When the plan doesn't go to plan

My first time with Covid

The ideal buildup to a race is hard to master. The likelihood of achieving the perfect balance of training, recovery, nutrition and mental and physical wellness, is hard to come by. Do we push a little bit harder in that last rep or back off to allow for better recovery. Is seven hours of sleep adequate or will we recover better off eight hours (but miss that extra hour of activities). Each decision we make comes with an opportunity cost. However, the smallest things we do, can have the big impacts. Here’s where I’m kicking myself a bit. 

Upon returning home from Christchurch where I’d been guiding for Topsport across Goat Pass, I started to feel a bit run down. At first, I thought it were the early starts and late evenings catching up on me. Thinking a day’s rest would fix it. However, a tickle developed in the back of my throat. I decided to take a Covid test. There’s been a ramp-up in cases recently. Sure enough I tested positive. My first round of Covid. 
Would wearing a mask on the flight home have prevented this?… I’m not sure, but as I lay here into my third day of severe symptoms, I really wish I had thrown one on.

With that said, I’m not one to wrap myself in cotton wool and I was bound to catch it eventually. Hopefully I will be immune for a while after this sickness passes. Importantly that will hopefully be in the timing around Western States.

With Tarawera Ultramarathon only a month away, I’m making sure I recover. This is where a bit of future-proofing is required. I want to be strong down the track and get back to full health so I can smash my 2024 goals. I’ve talked clients through their sicknesses, emphasising patience. It’s not something I’m good at. But I’m trying to make it a priority. The symptoms are still pretty bad, so I’ll put my feet up for at least another day