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Thread: Loss of fitness

  1. #1
    Senior Member CalFerguson's Avatar
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    Loss of fitness

    ...through a virus/ilness.

    Anybody had this before?

    I was running at by far my best so far in my short 18 months of running, ran brilliantly (for me) at Anni. Waltz and then at Up the Nab, I felt a bit off about a mile in to the race but just finished it (walked nearly all of it).

    I then struggled to do any running up hill or up any kind of slope at all without my breathing being really heavy and without finding it difficult to catch my breath quickly enough.

    I've had one visit to the doctors since and he reckoned it was pollen in my lungs after deep breathing at the start of the race (coupled with the fact it was a sunny day with moderate to high pollen count and an area I've never ran in before). He told me to take antihistamines and gave me an inhaler (I've never had breathing problems or even been to the doctors for that matter).

    It's improved very slightly since but I'm still struggling with any form of ascending. Just wondering if anything like this has happened to anybody before, in terms of losing basically 18 months (or any times worth of training) in a instant it would seem?

    Hopefully the "story" makes some kind of sense!
    http://calferguson.blogspot.co.uk/

    Calvin Ferguson - Blackburn Harriers & AC

  2. #2
    Master Dave_Mole's Avatar
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    it doesn't sound like pollen to me: that would be an allergic reaction, which would affect your eyes, nose etc. I get pretty bad hayfever and was fine at Up the Nab, also a place I've never run before etc. Different allergens affect people differently, but if antihistamines aren't working I'd suggest it wasn't entirely pollen-related.....Could it be something bronchial? Did the doctor do a lung function test?
    ....it's all downhill from here.

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    Master mr brightside's Avatar
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    Bites, look for bites.
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    Master PeteS's Avatar
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    Hopefully not but if you have been bitten another trip to the gp is in order. More info here http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Lyme-di....aspx#symptoms
    Pete Shakespeare - U/A

    Going downhill fast

  5. #5
    Senior Member CalFerguson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave_Mole View Post
    it doesn't sound like pollen to me: that would be an allergic reaction, which would affect your eyes, nose etc. I get pretty bad hayfever and was fine at Up the Nab, also a place I've never run before etc. Different allergens affect people differently, but if antihistamines aren't working I'd suggest it wasn't entirely pollen-related.....Could it be something bronchial? Did the doctor do a lung function test?
    Had no sign of any hayfever related reactions, I tried telling him this but he wasn't for listening really! The only "test" he did was to listen to my breathing for crackling, there wasn't any so he sent me on my way as I'm "very healthy and if my breathing gets bad, go to A&E"....
    http://calferguson.blogspot.co.uk/

    Calvin Ferguson - Blackburn Harriers & AC

  6. #6
    Senior Member CalFerguson's Avatar
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    Thanks chaps, will check for bites but not had any as far as I'm aware. I'll keep an eye on everything and see how it develops, if not, I'll get myself in for blood tests.
    http://calferguson.blogspot.co.uk/

    Calvin Ferguson - Blackburn Harriers & AC

  7. #7
    Master Dave_Mole's Avatar
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    The only "test" he did was to listen to my breathing for crackling, there wasn't any so he sent me on my way as I'm "very healthy and if my breathing gets bad, go to A&E"
    ever thought about changing GPs?
    That's pretty poor stuff and bad advice about A&E too: he should have at least tried a lung function test, it's basically blowing down a tube!

    Hope things sort themselves out.
    ....it's all downhill from here.

  8. #8
    Senior Member CalFerguson's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave_Mole View Post
    ever thought about changing GPs?
    That's pretty poor stuff and bad advice about A&E too: he should have at least tried a lung function test, it's basically blowing down a tube!

    Hope things sort themselves out.
    My GP recently retired as of the start of 2016, I think this bloke was a stand in and I wasn't really impressed, like you say. I'll see who my actual GP is supposed to be as they still had my old Doc's name on the door, 6 months after his retirement!!
    http://calferguson.blogspot.co.uk/

    Calvin Ferguson - Blackburn Harriers & AC

  9. #9
    Senior Member fellgazelle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by CalFerguson View Post
    ...through a virus/ilness.

    Anybody had this before?
    Yes, I've had something similar a few years ago.

    It started one weekend when I went for a longish run in the Peak with a mate and right from the off I felt fatigued and my body ached. Throughout the run it felt like I was working much harder than usual even on the easier climbs.
    I was doing a lot of running and racing at the time so gave it a rest for a week. Then went out the following weekend and felt much the same.

    About a week later I picked up what appeared to be a bout of flu, which is rare for me as I don't normally suffer with that stuff much. So I put my fatigue down to the flu and rested completely for two weeks while it cleared up. I felt much better, started running again and my first session back with the club was a tempo run (6-7 mile circuit on flat roads around the town). I usually knock these out at 6:45 to 7min mile pace with no trouble, but I could just manage 8 and half minute miling running flat out. from the very first step my leg muscles were screaming and my body ached throughout. It was like I'd just completed a marathon.
    At this point I was starting to ask similar questions to you.

    Then one or two days later I woke up with a very dense rash covering my back, torso and hips. The doctor diagnosed Pityriasis Rosea and told me it could take 8 weeks to clear up. I asked about exercise and he said rest for a week or so and then you should be fine to run.

    So I followed the advice, tried running again and felt no different. The doctors were no use, and eventually I went to see a reflexologist who was very thorough and got to the bottom of the issue. Basically I had trashed my immune system through overtraining, and trying to do too many races of differing lengths and intensity. I didn't have the strength to shake off even minor viruses and it took 12 weeks to clear up properly from when it first started.

    It took lots of rest, changing my diet, eating well and drinking lots of water and when I started running again, training much more sensibly.
    Do what you like, like what you do

  10. #10
    Senior Member CalFerguson's Avatar
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    That sounds like the most reasonable explanation I've heard up to yet. I've not had a rash but the rest would add up to me - I race a lot and if I'm not racing, I'm training usually with one or two day's off a week
    http://calferguson.blogspot.co.uk/

    Calvin Ferguson - Blackburn Harriers & AC

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