How to resume marathon training after getting hit with the flu

kjo1713
kjo1713 Posts: 35 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello

I am in the middle of training for a marathon and got struck down hard with the flu and sinus infection combo. It’s been almost 2 weeks of feeling run down, cough etc. I have not had a fever for almost a week, but still taking medications to get back to normal (antibiotics and steroids). I’ve been trying to do a few easy runs at least but it wears me out to even run 4 miles like I did today. I’m scared all the work I did to build up my fitness will go to waste. Does anyone know of any steps or protocols to follow to get back on track with training quickly and safely after illness? I don’t want to miss my goals for this race after the work I’ve put in :( just feeling anxious and defeated

Answers

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,160 Member
    You won't lose all your progress. You will feel like you have for a while, but as you're recovering things will improve . . . but it is important to avoid overdoing, and to progress gradually. Detraining does happen, but it's usually less severe than it feels at first, and regains are quicker than building to that level of fitness was in the first place. (That perception is based on being athletically active for over 20 years, and having a variety of illnesses/surgeries to recover from over that time. I'm not a marathoner; I do a short-endurance sport, on-water rowing.)

    Runner's World has a specific article about returning to marathon training after flu:

    https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a20832125/how-to-get-back-to-training-after-the-flu/

    Also, are you absolutely certain you didn't have Covid? There are protocols for resuming exercise after that, but they're extra conservative because of the risk of long Covid. Even if you didn't have Covid, some of that guidance could be helpful in a different respiratory condition, even though you maybe have lower risks. Here's one example:

    k46v8pv6eoz1.jpg

    From: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9170595/

    Harvard Health's guidance for flu recovery is less structured, but similar:

    https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-long-should-i-wait-after-the-flu-before-resuming-exercise

    Best wishes for a full recovery - it will take time, probably be frustrating . . . but it won't set you back all the way.

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