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Ill day after triathlon

Hi,

completed my first middle distance triathlon on Sunday in a reasonable time - a bit disappointed with my run time but there you go. Monday I felt a little stiff (which is to be expected) but then on Monday night Tuesday morning I have not slept at all and been sick several times (basically vomited and emptied my stomach). I have felt generally Sh*t all day - best way to describe it is that I feel like I have had a free night out at a brewery - basically akin to being hungover, sick, no appetite, tired and occasional fever. I have read about Weils disease (the swim leg of my triathlon was a river) and that this is rare, just wondered how common it was for others to have a bug or some sort of illness after an event.

Comments

  • HarryDHarryD Posts: 425
    As you say the stiffness on Monday was to be expected. A natural reaction to your efforts.

    Having myself picked up bugs during events - drinking unclean water in fell races - I can appreciate how you feel. However, the effects came on the night after the event (12 to 16 hours after) rather than 36-48 hours later.

    Methinks your illness was caused by the race but the bug was not caught at it. After a hard race you are incredibly immuno-suppressed and will succumb to bugs that you would normally brush off. Remember there are bugs everywhere and on everything you touch. As you say your run time was disappointing and this indicates how deeply fatigued you were and so you probably caught something post-race. Weil's disease usually takes 4 days to appear with flu like symptoms before easing off before the second phase of meningitis, renal & liver problems etc.

    How to avoid. Reduce the risk of catching the bugs: Wash hands after going to the toilet (every time!) and before eating: Keep hands away from your mouth as much as possible: Avoid kids that aren't your own (micro plague carriers), dogs, cats etc. Improve immune function post-race: Eat after finishing especially carbs which are proven to help which along with protein will help your overall recovery: Sellers of glutamine supplements claim it will help but the scientific evidence is very poor/non-existent.

    Hope this helps

    HarryD
  • I had the same thing at Bradford on Avon triathlon this year. Completed the race on Sunday by 10am, I was ill until Monday evening at 8.30pm and then was rotten for the next 12 hours.

    Therefore I don't agree with the "your ill between 12-16hrs" mine was definitely down to the event, contacted the event organisers and heard nothing, was aware in previous years people were ill.

    Put it down to experience and won't be entering the event again, I had to take 4 days off work as was so bad and lost half a stone, hope you get better soon
  • HarryDHarryD Posts: 425
    Coolasbeans

    Not sure what you "don't agree with" as I was responding to the original post giving an example of when I was ill after an event for which the source was clear. Yes a sample was taken, the bugs identified, as was their most likely origin. Also I don't know how you can disagree with when I became ill because I was there & you weren't. We all react to infections at different rates and mine came on 12-16 hours after the event and lost me 2kg. Yours clearly happened a lot quicker.

    Note that the original poster took 36 hours to become ill which quite possibly indicates that there may be more to it than catching something at the event.

    Hope you are fully recovered now and back into full training

    Cheers

    HarryD
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