Endurance riding whilst having covid

daniel_b

Morning all,

I was meant to be on holiday right now with my family in Dorset, but instead an holed up at home, alone with covid, my first time having it.

As it happens, I am meant to be on an easy recovery week, so am debating (As I have nothing that interesting to do, and can't go anywhere) hopping on the turbo for a easy ride or two this week.
Equally though I do not want to exacerbate it, make it last longer, or do myself damage.

I'd been doing really well with my training and commuting over the last 10 months, and seen real consistent gains. (Thankyou TrainerRoad AI FTP)

Workouts I have in mind, would be 60-90 minutes, and 50-65% of ftp, maybe 75% for a brief period.

For the record, when I have colds in the past I have pretty much always continued to ride/turbo, just at a lesser rate that prescribed. Personally for a common cold, I find this helps me get through it faster, maybe something about getting decent airflow through the lungs, but as a lower consistent rate that hard exercise would provide.

At present it feels like a heavyish cold, ie a cough, bit of a temperature, bunged up etc, but not feeling too debilitating, and I am already feeling a lot brighter than I was at the weekend.

I've had both initial vaccinations, and the booster - was hoping to continue to avoid it until the next booster was available, but not to be.

Actual experience with regards to this would be appreciated.

daniel_b

To add, if anyone would prefer to PM me as opposed to a public reply, feel free, due to the way the site displays new messages I often don't see them for some time though

ugo.santalucia

I had in in early June, took 5 days off the bike then I began on the turbo, but very gently, building up... 15 minutes on day 1 at 150W, 20 minutes on day 2 at 170W, then 25 minutes at 200W and so on... I wouldn't start too hard to be honest, unless you feel really good and have no symptoms. If you have a temperature, keep resting

webboo

I caught it in mid May. Tested positive after finishing a 67 mile ride, nose just wouldn’t stop running and wife had tested positive 4 days earlier. Did nothing for 2 days due feeling fairly rough. Third day feeling much better so trained on my garage climbing wall, felt ok. So just climbed, weight trained and for a walk over next 5 days. Then went for a steady ride before starting training as normal on the bike.

daniel_b

Thanks both, I'm going to take today off completely and see how I feel tomorrow.

mrb123

I walked every day when I had it and felt better for it. No reason to think a very gentle spin would be any different.

daniel_b

mrb123 said:

I walked every day when I had it and felt better for it. No reason to think a very gentle spin would be any different.

That's good to know Mrb.

I was a tad nervous as a fellow cyclist friend had covid, and has suffered lung damage as a result, the end result being he gets out of breath much quicker than he used to.

He has been told there is no treatment, and that it may repair itself over a 2 year period, or he may be like that for the rest of his life.

I appreciate in the scheme of things, it's not that debilitating, but as a keen cyclist I can see how that could have a negative effect on me should I be unlucky.

I've taken it easy today, home alone, did some tidying, and watched an episode of the wagner method on all4, provably going to go for an episode of the hunter tonight, and save the final montalbano for tomorrow.

Planning to hop on the turbo tomorrow though, and probably watch the women's tdf with it.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

After what I went through after what initially seemed a very mild infection in March 20, my advice is no more than z1/2 for a couple of weeks and then gradually see how z4+ feels during and after.
Edit: I went back to training after two days max, my numbers weren't bad at the time, but the post ride fatigue was insane. Needed four days recovery instead of usual two max before doing another. Had to sleep straight after work shifts, something I don't do. Daily moving patches that felt like bruises under ribs, front to back, side to side. After a few weeks I came to my senses and stuck to z2 max until end of May.

I might be about to go through this all again, didn't feel great over the weekend and today was a massive struggle on a very quiet day at work. Came home to find my better half feeling rougher than her normal long covid issues that have kept her off work for 19 months, we've both tested negative for now, but I know there have been cases rising at work recently.

daniel_b

Sorry to hear that @N0bodyOfTheGoat, that sounds super rough for both of you.
Quite the eye opener as to what can happen.

I hope you both have a more favourable outcome soon.

I gather 1 in 17 people currently have it, and I was in work twice last week, so in all likelihood where I picked it up

N0bodyOfTheGoat

@daniel_b How are your rides while positive going?

We're both still awaiting a positive result, but while the symptoms are quite similar to the ~3.5 week flu I had last October, I can't believe this is flu in UK mid summer. I've ridden everyday for at least 25mins since getting over that October flu, so despite feeling rough, I started up Wahoo RGT yesterday late afternoon...

It took ~55mins to reach the base of the first hill of Cap Formentor, just under 31mins up the 2 mile climb, which I did last Thursday in ~10mins while the oven heated up for pizza... What a difference a few days make.

dannbodge

I had it in march. Wasn't affected by it much at all, but tested positive until day 12

Day 5 I did 30mins zone 2 on the turbo
Day 6 I did 60min zone 2
Day 7 I did 90mins

After that I went back to my intervals and zwift "racing" as usual and a week later I was back to commuting 3 days a week, running 5k twice and intervals one evening.

No issues with HR, Power or Endurance then or now.

daniel_b

N0bodyOfTheGoat said:

@daniel_b How are your rides while positive going?

We're both still awaiting a positive result, but while the symptoms are quite similar to the ~3.5 week flu I had last October, I can't believe this is flu in UK mid summer. I've ridden everyday for at least 25mins since getting over that October flu, so despite feeling rough, I started up Wahoo RGT yesterday late afternoon...

It took ~55mins to reach the base of the first hill of Cap Formentor, just under 31mins up the 2 mile climb, which I did last Thursday in ~10mins while the oven heated up for pizza... What a difference a few days make.

Wow that is a massive difference, I can see why you have your suspicions.

I carried out a zone 2 lower tier Trainerroad session on Tuesday.
Possibly slightly stupidly, as I had two Tdf Femmes stages to watch, I went for a 2hr one.

My heart rate stayed pretty low for me, as did my cadence, I just rode to feel really.
Surprised myself that I needed both fans on, all be it the big one on the weakest setting, and also went through 1.5l of water.

During it felt fine, definitely less snap than usual, but to be expected, but good to turn the legs over and get air through the lungs.

I did feel fairly fatigued later in the day, but again to be expected.

My appetite also isn't what it was last week, for example I've got 2/3rds of a coffee and walnut cake I didn't eat which I now have to share with my partner and daughter, and 4 shortbread things.
Admittedly the pack of chocolate digestives and fresh cookies did get consumed, but you get the idea.

I will need to ride into work next week, presuming I test negative, but I can take it easy if need be.

I think I will go with the advice and gently ramp things up over a 2 week period.
TR has be on pretty much solid vo2/Anaerobic workouts currently, so will just delay those by a week, and hope my new AI FTP isn't going up by much, I can't believe it will, 4 at most!

daniel_b

Just thought I would update this post.

This Monday just gone, as the weather was fine, and I felt ok, I decided to go out for a ride, just my normal 20 mile loop - bit lumpy, nothing too taxing.

I started out easy, but as the ride went on, and I was on my light fast bike, I started winding things up, and feeling no problems continued to do so.

Not my fastest ride by some stretch, but ended up with a couple of strava 2nd (for me) quickest times on some quite long segments.

Tuesday morning I woke up, and was pretty heady/bunged up, and that has continued through the rest of the week.
Also now feeling really fatigued, clag at the back of my throat etc, so pretty unpleasant, and may or may not be linked to the harder effort on Monday.

I've been meaning to get up for a gentle turbo two mornings this week, but really struggling to get out of bed, despite going to bed at a reasonable time, and sleeping pretty soundly, due to feeling tired.

Not been on the bike now since Monday, probably go out for a gentle one, or family ride at the weekend, but need to concentrate on getting rid of the fatigue part.

A few people I have spoken to say there is an effective 2nd wave of it, so am presuming this is it.

I've also been feeling generally pretty warm, which is not like me, although a temperature check shows it to be in the normal range, but I'm not sure what I am normally to be fair, as can't recall ever taking it.

Not the progress I was hoping for, but there we go.

N0bodyOfTheGoat

Was wondering how you were doing, shame things haven't been so good since Monday.

I'm just starting to feel like I've started to turn the corner with whatever I've had , I still think it's far more likely to have been Covid than flu. It's not taken much power at all to upset my weak legs and knees during this infection, yesterday I did 148W for 7mins on the turbo, in comparison to 338W for the same duration up Allington Lane on 19th July. Earlier this week I was having to stick to sub 80W for 30min turbo sessions.

daniel_b

Wow, that's a big difference, but hopefully that base fitness will hold you in good stead and it will start coming back soon, though I can fully appreciate how that much be a bit dispiriting

I'd be over the moon with 338w for 7 minutes, nowhere near that alas.

Sounds like you have had whatever it is pretty darned hard, but hopefully you have turned the corner and things will be on an upward trajectory from now on.

I've been training consistently (I checked this week) for 11 months now, seeing my numbers climb slowly, and just in general feeling better and quicker on the bike, so this is a bit disheartening to say the least - I had pb power numbers planned towards the end of the year, as had found the slow but steady improvements were really working well for me, and seemed sustainable, so not sure what will happen now.

Can't be helped though, one of those things.

molteni_man

I tested positive on Mon 13th June having had v high temperature the night before and before that feeling like I had caught a cold/ bit of flu. Was v rough for 6 days after. Mostly bed bound which is something I never do! Really felt the worst I had for a long, long time. Hardly ate, massive headache. My wife was v similar too. Both had had all 3 vaccinations.
Checking back on Strava I did a 3.5 mile walk on the 21st June followed by a near 40 mile hilly ish ride on the 22nd. I didn’t push on this ride as had eaten so little. Main thing I noticed was a much higher than normal heart rate. I then did some ongoing light rides until 1st July where I rode a hilly 100km where first half was good.
With not pushing it too hard to begin with I actually hit some good cycling form in July! Have just walked the Chamonix- Zermatt Haute Route in the Alps and apart from some sore knees due to a heavy rucksack have felt really strong.
Don’t appear to have any ongoing side effects and v much the same for my wife.
My ( non- medical!) would be to not push it too quickly I think.
It’s a weird thing this Covid with so many different forms and complications etc.
Good luck to all with recovery and hoping those with ongoing problems feel better/ improve soon.

DeVlaeminck

I'd always err on the side of caution with any virus.

Ask yourself why you need to ride - is it really going to impact your fitness much to take a week off - whereas post viral complications can really wipe out your training or worse. I mean if you feel fine I wouldn't say don't ride but if you are feeling fatigued then

DeVlaeminck

I tested positive on Tuesday, symptoms began on Monday. After 3-4 days really rough I've started to feel a lot better. Headache, muscle aches, temperature all gone. I've taken the dogs for an hours walk and felt ok - wouldn't have fancied doing much more though - might try cycling next week some time.

daniel_b

DeVlaeminck said:

I tested positive on Tuesday, symptoms began on Monday. After 3-4 days really rough I've started to feel a lot better. Headache, muscle aches, temperature all gone. I've taken the dogs for an hours walk and felt ok - wouldn't have fancied doing much more though - might try cycling next week some time.

Hope you get better soon.

I went on a club ride today, but on a slower ride than normal, so pretty relaxed, we also had a full group, so I was acting as sweeper and checking junctions were clear etc - opened up the taps a couple of times, went ahead so I could stop and take some pics etc, all went well. Only 25 miles, but feel fine so far, and I am hoping that tomorrow morning will still be the same.

Still a bit heady, and bunged up in the background, but it's definitely a big improvement on how I was feeling, and really good to get out and turn the legs over in the actual outdoors, but with a measured effort.

DeVlaeminck

Yeah feeling quite a lot better - just a bit tired.