Returning to Running after COVID

Words by Nick William Walker    |       Photos by Natalie Wong 

The recent surge of Covid cases in NSW has impacted many of us. Little is known on the long-term impact of Covid yet, especially on the well-being and performance of athletes. I met up with Nick and he shared his experience with Covid and the impact it has on training. Note that the effect on individuals can differ greatly, but I hope this will raise awareness and spark conversations between athletes to help each other through it.

I am Nick, I’m 35 years old and I've been running for almost 28 years. I started running at the age of 8 when I joined Northern Suburbs Little Athletics Centre. I've competed in track, road and trail races nationally and internationally.

Running for me is my escape from the craziness of life, it's what keeps me driven and motivated each and every day. Running ultimately gives me a purpose.

The First Week

Just before Christmas I was diagnosed with Covid and it unfortunately spread to my entire family and a few close friends. It definitely was not like the common cold like the media portrayed. I had body aches for 5 days, an intense headache which lasted almost 2 weeks and a fever which lasted 3 days. I also had night sweats. I couldn't get out of bed until Day 5. For me it's quite concerning that there has been no information or research done on the effects of Covid on athletes. I think I had Omicron but it's hard to know as the test results don't tell you. On that note, I have been double vaxxed and I too will get the booster.

The Third Week

Despite really feeling the symptoms for 7 days, it wasn't until the third week after having Covid where I noticed the effects - particularly when it came to running and fitness. I noticed that my chest became really tight without exercising, and that my heart rate had increased. I experienced this for roughly 4 days and my running was impacted. As no information was given to me about the return to exercise, a lot of my training was based upon how I felt which differed each day.

Tuesday – I was able to get out a reasonable threshold training session.

Wednesday – I felt sore, found it hard to breathe and could barely run 10k below 5 min/k pace.

Thursday – I barely made 6k and had to stop every k. To me, that was a warning sign that my body still hadn't recovered from Covid.

Throughout the third week, I was waking up at 3 am almost feeling like I was having a panic attack with my breathing shallow, chest tight and heart beating really fast. It was pretty worrying but fortunately went away after about half an hour. I found sleeping upright helped. Another consequence I noticed since having Covid is the loss of appetite. I lost weight and it affected my energy levels.

It's only been in the 4th week that my breathlessness and tightness in my chest had really dissipated. I'm starting to feel normal again and my appetite is starting to return.

“Covid is not something to take lightly, it’s not the common cold and it’s concerning the impact it has had on my health already.”

Mentally,

I have also found that Covid really affected my motivation. Unable to run for 10 days, then to feel breathless when running and knowing the uncertainty really played on my mind. After two good runs in the past week, I’m starting to feel a little more confident with my recovery. As athletes, we work so hard to keep training consistent to maintain fitness, so after some time off I thought I had lost a lot of my fitness. Hopefully it comes back soon.

Covid is not something to take lightly, it's not the common cold and it's concerning the impact it has had on my health already. I have also noticed that not many athletes have spoken about the effects of Covid on their training and its impact. Personally, it would be great to see more athletes speak out about it so we can assist each other with the safest way to get back into training, and also as an athlete I feel like I'm not alone with what I have experienced post-Covid 19.

My Upcoming Goals

I’m hoping that by the time I start back at school, teaching full days and managing it with training and coaching that my energy levels won't be affected. I’m planning on racing in March to run the NSW Mountain Running Championships.

Some of my goals this year are to race at the NSW Mountain Running Championships and to try and break 50 minutes, compete at the Australian Mountain Running Championships later this year and hopefully qualify for the World Mountain Running Championships pending on travel restrictions. I'd also like to run a sub 75 half marathon - maybe Gold Coast in July.

Right now, my health is my priority and staying in tune with my body and how I feel. Covid has affected everyone differently and this is my personal reflection as an athlete who has had Covid and recovering from it.

“It would be great to see more athletes speak out about it so we can assist each other with the safest way to get back into training, and also as an athlete I feel like I’m not alone with what I have experienced post-Covid 19.”