On November 9th, I lost my sense of smell after having a stuffy nose for the two days prior. My plane ticket to leave Alaska for the season opener world cups was on November 17th. These weren’t even the type of sniffles I would have normally considered a cold- just the type that would make me decide to push intervals back a day or two. I actually did exactly this, but on the third day I woke up and couldn’t smell my morning coffee, and I knew it wasn’t just your average cold. I quickly went and got a covid test, but didn’t get “official” results until day 5. In the meantime, I assumed I had covid, which was reinforced by the inability to smell my stinky ski boots or taste half a bottle of sriracha poured into my soup. I started taking things very easy, finding it difficult to make it through a 25 minute mile on the treadmill on my basement with the infamous “covid headache” after doing cruisy 7-minute miles just days before. Needless to say, I did not make my flight to Europe, and instead have been focused on my health and recovery ever since.

After a little concern with the echo, but a good chest-ray, I was cleared to go on walks.

It has been super difficult to take over two weeks off recovering from Covid-19. Prior to Covid I had been doing my first big on-snow training block and feeling awesome. I did an hour of threshold intervals the day before the ‘sniffles’ set in and it was nearly effortless. I did the set on a known route in Fairbanks that I have done since I was 14 so it has become a solid gage of fitness for me.

Nonetheless, I am doing much better now. I had a few tough days, but in general from what I know via echo, ekg, chest x-ray, and blood labs I believe I am recovering well. Thanks to the cardiologist and my coach, Erik Flora, I have a structured plan to return to full training in a conservative and progressive approach. After two weeks completely off from training, I started back with some walks. After that I did a week of 1 hour skis each day. Last week I did 2x1 hour skis per day; this week, I am doing roughly the same but allowing the daily volume to reach 2.5 hours if I feel energetic. This might seem like a lot, but I am used to doing two sessions per day that are each two hours in duration in addition to high intensity training sessions. Relatively to my normal, right now I am doing all my exercise at a crawling pace. Polar watches was super generous and sent me a brand new watch that helps me ensure that I keep my pulse within the specified range.

With my progression, I hope to be near 100% around Christmas and return to racing for the second half of the season (assuming no complications along the way).

The silver lining of covid and not heading to europe: After quarantine I was really excited to get outside and see family that I only get a chance to see a few weeks a year.

First good walk. Went with my brothers kids looking for grouse and ptarmigan.

Setting lines and retrieving burbot was pretty taxing early on.

I put Dad on cooking duty. Beer battered halibut from this summer.

I brought blueberries to Fairbanks so Mom and I canned some jam and made syrup.