Concept2 Forum

I spent the festive season completely wiped out by covid and I'm only now back on the erg with some very gentle paddling. 5k with hr strictly capped at UT2 (120 bpm max in my case) is showing 2:30/500 or slower, vs 2:18 or so over 10k previously. My aerobic fitness has been knocked right back.

Anyone care to share their post-covid recovery experiences? How long did it take you, did you regain full fitness, did you have a lingering hacking cough for ages afterwards? Any horror or feelgood stories?

I think it's going to take me a while to get over this.

There's a few of us who have had various different responses to covid (and other viruses as well in my case)

It took me about 3 weeks for my lung function to return to what felt like "normal" after the end of my symptoms on my second dose of covid last year - and thus took about 6-8 weeks to get my fitness back to the baseline it was before as I couldn't exercise "properly" so lost fitness as well as what the illness itself took out of me.

the first time I don't think I had it as bad - I was back where I was after about of month - similar to a bad "normal" virus in my case.

Neither times i've had covid did I get a bad cough - It was just my overall lung function that dropped & lack of energy. (I slept a lot 2nd time round)

Covid first time, positive tested for 11 days. Paused any sports activity for about 2 month, as I got other issues in parallel (or driven by, difficult to say). Lost 5kg coming from 80kg and after restart I only got back to 78kg, but got back to full fitness after roughly 6 weeks and even got stronger and fitter.
I catches it 2 more times, ca. 10-12 days off each time. Back in the game after ca. 2 weeks in both cases, but felt no serious illness during covid, different from the first time. Sore throat, little sniffy nose. Not feeling ill or bad at all.

I've only knowingly had it once, and it wasn't particularly bad (extreme fatigue for a few days, and bit like a heavy cold, but not much else).

My problems have stemmed from the subtle after effects, which have left me with slight rasping breathing at higher rates, and a general feeling of having lost about 10% of performance. I'm still not back to where I was, but that might be due to quite a lot of other issues so I can't say for certain that it's all due to covid.

There's a huge disparity between how people react and recover, in active sports people and the general population. I read an article on a very good fell runner, championship pace, and she said that she could no longer attain the same performance since covid, and that was circa 12 months afterwards. Hopefully you'll bounce back from it, but there's just no way of knowing

ive had it once that i know of. little to no symptoms. slight tickle in throat for about 2 hrs. tested because a colleague had cold and flu symptoms. tested positive and had to isolate at home. BUT since i had that incident i am increasingly aware that i have coughing fits quite often. dry cough that lasts about 5 or 10 minutes. get it 2 or 3 times a week.

Interesting how people carry the virus in different ways, some barely noticing and others suffering long-term repercussions. I think it's done some damage to me and how long it will take to repair remains to be seen.

I've seen a few stories about an apparently disproportionate rate of long covid among high-level endurance athletes. My hunch is that the virus is able to burrow deep into the system during strenuous training. I am not such an athlete

I am gradually resuming paddling and jogging but that throat rattle is still there and having to pause occasionally to hack up like an old tramp is not a great look.

Interesting thought on Long Covid. Most of the research I have seen is problematic as Long Covid is widely defined to include those with no enduring symptoms beyond loss of taste and people whose symptoms subside after 14 weeks alongside those severely debilitated for long periods. I wonder whether trhe endurance athletes don't allow recovery and so extend the symptoms whil;e others will just be more aware of the symptoms as they have accurate stats to show lack of recovery that the sedantry might miss.

iain wrote: ↑

January 14th, 2025, 1:29 pm

Interesting thought on Long Covid. Most of the research I have seen is problematic as Long Covid is widely defined to include those with no enduring symptoms beyond loss of taste and people whose symptoms subside after 14 weeks alongside those severely debilitated for long periods. I wonder whether trhe endurance athletes don't allow recovery and so extend the symptoms whil;e others will just be more aware of the symptoms as they have accurate stats to show lack of recovery that the sedantry might miss.

I definitely wouldn't know I had any (assumed) residual issues from covid if I wasn't active.

I have had covid twice. First time was quite mild and only noticed higher than normal HR. Second time last summer knocked me for six for about a week but back on the erg after about ten days. Again, just higher HR but took about a week longer to settle down.

No lasting symptoms though both times.

I got Covid right after I left the hospital for mitral valve repair and a bypass, which put me back in the hospital for a week while I gasped for air like a fish on the dock. Besides not being able to breathe, none of the other symptoms. Per the docs "there's usually a negative outcome following Covid after heart surgery". Everyone's a comedian, right?

Anyway, I'll get short of breath walking across the room after sitting, but if I get on the erg, I can go at UT2-AT for 45 minutes without any issue.

All very strange.