From Ironmans to Long Covid: An Athletes Recovery Journey

Man, I feel this. My strength has always been resolve and fitness. Having that stripped away has been one hard hit.

Thank you for speaking out. The only reason people believe me about my long COVID is I had it before anyone even knew it existed (march 2020). Thankfully I am 95% back to normal. I hope anyone still suffering from long COVID eventually find relief and recovery from it. I suffered for 2 years and spent another year slowly coming out of it. I don’t think I could have continued on the way I was. STAY STRONG recovery can happen!

Heavyness has been my main symptom too. I literally feel heavy throughout my whole body. I need to roll out of my bed every morning whereas I used to jump out of it back when I was healthy

So many familiar things here. Very interesting interview, I always enjoy the ones with former athletes. It's tough to lose who you are and deal with it.

Always appreciate your videos of having people in the younger demographic share their experiences, makes me feel seen and heard! I related to so much of this. I can relate especially to the seemingly never-ending long covid recovery. I just want to go on a long walk, swim, dance or do anything again without having a crash after. I simply want move and not worry about what the after-effects are going to be. I also have the same experience of feeling desperate to try anything that will help, that I have read about and I know?... hope? that in hindsight this might be the ultimate blessing in disguise.Thanks to you both !

Similar w me. I did a month of frequent fasting 16 to 48 hours. After a month I could function a limited amount. Enough to build back my tolerance for daily activity. I still get crashes a few months of the year but a week of careful diet usually gets it controlled.

I had long covid/chronic fatigue for over 6 months- did a two day fast and got rid of it- went from zero energy to normal energy - life changing- I attribute it to the fasting eliciting autophagy i.e., cell function clean up/renewal- which a guy won a noble prize in physiology for, so hard science based -I suggest if you got it try it :)

Great interview I have a very similar story to this. I lived for training and it was my meditation and religion (something I put all my faith and hope in). Even before I started endurance events I loved the outdoors. Now I can't walk more than 500 steps without PEM. I think it's very interesting that long COVID came after the second infection. It would be interesting to know what Craig did differently or what was different witht the secone infection? I explain it to other athletes is that it feels like an extreme BONK that lasts much longer and rest plus food will not make it improve

Great interview!

Im the same, allergic to exercise is exactly it. I got Covid June 28, 2022 and has been a horror of up and downs. SO sick after exercise. Slowly getting out of it🤞Such a nightmare though and impossible to explain. Thanks Harry has your PEM gone?

It's not just exersize for most. It's any form of exertion, physical, mental, emotional. How far in are you now, Harry? Are you getting better?

Controversial advice: if you are in shape to do some exercise, but it ruins the rest of your day, I found that doing short burst of exercise for a limited muscle group or even for just one muscle, just before sleep kind of solves it. I dont feel magickly well in the evening anyway so some extra suffering cant kill me :D Just do breaks from this, because sometimes i get to much in to it and i obviously have a crash.

Until last year, I thought this was all just slow recovery from cancer and a stem cell transplant. Now I'm realizing something more is at play. age 56

Heavy legs has been my main symptom too as well as PEM. 😢

I'm 52 and have had covid 3 times, and I've noticed my recovery now takes days. In fact I feel quite ill for a few days after rides. No idea if it's due to COVID.