Running after flu - look after yourselves.

[Realfoodieclub]

Today’s run was tough. It was my first run after having flu. Two weeks ago I woke up on a Tuesday night with a sore throat and feeling a little chilled, that turned into 6 days of a temperature with the highest being 38.7, my temperature was up in the 38’s for over three days.

Someone on the radio said if there was bag outside your front door with a million pounds in it and you can’t be bothered to get up and pick it up you have flu, well for days that bag would of stayed by my front door. I was dragging myself around.

The interesting thing about being ill this time was I continued to wear my vivoactive garmin. It monitors my pulse 24/7. My average resting pulse is usually around 55-59, during the three days when my temp was at the worst my average resting pulse was 83-87. The reason for sharing this information is that it gives a very good indication of how hard the body is working when it is dealing with something like a flu. You feel weak as a kitten because every cell in your body is working to get rid of something that shouldn’t be there.

So here I am 7 days after my last temperature day and 10 days from the big temperature, I felt it was time to do a gentle run. I realise I have a lot of Information about my running self that I used on today’s run and if you are new to running you are still learning. So I thought I would make a little check list for you. If anybody thinks of anything I have missed please share as coming back from flu should be done gently and with thought.

Eventually you will feel ready for you first run, after a few walks first. Please do not try to go for a run before you have done a few gentle Walks. Make sure your fluid intake and food intake are back to normal before attempting your first run.

1st Run, make it a small one, it doesn’t matter what distances you could do pre flu, start very small and gentle. I literally ran to the end of my road and back again today. It was a total of 2km.

Take walk breaks if you feel you need it, don’t be a hero. Pushing yourself too much on your first run is not worth it. It will put you back and could possibly damage your recovery.

Even if you don’t get to your desired destination if you start to feel any discomfort at all turn back and change to a gentle walk.

My walk today was all of the above, it ended with a gentle walk home because my chest started to feel under pressure and I knew if I kept going I would start coughing, so I am back home, nice hot bath, a cuppa and feeling pleased I went out but even happier that I don’t feel worse because I looked after myself on my first run back.

I will continue to build up very slowly and hopefully I have seen the last of this flu.

Stay happy and healthy

Rfc x.

[SaskAlliecat Graduate]

Thank you RFC! Very helpful and insightful. We all want to push ourselves further but sometimes your body says "nope, time for a break" and we really should listen.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to SaskAlliecat]

Thank you. It is wiser to listen to your body, it helps you get back on Your feet faster.

[HeadInTheClouds Graduate]

Thank you RFC for this post.

I went down with this bl@@dy flu virus on 27th December - 3 weeks of pure misery. Today, at long last, I think my appetite is returning, my interest is returning and I’m able to do little things without collapsing into a big heap. Yippee...!!!

I’m not the most patient person on the planet, but I’ve realised that my return to running will be slow and considered. Thank you for your check list and the insight on the pulse rate... I could feel my heart was having to work harder, but seeing it in ‘numbers’ makes you realise how much.

Good luck building that stamina and I hope you are back on top form soon. Xx

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to HeadInTheClouds]

Thank you. Oh no you really have had it bad, take it nice and steady and look after yourself during your recovery.

[roseabi]

Oof, sorry to hear you've been in the wars

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to roseabi]

Thank you, over the worst now, thankfully 😀.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Oh RFC you have been so poorly..... This is really helpful advice, thankyou for sharing and I hope you continue to get better and back to normal very soon XXX

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Thanks Ju, really on the mend now, just the little matter of a HM in 6 weeks. 😀.

[ju-ju- Graduate in reply to Realfoodieclub]

Oh wow that’s something to aim for.... I hope you will be ok for it xxx

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to ju-ju-]

Definitely not going for pace, just completion, got another one 11 weeks afterwards to pick up the pace with 😀.

[Sandyscroll]

Thanks for this really helpful post. Many of us have relied on the structure of C25K to build our stamina, but there is no training course or structure to follow for when trouble strikes. That's where this forum and its contributors full the gaps. I hope you enjoy a steady and safe return to running.

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to Sandyscroll]

Thank you. This forum is great for helping with those little queries and hopefully we do it a balanced way.

[Irishprincess Graduate]

A very wise post RFC with great advice. Sorry you haven't been well but it sounds as if you're on the way back. You're right though about these things taking longer than we think. I've had a cough and cold, nothing like flu, but my running is so hard at the minute and I have no energy. We just need to be patient don't we? Take care x

[Realfoodieclub Graduate in reply to Irishprincess]

Thank you, yes patience is best and it is the hardest when all you want to do is get back to “normal”. I keep telling myself I am only doing recovery once so I might as well get it right. 😀. Take care of yourself. Rfc x.

[ancientrunner Graduate]

Glad you are feeling better, these lurgies do wipe you out.

[skysue16 Graduate]

Oh dear, so sorry to hear you have been unwell 🤒 Useful insights and recommendations, thank you. Take care.