February Training: Illness Strikes Again

Hollie

2 years ago

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February was supposed to be my “peak month” of training for the Los Angeles Marathon. However, I can’t seem to catch a break with marathon training during the last two cycles, and I found myself sick from the second through almost the fourth week of February. More on that later.

Miles Run: 267 miles
Range of Paces: 6:27-12:30-untimed
Rest Days: 4
Longest Run: 20.2 miles
Shortest Run: 4 miles
Races:
USA Womens Half Marathon in Key West Recap
Redondo Beach Super Bowl Sunday 10K (44:02)
Surf City Marathon Recap

Thoughts:

Whew, February started off so well. I ran the first 20 miles of the Surf City Marathon at a 7:37 pace and was slowly dropping down the pace. I often wonder, should I have just finished the marathon? And I don’t know. On one hand, I could have run under 3:25 that day and I felt good. On the other hand, how long would it have taken me to recover? Would I have gotten even sicker than I did?

Shortly after Surf City, I began having stomach issues. My stomach did not feel great. I wouldn’t have random stomach pains and issues. Those lasted two weeks and during that time, I decided to go to the doctor since “it’s not normal.” They did a bunch of lab tests, and I’m supposed to get the results later this week. I thought I was getting better about two weeks later. During my stomach issues, I ran the Redondo Beach 10k and surprised myself with a decent run at a 7-minute pace. That night I started to get more severe stomach pain, but it seemed to die down. After two weeks, I began getting full body aches. They were so achy I thought I broke a bone in my shin. It hurt. The next four days were the same, and I would usually wake up decent, and it would hit around 10 am, leaving me fatigued and just laying around the house. I hadn’t tested positive for anything, and I also hadn’t had any sort of fever.

Finally, at my second doctor’s appointment, my doctor let me know I likely had the latest strain of COVID. I can’t remember the last time I got pretty sick in two years. Maybe as a child? And I got sick in November and then again in February. Is it because I work back in an office? Am I just more susceptible to disease? I will admit it’s frustrating.

Now, I don’t feel 100%. I feel congested, and while I’m hoping it clears up by the Los Angeles Marathon on March 17th, I don’t have high hopes considering none of my congestion has cleared up in less than 6 weeks. So we will see. I am staying positive. My last twenty-miler did go well, so that was a good confidence booster.

Now we are in the windy season for the desert, which makes running feel exhausting at some points.

As far as swimming, I got in more than I thought, especially with almost two weeks off. I’ve found swimming to be super relaxing after work, so I enjoy doing it when the timing works out.