Missed long run during marathon training/taper due to illness - need help getting back on track

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kjo1713
kjo1713 Posts: 34 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hello
I am in the middle of training for my first full marathon. I had built up my mileage to 45-50 miles/week and completed my longest training run last weekend of 21 miles. I since got the flu and my whole body has felt weak and tired - it took everything in me just to run 7 miles today and I was slow. My mileage/week dropped off to just 23 miles this last week. The race is in 2 1/2 weeks. I am not sure if I should listen to my body and give it rest or keep pushing through? I do not want to lose all the fitness I gained through months of training so close to the race. Any insight would be greatly appreciated- am so anxious for this race and to feel energized and like myself again.

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  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,128 Member
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    Long Covid is often talked about. But it's less well known that all viruses can take a while to recover from.
    Chickenpox kicked my *kitten* like year, for at least a month.

    Google post-viral fatigue and see what comes up? I'm pretty sure pushing yourself too hard has a risk of backfiring though...
  • NickiBear81
    NickiBear81 Posts: 7 Member
    edited April 12
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    You will not lose your fitness while letting your body recover from being ill. At 2.5 weeks until race day, all the training you have done to date will get you to the finish line, what is important now is that you can make it to the start line in the best shape you can be, if that means that you do zero miles a week then so be it.
    Take a week and a half or so to recover properly without feeling bad about it. Once you have recovered, kick back into what would be your normal/planned taper week before race day.
    Good Luck and ENJOY race day, its just the icing on the cake of a training/healthy lifestyle!!

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