Last week was a rough week. My runs started out strong, but by the end, a 30-minute walk felt tiring.
Ryan learned on Monday that a coworker tested positive for Covid. He had been showing symptoms of a sinus infection for a couple days. Initially, we thought nothing of it because he often gets sinus infections. He started working from home and went to get tested on Tuesday. His test results returned positive on Wednesday.
I developed a minor sore throat on Monday, which felt more like allergies than a cold or flu. Then fatigue hit me on Friday. I never felt awful, just like I had a seasonal allergy flare coupled with fatigue. That is the scary thing; this feels no worse than mild cold, which is why it spreads so easily. If not for contact tracing, we may not have gotten tested so quickly.
On Friday evening, I received positive test results. Thankfully, Isla tested negative.
I have to emphasize how careful we have been. All it takes is one point of contact. The workplace exposure happened from someone seated near Ryan’s desk. They are mandated to wear masks at work but can remove them when alone at their desks. The spreader also wore a neck gaiter, which recently was shown to not effectively stop the spread due to how well neck gaiters wick moisture.
Before I stopped running, I actually had a good week of runs.
Monday: Rest day
On Monday, a derecho (essentially an in-land hurricane) blasted through the Midwest. We only lost power for the evening. Because of the storm, we only got out for a short evening walk.
Tuesday: 7 mile easy run
I am really enjoying my new Clifton 7s. I cruised along comfortably at an 8:45-ish pace, with almost metronome-like splits. I felt good on this run.
Wednesday: 8 mile progression run
This run felt fantastic. I ran easy for the first four miles, then picked it up slightly in the second half. My splits for the final four miles were 8:14, 8:13, 7:41, and 7:28. Based on this run alone, I would never have suspected that I was soon going to be diagnosed with Covid.
In the afternoon, we learned Ryan’s test was positive. I decided to stop running until I was tested. I did not want to accidentally worsen symptoms, cause postviral syndrome, or incur long-term damage.
Thursday: 1.5 mile walk
We are isolated for 10 days following the onset of symptoms (since neither of us has a fever). We can walk without encountering a single person, so we mask up for a short walk once a day and stick to a single, isolated route.
I want to be cautious about too much inactivity and indoor air, especially since Covid can cause pneumonia and blood clots.
Friday: 1.4 mile walk
The fatigue is the worst symptom for both of us. I will feel fine and then suddenly need to lie down. Short walks keep the fatigue under control.
Saturday: 1.8 mile walk
The humidity and heat made this walk feel harder.
Sunday: 2.3 mile walk
We both felt a bit better, so we extended our walk with another loop. I still anticipate it will be another week or so before I feel back to normal. My plan is to wait until 10 days after the onset of my symptoms to run (especially since I am isolated until then).
Please wear a proper mask.
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Oh wow scary but thanks for sharing your experiences. Glad to read that you and your husband are feeling ok. We had a scare this week when my husband was not feeling well and had a slight fever. We all got tested and all negative. Turns out it was a stomach bug. It’s such a stressful time! Hope you all continue to improve this week. Thanks for linking up
Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that you and your husband got COVID and hope that you both recover quickly without further complications. Thanks for sharing and reminding us of how easily it can be spread. I think you’re smart to lay low until you’re back to feeling 100%.
Oh, I am sorry your son, and then you, got sick. I do appreciate your openness — it’s a good reminder of why it’s important to be careful (even though you still got sick) and cautious about all symptoms. It’s wise to take it easy on your lungs for a while. I hope your husband stays healthy!
I hope that you and Ryan are feeling better soon and so glad that Isla does not have it.
I’m so sorry to hear that you and your husband got sick but thankfully it seems mild. Wise to hold off on running. My husband and I both work in education; he’s a teacher and I’m a school psychologist so we are super nervous about the school year. Wearing a mask properly and washing your hands is just so so important. Thank you for sharing your experience and I hope you both are feeling better quickly!
I hope you start to feel better soon! It’s crazy that you were able to run so well prior to realizing you had it. I bet it’s hard to take care of Isla when you are both fatigued. Thanks for sharing your experience and I hope you all feel better quickly!
Gosh, so sorry to read this and thank you so much for sharing your experience with all of us. So glad Isla tested negative and wishing both you and Ryan all the best. I’m glad those walks are helping too. Take care of yourself x
So scary, but I am so glad you both are feeling ok and that Isla tested negative. Take care of yourselves and get well soon!
I hope you and your husband feel better. It is a scary time. Please take care of yourself. Take it easy.
Thank you!
Very sorry to hear this. Please be extra cautious with returning to running! I coach a runner with a similar experience and she was so eager to rush back into it, but I keep encouraging her to wait. I’ve read enough about heart issues and other problems, it is just not worth it. It’s pretty incredible that they were able to contact trace so easily. Apologies if i missed it, but what kind of work does your husband do that he needed to be back in the office? I can’t believe someone was just wearing a gaitor 🙁 Ugh. I hope you heal completely and feel normal soon. Thinking of you. Incredible your daughter is negative!
Thank you! I do plan on being cautious and taking a week or two off, depending on how long symptoms last, and then build back slowly while monitoring heart rate. I’ve read the same literature about cardiovascular problems.
My husband is a product development mechanical engineer; Indiana deemed engineers to be essential workers. His company designs material handling equipment. They often need engineers to supervise production, but they could have had remote work for most of the time.
Wow, that is scary!! So sorry for your experience…hope you guys are feeling better soon!