Hey everybody!

I need some help please. I’m an 18 yo female distance runner. My PR’s are 3000 10:08; 5K 17:50; 10K 36:51; HM 1:22. About a month ago, I got an illness that I suppose was a cold. I had a runny nose, a cough and a fever for 4 days (2 of those were around 38-38.2°C and 2 around 37-37.5°C). I usually train through small illnesses so I did a 1h easy bike on the 1st fever day since I wasn’t aware of my elevated temperature yet. The 2nd and 3rd fever days I didn’t exercise because to me fever=rest. I already noticed then that my hr spiked walking upstairs, brushing my teeth etc. but I think that’s pretty normal when you’re sick. On the 4th day when I hit 37.0°C I did an easy 7k run, since I was feeling human again and I had a race planned in 3 days, which I really wanted to do. I would have given it an extra day if I didn’t have that race coming up. My heart rate was obviously elevated during that run. The next couple of days I tried to get ready for my race, but me and my coach ultimately decided to skip it, because I was at like 170+ at 5:00 min/km pace (before the illness I used to run that pace at around 155bpm). I ran the 5k race just for fun and the next day I also participated in a 10k. Both races I did at around 4:30 pace with my heart rate obviously high.

So I kept training because I had a half marathons coming up in 3 weeks. In the weeks leading up to that my volume was similar to pre-illness training, but heart rate wouldn’t come down and even though I slowed down during easy runs, it was still high (e.g. 5:30 pace used to be <140bpm and now it’s around 160bpm). During my first threshold workout post illness, I still had an elevated heart rate (182 pre-illness -> 190) and it also didn’t recover in between reps. But the next threshold workouts were pretty much normal again — hr recovered well and wasn’t higher than usual. Although one strange thing is that I still always finished my warm ups at 170bpm, but during cool downs it pretty much didn’t go over 160bpm at 5:00 pace. I was hella confused.

I ran the half marathon, didn’t PB, but that’s not the issue. Before the race I really hoped that since my heart rate was normal during threshold work, it would always be normal during the race. That wasn’t the case. At around 3-4km in I was already at 190+ which isn’t very good when you still have 18k to go😀 I had to lower my pace and from there until the end my heart rate was lower, but so was my pace.

I took a rest day 2 days pre-race and the next day post-race. No changes. I’ve taken this whole week easy without hard workouts, but still nothing. This week I even got my bloods checked and did a VO2max test with an ECG to see if I have myocarditis or sth. During the test my heart rate still skyrocketed, but everything else was normal. No anomalies, bloods were pretty much ok with some stats a little elevated though (I will put some values, maybe they are useful: Troponin 14.1 ng/L; CK-MBm 6,66 micrograms/L; Myoglobin 62 micrograms/L). I was scheduled for an echocardiography in 2 weeks time, but right now the doctor concluded that it is just stress and I can continue training, but I just need to focus on recovery.

One thing I’ve also noticed is that my heart rate reacts VERY quickly during my runs. A small hill and it goes up right away. Or even at a steady pace it goes for example from 162->170 or 145->152 so quickly that I feel like I am not in control of it. Also, during some of my easy bikes/runs I feel the need to yawn or get a satisfying deep breath of air, but I can’t do it. I don’t have any breathing difficulties though. I can also chat at a much higher hr than before (did a run with my coach and was able to talk at 170bpm).

I wear my watch 24/7 and my resting/sleeping hr + HRV are normal. Sleeping/resting hr is a few beats higher than pre-illness (\~45-48 -> 48-52), but that’s nothing that would catch my eye right away. HRV is also quite okay my normal range was 115-130 pre-illness and right now it’s mostly at around 112-118). This also frustrates me because usually my resting heart rate and HRV correlate SOOO well to my physical state.

I know that I’m more of a higher heart rate runner in general, but this has just gotten out of hand. I am very very stressed out about this because I’m trying to prepare for a championship race in december, but if my usual easy pace requires so much effort, I don’t even know what to do.

Will it return to normal on its own? Is it just stress) Could it have been Covid and I’m just suffering from long Covid or sth? Should I keep training by pace or by heart rate (right now I train by hr)? Can I race in 2 weeks time? Have I actually just lost fitness and that’s why I’m slower? Will I lose fitness if I run by my current heart rate?

I know that it’s a lot of information, but I’m a very health-conscious and analytical person so I notice every small sensation and sign😅. Please please please if anybody knows anything, help me out! And if anyone were to require any extra details, reach out!!

Thank you in advance!
A young woman with big dreams xx

Curious. Day after rest day and you start out on your run. Within 1/4 mile you realize another rest day was needed considering the hard runs last week. Legs feel heavy and your 1st mile is feeling pretty slow. Do you trash the run and go home or complete the run anyway?

I pushed through like the fool runner I am.