You have coronavirus

I don't think you were fully recovered from the flu.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

🍋 It doesn't look like I have a lime emoji

Flu can really take you out. I have had very similar experiences to yours in the past, from doing a hardcore high mileage marathon training block, getting the flu (prior to race day, unfortunately) and then going from a hero to almost zero within a matter of two weeks.

For me, I strongly suspect there was an overtraining issue going on prior to the flu, so when my body finally got the chance to crash out, it did so with vigor! For what it's worth, I was CRUSHING my run workouts (for me, at least!) and short-distance tuneup races prior to the flu, but I definitely was feeling that "fried" feeling that you get when you're overtrained. It's hard to pull back when things are working so well results-wise, but I think I've learned from doing this more than once before, and not letting that fried feeling persist for too long - even if it costs some short-term race results.

I took me a shockingly long time to get back to what I felt like a "good" running state after that flu/overtraining. Sure, I could run, but it just felt really 'blah' and I had no desire to go hard/fast for months after that. On the good side, seems that the hard fitness I earned wasn't totally lost, as in retrospect, i ran pretty well on my triathlons 9 months later despite really easing off on the run training (I did still run though)

In all likelihood it's nothing and just give yourself more time. But, if you find that in addition to muscle soreness you seem to suffer reduced aerobic capacity, go to a cardiologist pronto.

Here's what happened to me in 2009. I was in heavy IM training and got laid up for a week with flu or similar. On return to training I was not just constantly sore, but I was a shell of my former self. In my training group I used to drive the train and now I couldn't hang on wheels on the slightest incline. I DNFed a HIM after one loop of the bike at 4mph slower than I had raced the prior year. After weeks of dragging through workouts simply unable to run or bike at anything near my prior level and feeling sore all the time, I hit the doctor. A few tests in and I'm at a cardiologist. And, then I find I've got the cardiac pumping capacity (LV ejection fraction) of an old lady. I was a highly efficient, aerodynamic race car that had it's engine swapped from a V12 to a lawnmower motor. Many tests later and it is presumed viral cardiomyopathy and that my illness from a month prior was a virus which went to town on my muscles including heart. It's no joke, heart muscle damage is permanent, but getting on it early can halt the progress before much damage is done.

Again, highly likely the flu just knocked you back and recovery is longer and harder than you think. But if muscle soreness translates into significantly reduced aerobic capacity upon your return, don't hesitate to get to a cardiologist.

Same exact thing happened to me. I started a run focus in November. I was hitting all my workouts, mileage and paces like a dream. No fatigue between workouts. No aches and pains, nothing. Got sick and had a fever for about a 4 days. I waited until I was fever free for 24 hours without any medication before even going on my first easy run back, then took a week building back into running. The following week I started back on my training plan, but went back to the mileage from the week before I was sick to be conservative and still, everything was just terrible. Aches and pains all the time, muscle soreness, fatigue. Nothing like before getting sick. I just backed off all my paces and about two weeks later everything started to click again. It just takes time to get back into it, or at least it did for me. I'm well into the build for a marathon and feeling 100%.

Man, your story is my worst nightmare!! Unfortunately, it really does happen and causes much much worse than just a screwed up race....not that it helps you in any way, but I wish you all the best and hope you will recover.

It's important to raise awareness for viral myocarditis!!!!

Good luck
Uli

PS: my mom suffered from it 45 years ago and her doctors told her she would die if she would not get a heart transplant within 6 month....she recovered and lived with her own heart for another 45 years symptom free....

Yeah, my LVEF went from presumably somewhere in the 60s when fit to 41 when diagnosed down to 37 and bottomed out at 33, so the trajectory was quite frightening as heart transplant becomes the only option if not stabilized. But, medicine stabilized things, and over the years I have weaned off the medication and the LVEF has crept back to 45, though I still have very thick heart wall which is not good. I'll never be an endurance athlete again, but I am a functioning adult with my own heart, on no medication, and raising kids. So outcome could be worse and looks like I stand a reasonable chance of same path as your mother.