(Long is relative obviously.) On the lungs threads that have been going on for the last few months, lots and lots of posters were people who had fitness hobbies and quite high levels of strength and fitness. As we start to feel better, we also have to build back up to our previous abilities. This is a little different to how we'd normally get back to fitness after illness/injury as most of us have also experienced at least one relapse when we tried to get back to normal already. So I thought I'd start a thread for us as we get back to it. We can share achievements, goals, stats, good signs/worrying signs, tips, etc.
I was sick for 12 weeks. I'm not 100% recovered but starting to get back to myself. My main lingering symptom is some reflux. I also still have faint feelings of costochondritis inflammation. And occasional pains on a deep breath still in my right lung. I really want to get back to my favourite thing in the world, skating. I also do pilates/yoga, strength work and was starting to work on a little gymnastics. But I'm going to start with skating as it's such an insanely fun way to build fitness and once I get my mojo back with that the rest will be easier. I started yesterday with a short 2km skate. Which left me so shattered I needed to have a lie down afterwards. My arm and leg muscles were aching right through until this morning from the effort.
This morning I went out for a 5km. My time wasn't bad, 20 minutes. Slow for my normal but faster than I thought I'd manage. I didn't bring water with me, which was stupid as I was badly in need of it towards the end. My heart rate was very high at that point, 166BPM and I suspect if I had water with me it might have been better. I felt badly out of breath when I got home but my blood oxygen levels were 100. A weird experience for me was that from a few minutes in I could feel my upper core engaged and having to really work. I almost never feel my core when I'm skating, so it really brought home to me just how much strength I've lost. But I wasn't as physically tired after the skate today so even with the extra distance and speed my body has adapted a little bit already. (Adrenaline may have played a huge part yesterday as I was physically shaking like crazy before I went out.)
However I have the lump in my throat feeling all afternoon. I took an extra dose of my reflux medication and will avoid my antihistamine tonight as an article on the main thread said they make reflux worse. Tomorrow will be a rest day, maybe some stretches and a walk. I just have to work out the stretches carefully as I'm pretty sure it's too soon to do anything that puts pressure on my chestwall.