General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else? Rss Feed  
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2019-07-16 11:08 AM


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Subject: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
Hello all,newbie looking for some guidance here.Please bear with me for a few paragraphs.

INTRODUCTION. I am a beginner male in my early 40’s, training quite regularly around 5-7 hours a week for the past three months (have always been moderately training for other sports before that, never a smoker/couch potato).

I successfully competed in a sprint Tri (my first ever) about three weeks ago, 1h27. Nothing spectacular but getting in the groove. After the race I was exhausted, which sort of felt normal.

RECOVERY AND EXHAUSTION. Right after that race I basically did not train for a week, trying to recover, but also had to face a tough work/travel schedule for a business trip; 4 days after the race I took off - 6 flights over the following 4 days, plenty of jetlag. I have felt exhausted ever since.

Upon my return home from the business trip I tried to sleep, eat well, recover. But no success. For 2 days, my pulse would not go below 100 (my regular rest HR has been around 48 for the last couple months). Took a couple pain relief pills. The pulse ultimately went down; but I continued to feel a sense of compression on my lungs, uneasy breathing even at rest, and in the following days, when running I would almost immediately run out of breath, could not run beyond a few hundred yards.

Last weekend (so three weeks after the sprint), I had planned to compete in a Olympic tri, my first ever such distance. Was unsure as to whether it made any sense given my poor shape but ultimately decided to take it easy and give it a go. The sense of compression on my lungs had gone, at least at rest. So I competed: swam and biked slowly (35 minutes for the 1.5k run and 1h25 for the 40k bike), but no real problem. In the running section my energy level collapsed, and in particular I would constantly run out of breath. Ended up completing the race only thanks to some walking and vey slow jogging (took me 1h10 to run the 10k).

Note that during and after the race was very careful with nutrition and hydration; took 5 gels between the bike and running; drank plenty, including minerals-enhanced water. The day was very hot, around 90, which definitely impacted on my performance.

The day following the race (that is yesterday) I tried jogging just to shake my legs. I would run out of breath after 10/20 yards, no energy, impossible even to jog for more than a few steps.

CONCLUSIONS. So: my reading is, I never really recovered properly from the Sprint and my energy level is still affected from that. That kind of explains it, but I am still puzzled by the difficulty in breathing. Is this a sensible theory or should I look deeper into this? Any advice on what to do now/next time around (beyond the obvious I should have planned and executed a better recovery from the sprint?) or comment much appreciated!

Thank you!

Pon



2019-07-16 12:07 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

Go see a cardiologist......soon.  I'm serious.....  if for no other reason then to cross that off the list of suspects.

There is basically NO recovery needed for a sprint triathlon.  There is NO WAY you are experiencing your symptoms from your race/training level.

 



Edited by Left Brain 2019-07-16 12:07 PM
2019-07-16 12:43 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
100% see a doctor ASAP. There are a lot of severe things you could be describing and some not so severe, but you really need to get to see your doctor or go to an ER if you can't get in today.

Then please come update us after if you can.

Edited by jnuger 2019-07-16 12:44 PM
2019-07-16 12:56 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
Not normal, even after full IM, much less sprint or Oly. Normal post-race fatigue shouldn't involve lung issues, unless you have pretty severe asthma and if so, they shouldn't persist once you take normal meds. Lung symptoms and feeling of compression in particular can be signs of something nasty like cardiac issues or (with recent travel, this might be a concern) pulmonary embolism, so you should seek medical attention NOW--urgent care or ER. Also possible this is from a recurrent respiratory infection, maybe a bug picked up on a plane, that you aggravated by racing when ill--in any case if it has gone on that long, you need treatment. Occasionally, racing when ill with cold or flu can cause nasty complications like fluid around heart/lungs that could cause the symptoms you describe, or aggravate underlying issues like asthma. Get it checked out and make sure you mention recent races and travel.

I'm not a doctor--just lots of experience getting sick after races!

Edited by Hot Runner 2019-07-16 12:57 PM
2019-07-16 1:52 PM
in reply to: Hot Runner


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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
Thank you all, I appreciate your guidance and taking time to look into this.

I will see a doctor asap and keep you posted. I feel well when not under strain but totally share that I should not overlook this.

best

Pon
2019-07-16 3:43 PM
in reply to: Ponchieman

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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
I am surprised it took an hour for the "go to the doctor" to come out.

Now, let's talk about this rash I have...


2019-07-16 4:06 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

Originally posted by PigeonTri I am surprised it took an hour for the "go to the doctor" to come out. Now, let's talk about this rash I have...

Meh, get some cortizone.

Luckily for you, I never miss a chance to use the 3 weeks of pre-med I had in college.



Edited by Left Brain 2019-07-16 4:07 PM
2019-07-16 4:42 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
Appreciate that, and did you do any psychology? How do I explain it to my wife? hahahaha
2019-07-16 5:02 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

Actually I did, just less than one semester......but I've been married for 25 years to the same gal and I haven't found any patterns to her reasoning that could help you. 

Still, if it was me I'd go with chlorine....  "you can either have a fat guy or a fit guy with a rash.....you choose, babe."  Have an escape plan.....always have a clear path to get out of throwing range.  She controls the narrative, so you have to control the landscape.....that's all I've learned.

Be careful, you could end up with knots on your head in addition to the rash......you can thank a physiology class I dropped for that advice.



Edited by Left Brain 2019-07-16 5:20 PM
2019-07-17 1:02 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

Originally posted by Ponchieman  Is this a sensible theory or should I look deeper into this?

 

Yes,  I would say to you should look deeper into this. 

My first thoughts when I started to read this were how hot is it where you live?  I have been dragging a feeling exhausted the past 3-4 weeks. Every year when the outside temperatures jump from 75 deg day time highs to heat indexes over 100 deg F (today's heat index is 107 deg F) I feel exhausted.   

Y&es recovery can take longer than anticipated.  My last race was a 5K and I thought I would be able to use it as a running speed workday a with a light day following the race go right back into a hard run two days out from the race and a hard ride three days out.  Well...that hard run didn't turn out so well. It turned out to be about 2/3 running and 1/3 walking.   So...races definitely require some rest time.  Light workouts at reduced volume will get you back to training a lot quicker and feeling better than taking multiple days completely off.  

My age and resting heart rate are the same as yours.  II have never seen the HR stay above 100 BPM outside of workouts though.  Has your resting heart rate been elevated too?  I don't know what could cause that.  I have had tight chests from time to time and but nothing to be concerned about.  The shortness of breath isn't a major issue for me either.  I would look deeper into that.

 

 

2019-07-17 3:17 PM
in reply to: Ponchieman

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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
I concur with other comments, get checked out for sure.

Also consider you picked up some sort of virus on your trip, or from the race, etc.

Open water is rife with viruses and all sorts of crud that could present itself like this. Traveling on a suppressed immune system doesn't help, either.

See a doc, get everything ruled out.


2019-07-17 6:20 PM
in reply to: Ponchieman

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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

Originally posted by Ponchieman Thank you all, I appreciate your guidance and taking time to look into this. I will see a doctor asap and keep you posted. I feel well when not under strain but totally share that I should not overlook this. best Pon

I know you're seeing a doctor so I am not piling on, nor intending to scare you, but those symptoms sound a lot like the ones I had when I had a pulmonary embolism (blood clot in the lung).  Good luck to you and you should see a pulmonologist as well 

2019-07-17 8:24 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
Elevated resting heart rate could be a sign of illness. My resting HR is similar, but I know a couple of times when ill with strep, flu, bronchitis, or some horrid combo of those, my resting HR was persistently close to 100. I could actually feel it beating too fast, even when I wasn't running a fever, which I was off and on. Like I was doing an easy workout, only I wasn't, just lying on the couch. Any exertion led to feeling like I was doing intervals. In my case probably complicated by asthma, heat, and poorly functioning AC. Trying to race through that kind of stuff (stupidly, have done so twice) does not help at all. Once at that stage, rest, aspirin, chicken soup etc. don't work; doctor visit and heavier artillery are needed.

I have noticed higher than normal resting heart rate in the first few days after races even when healthy, but not that pronounced or prolonged (usually less than 24 hours, and maybe 10-20 BPM above typical for me, not double); really only noticeable after iron distance events, or shorter events in extreme heat.

Edited by Hot Runner 2019-07-17 8:30 PM
2019-07-17 8:27 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

And it also sounds like what I went through when my heart flipped to AFIB after years of endurance work.....and then I had a stroke 2 months later.....but I recognized it and was in the ER within 10 minutes....got all my function back within 8 hours.

This is easy stuff.......if your health seems forked up, it is...... that's why you work so hard to be healthy, to learn your body.....go see a doctor.  The worst thing that can happen is you waste a few bucks......the best thing that happens is you save your arse. 

Easy bet, yeah?  No college required.



Edited by Left Brain 2019-07-17 8:43 PM
2019-07-18 8:19 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
thanks all again for the good words. fysa went to a great health facility, got all major issues ruled out. blood tests, ecg, catscan, all negative.

virus on top of fatigue remains most likely cause. will let a few rest days go by and check back with a specialist. cheers!
2019-07-18 8:55 PM
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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?

Good job dude.....take it from an "old" guy.....don't mess with this crap.  That's how you get old, healthy, and NON-MEDICATED.  The last part is important......that's a road you don't come back from, it just goes on and on....and it's a dead end.



2019-07-19 8:25 AM
in reply to: Ponchieman

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Subject: RE: Exhaustion/Short breath - bad recovery or something else?
Thank you for updating us. Glad it's nothing serious. Definitely outside the realm of normal recovery. Get some rest then get back it. Good job!
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