it’s just a slow ramp back up to fitness

That's really helpful. Thanks.

HR was climbing a fair bit during today's lawn work session, even before I had to run inside for my EpiPen post finding a yellow jackets' nest. (Second time I've had to do that this month, too. Fuck July 2022 with a rusty nail.)

I'll just keep slowly building and let HR guide stuff. I know where I can find fitness, and it doesn't come from beating the shit out of myself now.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I’m 66 years old, One J&J vax. I came down with Covid on June 18th. Three days of a fever (101 degrees), quite a bad headache, general fatigue and an elevated RHR. RHR returned to normal after the three days, but any exercise caused it to rise rapidly.

I’ve been doing easy spinning and walking with a little jogging thrown in while keeping my HR in zone 1. I’m a poor swimmer so, I was only able to swim 50-100 yards with stopping at the wall for 30 seconds to get my HR back down. It’s only been for the last week that I’ve been able to increase intensity with my HR staying in a normal range.

My fitness is shot, or I still have some lingering fatigue, or a combination of both. At least it seems like the end is in sight and I can start rebuilding my fitness, which at my age is always a challenge.

I wonder what % of athletes that have CoVID have these elevated HR issues. From this thread it seems like a very common problem - I wonder if that’s just cause it’s those folks that post?

This thread scares me :)

When’s it good to get back to training? When HR drops to normal levels?

I waited until 7 days post end of symptoms to resume training beyond my daily household chores (which involves a bit with where I live).

I’m now basically trying to stick with ZR/Z1 base stuff. HR still elevates very quickly relative to effort suggesting some lingering irritation or inflammation.

I wrote off 2022 for racing a long time ago so I figure I’ll just do base level stuff and watch the HR for a while before I attempt to give it the beans again.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

My resting heart rate actually dropped while I had an active infection. Never saw it go up during movement/exercise. I might be the outlier.

I'm on it with you. Covid+ early July, HR skyrockets when I look at my running shoes. Swimming easy feels good, as does conditioning work and riding the trainer in Z1, but if I'm on it too long I've got some big time cardiac drift.

I've waved off the rest of this season and will rebuild slowly and methodically for next year. It's left me feeling blah, but I'd rather be healthy and have a future season to look forward to than the alternative.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

It's super frustrating. I know the fitness itself is in there (heck, I set some Strava segment PRs when I was up in LP without really trying to go hard). But the massive decoupling between breath rate and HR is really something else.

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Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I’ll be able up update more tomorrow when I try to go for an easy run but if you didn’t read my post here it is. 4.5 year old daughter tested positive Sunday, gave it to wife/20 month old Monday, I finally got it Tuesday. 20 month old and wife were by far the worst. 4-5 days sick and wife still is off. I was lucky to only have headache and sore throat and now a bit of a cough but woke up today with no sore throat at all!

My HR/O2 levels have stayed normal and I haven’t had any body fatigue or fever or anything below the neck. So tomorrow I’m going to try to run after 5 days off. But even with my mild symptoms I still would not want to get thing thing again and for sure would not want a young kid to get it since they’re not really good at dealing with any sickness. To me the worst part about this is hearing how random it seems to be on how severe symptoms are. Anyone who has been asymptomatic you are lucky!

I have read a few things on when to try to return to training and it seems it depends on if your symptoms are only above the neck or below. I think this article has been posted here but this is what I am going to try to follow.

https://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/?p=10084

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