Sick at Xmas. Still not right.

vintage01

Hi all.
I am looking for some advice.

I picked up a chest infection over Christmas. I was nearing the last few weeks of a base training phase and feeling great Christmas Eve. Heart rate was a little high on Christmas day. Woke up Stephens day with a very sore chest and cough.

Went to doctor the following day and was given antibiotics but told to hold off taking them.After 2 more days of suffering I started the antibiotics. There was an instant improvement. But after a few days of improvement things seemed to plateau.

I have started back training very easy last saturday. Just in from a slow 5 miles this evening and my HR is still about 10 bpm above normal at a higher pace. Definitely don't feel 100% yet either. Am I expecting too much too soon?

Has anyone else had any similar problems or experience this winter or in the past?

Thanks in advance

David

rom

vintage01 wrote: »

Hi all.
I am looking for some advice.

I picked up a chest infection over Christmas. I was nearing the last few weeks of a base training phase and feeling great Christmas Eve. Heart rate was a little high on Christmas day. Woke up Stephens day with a very sore chest and cough.

Went to doctor the following day and was given antibiotics but told to hold off taking them.After 2 more days of suffering I started the antibiotics. There was an instant improvement. But after a few days of improvement things seemed to plateau.

I have started back training very easy last saturday. Just in from a slow 5 miles this evening and my HR is still about 10 bpm above normal at a higher pace. Definitely don't feel 100% yet either. Am I expecting too much too soon?

Has anyone else had any similar problems or experience this winter or in the past?

Thanks in advance

David

Do you check your resting HR. Its a good way to see that you are back ready for training.

vintage01

Funnily enough one of my new year resolutions is to take and record my HR very morning when I wake up. It was very good for the first few days of Jan 52 bpm but has been slightly raised the last 2 days (60bpm)

Not sure if its a blip or a warning sign.

ArtieFufkin

My sympathies, I know what you have been through. I had the man flu and same type of chest infection which pretty much lasted 4 weeks. So, three weeks off running just when I was hitting really good form. The good news is that when you have recovered it doesn't take long to get back to where you were.

My advice is not to push yourself, especially in the bad weather. It you feel up to it try the treadmill first, but don't over do it.

ultrapercy

vintage01 wrote: »

Hi all.
I am looking for some advice.

I picked up a chest infection over Christmas. I was nearing the last few weeks of a base training phase and feeling great Christmas Eve. Heart rate was a little high on Christmas day. Woke up Stephens day with a very sore chest and cough.

Went to doctor the following day and was given antibiotics but told to hold off taking them.After 2 more days of suffering I started the antibiotics. There was an instant improvement. But after a few days of improvement things seemed to plateau.

I have started back training very easy last saturday. Just in from a slow 5 miles this evening and my HR is still about 10 bpm above normal at a higher pace. Definitely don't feel 100% yet either. Am I expecting too much too soon?

Has anyone else had any similar problems or experience this winter or in the past?

Thanks in advance

David

I had much the same and its a killer. The virus takes a lot out of you but so too do the antibiotics. Good rest and nutrition much reduced training volume and intensity and get a good pro biotic and natural yougart to put back what the anti biotic killed. What most people don't do is listen to the body, its the best rejuvenating system there is. Don't force training and start very slowly when you are ready to increase your body will tell you.

RacoonQueen

I wouldn't train at all...just rest until you're feeling better. It doesn't sound like you're feeling better.

When you feel better, wait one more day...then think about going back, easy.

I've been there and it suck but you've absolutely nothing to gain by training while still feeling rough.

rom

vintage01 wrote: »

Funnily enough one of my new year resolutions is to take and record my HR very morning when I wake up. It was very good for the first few days of Jan 52 bpm but has been slightly raised the last 2 days (60bpm)

Not sure if its a blip or a warning sign.

5-8 beats above what is normal is bad and needs to be monitored. I was wrecked for a few months with resting HR of 65-70 when it used to be 42. Knowing what it is very important.

I posted about the doc I use the other day.

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=93726217&postcount=8

vintage01

Hi,

Thanks for the responses and advice. As I feared it could be a slow burner. It sure is a real pain when you are going well and you get sick/breakdown. I was only raving the day before to a friend about how well I was getting on training and taking L Glutamine. Typical!

Good point on the probiotics Ultrapercy. The antibiotics have no mercy.

I will take another few days and see how I feel. Hopefully resting HR goes back down.

Rom, I spotted your spreadsheet earlier. I will definitely give it a go, as I have sweet fa else to log at the moment.

Rantan

vintage01 wrote: »

Hi,



Good point on the probiotics Ultrapercy. The antibiotics have no mercy.

quick question...you still taking the anti biotics?

vintage01

No. Finished the antibiotics on Monday.

Rantan

vintage01 wrote: »

No. Finished the antibiotics on Monday.

was on antibiotics over the hols too for wisdom teeth issues and they caused severe "digestive issues" so I just stopped taking them...nearlyt felt as bad from that as from the initial problem....

Baggy Trousers

I got something similar, it lasted 3 weeks and I hadn't been sick in years before that.
I was 85% for the last week but could not manage to hit full fitness which was weird.
Do you still have a slight tickly cough?

vintage01

Hi Baggy Trousers,

Yes. Id describe the feeling in my chest as feeling a little bit cloudy. Feels like I have phlegm to cough up but I just get a small amount of clear light phlegm.

Like that I feel about 85%. I have it 2 1/2 weeks now.Resting HR is back in the low 50's again which is positive.

Did you do or take anything to aid recovery?

Baggy Trousers

vintage01 wrote: »

Hi Baggy Trousers,

Yes. Id describe the feeling in my chest as feeling a little bit cloudy. Feels like I have phlegm to cough up but I just get a small amount of clear light phlegm.

Like that I feel about 85%. I have it 2 1/2 weeks now.Resting HR is back in the low 50's again which is positive.

Did you do or take anything to aid recovery?

Doctor gave me antibiotic prescription but I did not get them because my chest really wasn't bad enough and I knew a virus was root cause. I was the exact same on the phlegm. I tried gargling salt water and manuka honey which helped but it was the kind of virus that would go and then relapse. More annoying than miserable towards the end.