What ‘long Covid’ does: elite sportswoman can barely walk Tamsin Lewis, a doctor and former professional triathlete, fell ill in March with the coronavirus. Eleven months on she is still suffering the symptoms and can no longer exercise with any intensity.

have folder full of triathletes
more than any other kind struck down by #LongCovid

problem is endurance training requires stress-adaptations
by the body and that's virtually impossible once sick

hate to say but not heard of single recovery since 2020

btw there's facebook #LongCovidAthletes group

What ‘long Covid’ does: elite sportswoman can barely walk Tamsin Lewis, a doctor and former professional triathlete, fell ill in March with the coronavirus. Eleven months on she is still suffering the symptoms and can no longer exercise with any intensity.

#LongCovidAthletes

Tamsin Lewis
UK Ironman Champion (triathlete) and medical doctor

www.triathlete.com/culture/peop...

one of first pro athletes to get Covid in March 2020
despite extensive resources and trained medical doctor
it seems she never recovered to race again

google.com/search?q=Tam...

Mitochondrial Dysfunction May Be to Blame in Long COVID-19 New research suggests it’s not heart or lung problems causing symptoms. A former Olympian and COVID-19 long hauler explains why the research gives her hope.

#LongCovidAthletes
Joanna Zeiger
Olympian, Triathlete
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joanna_...
some of the first serious studies I saw on an elite after covid
despite extensive resources, to my best knowledge never fully recovered
several papers with her as subject
(video) www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/8...

🧵
Kate Grace and Drew Hunter currently the only two
pro/elite #LongCovidAthletes that I've heard of
recovering from #LongCovid in now SEVEN years
2020-21-22-23-24-25-26

Bluesky doesn't do long threads well
but decided for convenience
just going to keep adding to this list daily as I think of it
🧵

started collecting dozens of athletes with long-covid
when I was struck down in 2020

only found one that recovered: Kate Grace

thanks to your article now two: Drew Hunter
his quote is my life also, -10 vo2max loss

BUT no-one can show WHY they recovered
seems random/genetics

#LongCovidAthletes

used to "collect" #LongCovidAthletes stories

stopped because got too depressing after years

if I had a dollar for every triathlete with a #LongCovid story that forced them to completely retire, I'd have a tidy sum by now

very rare recovery

usually mitochondria dysfunction with no cure in sight

RUN DOWN: AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE'S RACE AGAINST CHRONIC FATIGUE RUN DOWN: AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE'S RACE AGAINST CHRONIC FATIGUE [Gallagher MD, Michael, Goucher, Kara] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. RUN DOWN: AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE'S RACE AGAINST CHRONIC FATIGUE

Thank you for sharing that article

I collect stories of endurance athletes struck down more commonly lately by #LongCovid
but also #meCFS in general
there are entirely too many over the years

I call them #LongCovidAthletes
but there can be other disease triggers like with Dr. Michael Gallagher too

Decreased Fatty Acid Oxidation and Altered Lactate Production during Exercise in Patients with Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome | American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine

what's infuriating for me, is that the process seems to become very different for #LongCovidAthletes

fat burning appears to become damaged somehow
and even more glycogen demanded even at the lowest efforts

only a few studies on it so far but they all seem
to conclude same problem (without answers)

#LongCovidAthletes

Been collecting stories since 2020

Some recover after years but many never do

We use all we knew about training, endurance and pain management to just be barely functional

Most depressing is rampant denial of others hell by those that were fortunate to only have short illness

graph showing vo2max very slowly increasing daily over the past year from 35 to 55

sigh Happy "vo2max 55 actual" Day?

You'd think I'd be more excited
but 64 before Covid, before super-shoes

1700+ days fighting to return
but constant injury and #PEM from #LongCovid

So start over, again and again
Horrible limits: can't do speedwork or long-runs anymore

#LongCovidAthletes #RunSky

why not cross-post?
instead of waiting for meta to get even more intolerable?
@longcovidathletes.bsky.social
#LongCovidAthletes

New Years Day 2025, Strava Workout campus 5K repeat (once) in 21:58 first sub22 since #LongCovid in 2020

sunrise skycam over University of Florida at Century Tower New Years Day 2025 https://alachua.weatherstem.com/skycamera/alachua/uf/centurytower/snapshot.jpg

So inspired by Beatrice Chebet 5K WR
(Eluid Breaking2 pace!)
dreamed last night maybe at least run my pre-2020 marathon pace for 5K?
Sadly too much to ask into 5th year #LongCovid
and very humid than xmas workout
BUT a HOPEFUL start to 2025!
new LT, first sub22 since 2020!
#RunSky #LongCovidAthletes

Sun rises at 7am over University of Florida Century Tower via skycam https://alachua.weatherstem.com/skycamera/alachua/uf/centurytower/snapshot.jpg

strava run 12/25/2024 5K workout

Gave myself "gift" of baby-speedwork on long-lost beloved campus-5K-repeats
Now all I want for xmas is NOT #PEM for weeks!
Post-Covid PR but couldn't hold sub7
Was afraid, last time tried broke foot
#LongCovid has made me so fragile
(decade ago did 4x of these sub20, sigh)
#LongCovidAthletes #RunSky

strava screenshot of 12 mile #run in 1 hour 36 minutes across the city to Sweetwater Wetlands Park gate entrance, and back #RunSky #LongCovidAthletes

SUPER bad-idea but longest #run in 4 years with #LongCovid
Last time this far #PEM so bad couldn't walk for a month.
Will see tomorrow but pain already despite endorphins, bad sign.
Just HAD to TRY through, made it to park gate!
An ADVENTURE badly needed
Park loop someday!
#RunSky #LongCovidAthletes

Natalie Hakala was first #LongCovidAthletes I saw in 2020, trapped in my own #LongCovid nightmare
She lost #running too
Many interviews 2020-2021
www.runnersworld.com/runners-stor...
Testified to Congress
www.c-span.org/person/natal...
Then disappeared? What happened?
www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_cX...

image shows small chart of heart rate zones from an hour long run with Z1 on bottom increasing to Z5 on top - where best endurance training is considered to happen in zone 2 "training" the body to burn mostly fat as fuel in healthy athletes, this chart shows 52 minutes in Z2

Thrilled you are finally posting on here!
ps. thought of you, figured you would approve when I saw this HRM result on garmin after #running today.
But it's "cheating" as only Z2 when heart/CNS shuts down in cold weather from #LongCovid
BTW have you ever done any #HRV analysis of #LongCovidAthletes?

RUN DOWN: AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE'S RACE AGAINST CHRONIC FATIGUE: Gallagher MD, Michael, Goucher, Kara: 9798985779004: Amazon.com: Books RUN DOWN: AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE'S RACE AGAINST CHRONIC FATIGUE [Gallagher MD, Michael, Goucher, Kara] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. RUN DOWN: AN ENDURANCE ATHLETE'S RACE AGAINST CHRONIC FATIGUE

Bluesky wishlist: Dr. Michael Gallagher, triathlete struck by #meCFS
Wanted advice how he got #running performance avoiding #PEM
✨ Review by @cortjohnson.bsky.social
www.healthrising.org/blog/2022/06...
✨ Preview, forward by @karagoucher.bsky.social!
www.amazon.com/dp/B09W485L1...
#LongCovidAthletes

skycam showing cloud-free cooler weather horizon with orange glow of sunrise with moon still present over University of Florida Ben Hill Griffin Stadium https://alachua.weatherstem.com/skycamera/alachua/uf/bhgs/snapshot.jpg

Before #LongCovid excited for first cool mornings every year:
#Running way faster (more oxygen in air, no overheating, etc)
Instead past few years: triggers #Raynauds
Joint&Muscle pain, legs turn to concrete, bloodflow to skin&extremities cut off. Runs slower no matter what I try.
#LongCovidAthletes

Sunrise on Thursday November 14 2024 at Sweetwater Wetlands Park Trail Skycam https://images.weatherstem.com/skycamera/alachua/fswnsweetwater/cumulus/snapshot.jpg

See what I mean? it is TAUNTING ME! Gosh so beautiful.
But I am determined to get there and #run it by end of the year no matter what it takes, no matter the cost in #PEM, it will be worth it. Still waiting for other #LongCovidAthletes to arrive on Bluesky, they will understand this #running quest.

hope to read their result someday but after 4 years of #LongCovid figured how my #PEM is triggered, how to reduce it to run every day (at fraction of former speed/distance)
#HRV study is not enough, it's #LactateThreshold, body resisting burning carbs & fat but rather amino-acids
#LongCovidAthletes