Outrunning Covid-19

By Christy Brewer

“You’ve got to be kidding. Are you sure you have runner; I’ve been careful and taken precautions. How the right person?” I reply with a laugh. could this happen? I’ve barely seen anyone since

I’m sitting in my Jeep filling my water bottle, everything closed down. I’m literally the first person I about to step off for a late morning trail run when know with a confirmed positive. my phone lights up with an incoming call. Upon The last few weeks have been filled with confirming my identity, the voice on the other cancellations, disappointments and unknowns. I end responds, “Ms. Brewer we received your haven’t encountered anyone who isn’t a little stressed The author at Big River Crossing after finishing the Yeti Ultra 24-hour Challenge in May 2020. coronavirus test results back and it’s positive.”

“Are you sure? I really don’t feel that sick,” I say. The next few minutes are a blur as my doctor discusses quarantine procedures while quizzing me on my symptoms and telling me what complications to watch out for. I’m in my 30s, healthy, a long-distance or struggling to adjust to the “new normal.” My running has become infrequent and erratic with races cancelled and not much to train for. While running less and feeling more stressed, I find myself feeling under the “You ’ ve weather with spring allergies and sinus got to be congestion. It’s the same cold I get every kidding.” year when the weather first turns nice, or so I thought.

Day 1-2: I wake up feeling a little worn down and fatigued, nothing alarming since I’ve put in back-toback long runs a few days before and haven’t been sleeping well. My nose is all stuffed up and I have some pressure in my ears. I have a mild yet lingering headache that never really goes away despite taking Tylenol / Advil. I go for a short run, but have trouble

maintaining a tempo pace, even in cooler temps.

Day 3: I wake up with the same symptoms except the pressure in my ear has increased and my bones and muscles ache like crazy. I’m lightheaded and experiencing mild vertigo, but probably just due to the earache. Am I coming down with something? I book an appointment with my PCP to be seen later in the day. Upon arrival, I find out I’m running a low-grade fever, just over 100. I’ve also lost my sense of smell, which I thought was just the sinus congestion. My doctor treats me for an ear infection, but also refers

me for Covid-19 testing as a precaution.

Day 4: I question whether I should even get tested. There’s a shortage of tests right now and certainly is dangerous for people out there with higher risk than me. I know it’s going to come back negative anyway, since it’s just a cold; the fever is nothing more than my body fighting off the ear infection. I’m not coughing nor do I have a sore throat and no difficulty breathing; none of the major symptoms they’re talking about on the news. Reluctantly, I go to my drive-thru testing appointment and experience what felt like my brain being scraped with an extra-long Q-tip. I head home to take a nap with plans to run later, but end up waking up even more exhausted than before, even after a threehour nap. I order takeout and sleep the rest The author enjoys a run near the sunflower fields on the Arkansas of the evening, but I wake up around 2 a.m. side of the Mississippi River. drenched with night sweats then having chills.

Day 5: I wake up early, running a fever of 102. fever today, but notice a small amount of wheezing I’m too exhausted to get up and take a shower or even and still have dizziness when I stand up. I get up and make anything to eat. I take acetaminophen and try to make breakfast and do some strength training and drink plenty of water while sleeping on and off until PT exercises before heading to the trails for a short almost 5 p.m. run. After hearing the unfortunate news from my

A friend stops by to drop off some dinner and cold doctor, I drive home in silence. I send texts to work, medicine and asks how I’m feeling. “I feel like I’m a few friends and my family to break the news. I try going to die”, I respond. I do feel slightly better after to occupy my mind and come to terms with being eating and end up sleeping all night after taking the quarantined for the next 14 days. I still can’t believe cold medicine. my test is positive because I really don’t feel that bad. I go to bed feeling pretty powerless and end up I am strong, not sleeping well, waking up every few hours with shortness of breath. Day 8: I feel about the same as yesterday. No ... I will get fever, but shortness of breath and wheezing has increased a bit since yesterday. I’m still experiencing a lot of dizziness and my feet are terribly cold and through this. numb. Today, I decide I’m not going to take this lying down. I am strong, I am healthy, and I will get through this. I do almost 30 minutes of strength and PT work, addressing lingering weaknesses and muscle

Day 6: I feel about 50% better when I wake up, imbalances. I wait until there’s very little foot traffic just a low-grade fever and a little fatigue; not nearly in my neighborhood before masking up and heading as bad as last night. I work from home most of the out for a run. I’m not able to run for long before day and get up to do some yoga / light mobility work getting out of breath and my heart rate spikes. Still, I in the afternoon. I even go out for a run that evening, manage about 2 miles of run / walk intervals. but it quickly turns into a walk. I’m getting winded This leaves me pretty exhausted despite the short and out of breath, even running my easy pace. I can’t distance. believe how out of shape I’ve become after barely Day 9: I wake up and my fever has spiked again, running this week! this time around 102-103. It becomes increasingly

Day 7: I wake up feeling much better than more difficult to breathe, even at rest. I’m also yesterday. I feel slightly “under the weather”; no nauseated and struggling to eat. I call my doctor and 20