Couch to 5k to covid😕

[Slowest-snail-ever]

Hello. My 2nd attempt at Couch to 5k and all was going ok.... apart from somehow straining my ribs in week 1, which are still a bit sore in week 5. And now I have covid. Any tips on how long to wait before I run again. Its day 4 and I'm still feeling weak and achy.... thank you!

[Annieapple Administrator Graduate]

🍏🤗Oh that’s really rough but you know what those runs will wait!!

The important thing to focus on now is getting over this properly. Covid is a respiratory disease & so you need to give yourself as much time as your body needs.

Rest & drink lots of fluids. WHEN you feel better go for a walk & do some light strength & flex for a few days.

Your body will let you know when you are ready for a run. DONT rush it. You don’t want to end up with long covid.

Take care of you now!! 🤗❤️‍🩹

[Slowest-snail-ever in reply to Annieapple]

thank you so much. I will try and be patient!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator On a break Graduate]

Totally agree with Annieapple ’s great post above. I’ll also point you to an article from last year that was useful to me …

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

If you’re really kind and patient with yourself, you won’t go far wrong. Look after yourself ❤️

[Slowest-snail-ever in reply to MissUnderstanding]

That's a great article. Thankyou. Definitely not ready yet😷

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

You have had some great advice... and maybe this may help too.. just as  Annieapple and  MissUnderstanding says..take it very gently..

This may also help a tad too... so many of us have been there...some more than once x

healthunlocked.com/bridgeto...

I have tagged you in the latest Strength and Flex post too... maybe pop in there when you feel a lot better and share your experiences

[AndyG59]

I tested positive for COVID in week 7… just kept on running. It depends on how you feel. I got excruciating pain in my ribs but only when sleeping on my side. Felt a little week and had flu-like symptoms but managed to carry on. Just completed week 9 for the second time and still have some symptoms, three weeks on but feeling strong.

[Hollydolly4]

Well done on giving it another try. I completely sympathise- I’m pretty much the same I started a couple of years ago and really didn’t get far at all then bought a treadmill as easier to fit in with family/work so started again a few months ago and was doing so well. Completed week 8 struggled at times but not run really since school and I was a sprinter back then so completely different anyway went on holiday in July and caught Covid and was really unwell with a exhaustion/cough/shortness of breath until very recently and was told by GP not to exert myself. I then hurt my back and was in agony with that too. Felt so deflated as tried treadmill again last week at week 5 and really struggled so given myself a pep talk ‘I’ve done it before I’ll do it again’ I genuinely never thought I’d ever be able to run 3 mins nevermind 28 mins so i know if I take it back to basics and build things gradually i will get there and you will too. I don’t think I fully appreciated the impact that Covid had on my body and I need to start being a little kinder to myself.

So really just look after your body and rest as much as possible because if you rush back into it you will do more damage and could potentially put yourself further back.

Take care and hope you feel better very soon! 😀

[Slowest-snail-ever in reply to Hollydolly4]

Well done ! That's really helpful to read. What an amazingly supportive group I have stumbled upon. Thankyou.🥰

[AngryFlower Graduate]

Covid can surprise us, some of us can test positive but feel ok but others can feel really poorly. My advice would be not to go back to running until you feel completely back to normal and that includes any lethargy the virus has left behind. Pushing yourself could leave you feeling worse. When you do feel completely back to normal I would suggest a few walks first increasing in intensity/speed just to see how you feel and to rebuild stamina, eventually progressing to the programme starting from week 1 again.

Probably not what you want to do I know but your running may ultimately benefit.

[smokeysmoke Graduate]

I had Covid at the start of Sept and didn’t run for 5 weeks, sorry if that’s not what you want to hear! I didn’t have the energy to do very much at all really. I started running again by just doing 1 run that week but upped it to 2 last week. Now I need to build back up to where I was