ManFlu 2024 – 5x yes 5x …

Dont judge me, I identify as a Man and have Flu….

So apparently there are 5 respiratory virus going around, “common” Flu and Covid included.   3 weeks ago and 3 weeks after I had my jabs I had a mild flu with an itchy irritable but irregular cough.  That turned productive last Friday, and started to ease until…

I woke up Monday with aches and pains particularly in my neck & shoulders and a worse dry cough which has no strained my diaphram/abs.  I felt better in myself today but am 4th week into sporadic coughing.   Worse news, my XC training has been mega interrupted for yet another year as a result and I’m very frustrated with that.

Anyone else suffering or know the length of time to recovery?  I really want it to go away 🙁

Sounds grim. I started with a mild cold two weeks ago, it’s progressed to a nasty upper respiratory tract thing, with a rattly chest and serious cough. I’m now on Doxycycline as the doc fears a chest infection. I’ve had both flu and COVID jabs, and I’ve tested negative for COVID. I haven’t had flu symptoms really, just exhausted from lack of sleep from coughing. I’m hoping another week and I should be getting over it?

Yeah, I’ve just come out of around and month and a half of on/off cold and flu symptoms, I feel like I caught whatever is going around now earlier than most people I know who are now getting the same thing.

Yep really hit hard last week. 3 days off work. Since then i keep falling asleep in a chair after work, which is unusual for me.

In did do an hour in zone 2 in Tuesday.

It’s the season for it and I’m new resigned to my fate. I’ll try and build again in the new year

The absence of sun light isn’t helping

Yep, had it monthly for the past three months and I am absolutely fed up of it.

First two times were both caught at social gatherings and each knocked me out for 3-4 days – but more frustratingly each one absolutely tanked my fitness so I never got back to where I was between them.

Then a couple of weeks ago I sat on a train and someone nearby had a hacking cough. No suprise two days later when my resting heart rate started to climb and sure enough the following day I just hurt all over. This continued until a few days ago but my chest is still wrong and guess where my fitness has gone?!

Planning an hour of zone two tomorrow to see if I can still do it – I feel that fatigued that I have no idea if I’ll finish.

Its odd, I can tell you that my training got interrupted after a visit to Manchester early October which led to general roughness and a persistent cough, I remember it lasting a few weeks, but then it was gone and now I cant really remember having it!

Yep had it for 4 weeks just about getting over it with still some phlegm coming up

started off achey, then shivery, then full on temperature, then a bad cough which like you killed my diaphragm from coughing and was incredibly sore , then weirdly the cold symptoms (snotty etc) started 2 weeks in – no idea what it is but it’s as bad as I’ve ever had

wife is the same she seems to have little to no energy 4 weeks on where as I’m getting back out riding as normal now at least

it’s a proper arse kicker that’s for sure I had 3 days off work – in the last 20 years I’ve had 5 days off in total prior to this!!

Hmmm so everyone’s symptoms are the same as mine, my RHR has been 64 from 54 normal from 46 pre pandemic, hacking dry cough.  Equally a 1hr z2 knocks me out.  Slightly concerned I’m going to the work Xmas party tomorrow, no option becuase several others have bailed for the same reason leaving me to prop up the political fort.

resigned to my fate

I wish I could be so accepting.  Having moaned in here about my decline for XC racing more than enough already it looks like yet another year will be impacted.

F.F.S.

This year I’ve had covid twice and man flu twice. Each one stopped me riding for one to two weeks and left me feeling like I’d not ridden a bike in months. Real fitness killers.

I’ve had two or three slightly different but properly unpleasant cold type bugs since October.

Things are fairly full on at the minute and getting enough rest is a challenge.  Last weekend I watched (I think) four movies, read most of a book and did some Airfix plus made a flat pack desk.  That was it. Normally there’d be a boat or a bike day in there.  I’ve never been so grateful for a nice weekend sailing event to be canned as I was last Friday evening.

Probably the least active I’ve voluntarily been in the best part of a year. Was just washed out.

Acceptance and rest is the only real strategy once you’re uncomfortably into your (late) 40s. 🙂

Sorry to say but it’s comforting I’m not the only one ( I knew this wouldn’t be the case really)

Mine is so odd though, sore throat for a month and it’d almost go through the day and come back at night to the point I’d have to take paracetamol to help it, always lots of snot all day too!

Only now do I think that I may be seeing the back of it!

Given the story of your year has been fatigue and symptoms of overtraining then I’d expect a depleted immune system.  Hard to train hard if you can’t get healthy

Almost 9 weeks I’ve had the current “cold”. It’s tedious and no sign of it clearing.

Hmmm so everyone’s symptoms are the same as mine, my RHR has been 64 from 54 normal from 46 pre pandemic, hacking dry cough.  Equally a 1hr z2 knocks me out.

maybe don’t do any intense exercise until you are much better.  I know some people really struggle with that concept – they seem to be the same people who take 6 weeks to get over a bad cold when those who retire to bed with hot ribena for rest take 2…

Slightly concerned I’m going to the work Xmas party tomorrow, no option becuase several others have bailed for the same reason leaving me to prop up the political fort.

so you are potentially going to spread the illness around and at the same time make your own recovery harder.  Unless the political fort you are propping up is a matter of world crisis then bailing is probably the right thing to do for your colleagues and yourself.  Remember when the gov had to bad Christmas parties?  Thats because people seem to be wired to struggle on through…

I wish I could be so accepting.  Having moaned in here about my decline for XC racing more than enough already it looks like yet another year will be impacted.

It seems obvious to me that infection risk increases with exposure to the public, yet many of the people I work with who are surprised they are ill again seem to have learned nothing from the pandemic and feel compelled to squeeze themselves in overcrowded indoor settings.  None of them are athletes – if they were “in training” for something then a little self preservation might kick in.

You say you have flu.  You say you are going to a work Christmas party tonight.  If you are able to function to the level of getting up, dressed and going to an outside event you do not have flu.

Seasonal colds are everywhere just now, and a lot of people are getting them worse than historically as their immune systems may still be a bit low post the covid days.

Still, it’s horrible to be below par with these viruses, and they do play havoc with anything above a gentle level of exercise. Lots of fresh air gentle walks is about the extent of it for a while perhaps ?

so you are potentially going to spread the illness around

I really think it’s a selfish act to just carry on with you own plans, knowing you’ll be spreading it to others right before Christmas.

We learned nothing from the pandaemic, apparently!

Hmmm so everyone’s symptoms are the same as mine, my RHR has been 64 from 54 normal from 46 pre pandemic, hacking dry cough.  Equally a 1hr z2 knocks me out.  Slightly concerned I’m going to the work Xmas party tomorrow, no option becuase several others have bailed for the same reason leaving me to prop up the political fort.

Personally I would stay away from festive gatherings for the sake of your colleagues – and yourself – unless you really, really dislike them. Seriously. Why do it to yourself and others.

I have a broadly similar sort of thing going on. My RHR is around 10bpm up on normal, occasional cough, snot, sneezing. General lethargy and fatigue, falling asleep in a chair mid afternoon even after eight hours kip the night before, intermittently feeling terrible, then slightly less terrible, then terrible again.

I’m just reminding myself that it’s winter, any fitness I lose I can get back once I feel ‘right’ again. Gentle walks, some resistance training and stretching and trying to get the basics of sleep, hydration, nutrition right. It’s hilly round here, so it’s hard to ride steady outside beyond canals and rail trails, but if I do venture out, I try to stick to those.

On the fitness side of things, I was off the bike for 18 crap months with long covid and for at least half of that unable to do more than walk once around a football pitch. When I started riding again, my ftp was back up to around 240 watts within a couple of months just based on general riding around – still a way short but massively better than I was expecting. Your body is quite good at remembering long-term physiological adaptations and the rest comes back with some targeted training. Try not to get too caught up in the idea that you’re losing more fitness than you really are would be my take.

Mindful walking is nice. Focus on the stuff around you, the sounds, the little details and try to just be in the moment.

Had covid (tested) at the start of october, second confirmed bout for me, had me in bed for 3 days.

Came down with a chest infection three weeks ago today. Not nearly as bad as full covid but still properly knocked the stuffing out of me. Two (gentle) rides in the past 7 days (didn’t feel up to riding or indeed anything more than a gentle stroll for the first couple of weeks) and the fact that I’m still coughing up large gobs of phlegm show that I’m not over it yet 🙁

Ive been suffering the ‘winter cold’ symptoms since October, whats really knackered me is its made me partially deaf, fluid behind the ear drums apparently.

Just got to let it sort itself out, but both frustrating & disheartening at the same time. occasionally after a sneeze or tilting my head to a strange angle for a moment i get some relief in one side. soon comes back though.

wish it would just sod right off!!! roll on the summer….

I’m surrounded by #snowflakes

don’t worry everyone – it’ll be fine
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/h5n1-avian-influenza-spreads-across-north-america-2024a1000m0f

I’ve changed projects at work and haven’t caught the train to London this winter. I’ve also not really spent much time indoors with large crowds of people. Not really by design, just chance.

This is the first year I haven’t been absolutely floored by cold after cold.

It’s wonderful, there are a few work festive gatherings coming up, they’re really nice, I like my colleagues. But, I don’t think I’m going to go, it’s just so good being able to ride through winter for once and not watch my fitness just drop away.

I feel bad about it, but on balance I’ve reached a point where my riding health is more important. Shame really, bloody viruses.

Tried an hour of zone 2 ish stuff.

My body flatly refused to let my heart rate stay in zone for any part of the ride that wasn’t ‘stopping and dying’.

So whatever this lurgy is it has not yet departed.

You say you have flu.  You say you are going to a work Christmas party tonight.  If you are able to function to the level of getting up, dressed and going to an outside event you do not have flu.

I thought the covid testing regime and the high prevalence of asymptomatic cases kind of knocked this bullshit on the head.

A) I said I had Flu, not have Flu – feeling very much better today

b) Bouncing around training with illness was last year.  This year has been very observant to fatigue symptoms and managed around this.

c) I’ve taken my leave from the Xmas party which is the right decision.

Bloody hell this place is so quick to criticise and leap to character assassination these days – accepting of when I said I would go to the party.

Your opening line :

Dont judge me, I identify as a Man and have Flu….

Have.. your first words on the thread. I think you have done a pretty decent job of self assassination.

I’m not and have never been one for serious training or racing, but surely a few weeks off with a cold isn’t really going to affect next year’s stuff is it?

I mean what do Olympic athletes do when they get a cold….

I thought the covid testing regime and the high prevalence of asymptomatic cases kind of knocked this bullshit on the head.

Covid is not influenza.

Reminds me, need to pop into Morrisons (supermarket)pharmacy and get a flu jag. £15, or £12 with a more card.

I thought the covid testing regime and the high prevalence of asymptomatic cases kind of knocked this bullshit on the head.

Came here to say this. Saw I’d been beaten to it. Went away again quietly.

I’ve hardly been ill since I started getting flu and Covid jabs. Had Covid twice in total, not very badly.

I thought the covid testing regime and the high prevalence of asymptomatic cases kind of knocked this bullshit on the head.

I think the OP was talking about his symptoms this week, and his work Christmas party last night

I woke up Monday with aches and pains particularly in my neck & shoulders and a worse dry cough which has no strained my diaphram/abs.  I felt better in myself today but am 4th week into sporadic coughing.

Bloody hell this place is so quick to criticise and leap to character assassination these days

I’m not sure it’s any worse than it ever was. The trouble is that it only takes a couple of ‘mean girl’ remarks to outweigh all the broadly positive ones. Mostly I think, people are sympathetic to your situation and sharing broadly similar experiences of viral stuff.

Anyway, take it easy, have a chilled Christmas and hopefully you’ll feel right again in the New Year.

I have the man flu covid as well. Must be doing the rounds. Youngest had it last week so a couple of days off school. My wife had it at the weekend (positive COVID test) so I banished her to the guest bedroom. 15 year old had it earlier this week ( bought another covid test kit she was positive) off school for 3 days. I was silly enough to sit in the front room Netflix mini series binging with my wife while she was coughing and sneezing the other night. Now I have it. Feeling hot, achey and croaky. It’s not too bad. Seemingly it doesn’t last long.

I will try to avoid spreading it. We phoned the school and they said my daughter could return as soon as she felt ok. No need to isolate anymore.

Only positive for me is I seem to have almost fully recovered from fracturing six ribs 5 weeks ago. So I can cough without painful ribs. Would have been a different story a couple of weeks ago. Rest and recovery now for a couple of days. My fitness will return soon enough it’s the off season after all.

people are sympathetic to your situation and sharing broadly similar experiences of viral stuff.

Anyway, take it easy, have a chilled Christmas and hopefully you’ll feel right again in the New Year.

+1

Had my “cold” since July.

Well i too have found this thread quite supportive. I’ve been blocked up and coughing for 4 weeks now. Don’t feel like taking to my bed but do feel lethargic and wiped out. Mrs BF keeps telling me to go to the docs and the constant “you don’t need to go to the docs for this type of thing” argument is tiring me out as well. Plus the weather is just bloody awful.

Get well soon (or just eventually) everyone!

I went to the docs yesterday after this thread as three weeks on from first coming down with this, I’m still coughing up crap. Quite pleased that having taken heart rate, bolod oxygen, blood pressure etc and listened to my breathing, she remarked “your numbers are all very good, you’re obviously a fit person”, but there was nothing conclusive – just ” get penty of fresh air, wash your hands, cough into a tiussue or the crook of your elbow, and take it easy – come back in a week if it’s not gone away”. At least she didn;t gve me antibiotics “just in case”

I’ve had symptomatic flu three times this year, one tested positive for covid the others didn’t but still left me in bed for a few days each.

It utterly f***ed my attempts to get fit this year, each bout meant i didn’t ride at all for a couple of weeks, then the next 6 or so I could actually see people riding away from me faster each week because I just didn’t have any energy to either chase them or get fitter.  Then just as my legs started to feel like they were coming back I caught it again.

On the plus side I’ve perfected being able to fire a snot rocket over either shoulder without even having to pinch my nose!

Covid is not influenza.

no but just like Covid, flu symptoms can be mild to severe or even asymptomatic. You often hear people say “if you can get out of bed, you don’t have flu”, but it’s total bollocks!

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2014/03/17/290878964/even-if-you-dont-have-symptoms-you-may-still-have-the-flu

Never wore a mask or had a Covid jab and feel great.Bill Gates is going to be the death of you lot.