Anaerobic runs after COVID

2 watchers

Rosohatica Mar 2021 11:22am, 21 Mar 2021 7 posts	0 Rosohatica Hi all, I have a question with something that intrigues me. Up until December of 2020. I was in a great shape, had VO2max of 51 and was running 2-3 times per week for about 5 km each time. I also rode a bicycle to work 20 km every day and on weekends I was doing 20 km hikes. I am 40 years old. During the beginning of December I got COVID-19. I had a fever for about a week and some discomfort when deep breathing. Nothing too serious. And after that w eek I was ok. I rested for the next few months - didn`t run, but continued to bike and hike. A month ago I went on my first run and discovered my VO2max has dropped significantly - its 46 now. I guess due to COVID. What surprises me is that my Garmin device is showing that only part of my runs are aerobic now, while part of them are anaerobic. Up until now my runs have always been ONLY aerobic, and 0 % anaerobic. Do you have a clue what it means to have anaerobic run? Why is this happening? Best regards, Dario
Ultracat Mar 2021 11:35am, 21 Mar 2021 13,501 posts	0 Ultracat I know nothing about watches telling you which zone you are in but I would expect anyone who takes a break from running for a few months will not be as run fit as they were before the break. Try slowing down if you want to be fully aerobic. And it may take a few weeks to get back to where you were before.
ChrisHB Mar 2021 11:49am, 21 Mar 2021 20,775 posts	0 ChrisHB My watch tells me that my VO2 max is sky high while the reality is that I have a lung disease. Along with others, I wouldn't trust what my watch thinks about anything beyond time and distance. I don't even trust its HRM, as my max on an exercise bike a year ago was 161, and I was feeling faint at that point, but my watch gives me up to 180 when I'm jogging happily.
SPR Mar 2021 2:38pm, 21 Mar 2021 33,664 posts	0 SPR What UC said. Chris - While what you say might be correct, if Dario has been getting consistent results then the actual number isn't really noteworthy more the trend.
Chrisull Mar 2021 9:56am, 22 Mar 2021 17,343 posts	0 Chrisull Anaerobic simply means you are using more oxygen than your body can supply you with. This isn't anything to worry about, this is because your fitness has dropped (as a result due to covid) and previously where you would run in your zone without ever going anaerobic, the same pace will now at times put you in your anaerobic zone. It means you're effectively putting more effort into your runs, than before, even if they were at the same pace/or slower. It means if you don't want to go anaerobic (unless you are specifically training anaerobic capacity with intervals/speed work), you will need to slow down a bit. Or if you don't trust the watches estimate of VO2Max (and that is fine, I don't think they are that accurate), then carry on as before.
faithfulred Mar 2021 10:55am, 22 Mar 2021 637 posts	0 faithfulred I think you are being a bit harsh on the Garmin metrics here. If the VO2max is giving you predicted race times that you think are achievable (or you have already achieved) then you can take the number to be a reasonably accurate estimate of your level of fitness. The fact that this number has gone down following illness is not surprising.
faithfulred Mar 2021 10:57am, 22 Mar 2021 638 posts	0 faithfulred I would also say, how do the runs feel? Does it feel like you are putting a lot more effort into your runs?
Rosohatica Mar 2021 12:50pm, 22 Mar 2021 8 posts	0 Rosohatica SRP, exactly... Before COVID in about 50 runs two years prior I have never had watch register my running as partly unaerobic exercise. After COVID my every run is partly unaerobic.
Badger Mar 2021 7:04pm, 27 Mar 2021 13,703 posts	0 Badger Is your HR higher for the same pace? That’s the main thing it’s working from (though heart rate variability is a factor too).