COVID19 life

Yesterday.

January 7, 2021

I mean.

WHAT.

THE.

F.

What an insane day yesterday. What an insane 4 years it has been. What an embarrassing horrifying just nauseating spectacle yesterday’s events were.

But also, Biden has been confirmed and Georgia democrats succeeded!

So. A veritable roller coaster. I kept saying that 2021 didn’t seem to be an improvement but maybe just maybe it will be. I spent the afternoon watching the news with Josh and clutching my phone, processing what was happening with friends and family over text threads. In part because things felt unbelievable without external confirmation of what was actually happening.


I started my day today with Michelle Obama again and some hope. I think our childcare situation is going to be less of an issue. I admit I kind of spiraled yesterday but really not having clear options with 3 kids stuck at home is stressful, to say the least.

I can’t wait for things to feel more normal. Hopefully by next week.


Unrelated: Exercise + COVID-19 Note:

A few of you brought up yesterday that there are actually some guidelines related to concern around returning to exercise after having COVID-19. I was not aware of these and mentioned running previously; I will note that instinctively I kind of assumed I should not do anything crazy (no speed intervals, hard weight training workouts, or long runs).

I still haven’t been able to find one set of definitive consensus guidelines, but this article seemed helpful as was this table. Part of the rationale is the risk of COVID-related myocarditis predisposing to things like arrhythmias and heart failure, though there seems to be debate about how common this is. I am not sure whether it is known whether going slowly would prevent things like long-haul symptoms (please share evidence of this if you have seen any, I would definitely be interested!), but if that’s even a possibility then I can see why it would be worth it not to push things early on.

Anyway! I wanted to mention this to encourage anyone who does contract COVID-19 to be careful and look at the latest guidelines when it comes to exercise, and when in doubt speak to a physician with expertise in that area (which many internal medicine providers are no doubt becoming, given case loads of patients who have had the disease).

12 Comments

  • Reply Katie January 7, 2021 at 8:35 am

    The appalling riots and hypocrisy on display are outrageous. I hope there are real consequences but so far it seems unlikely. I can’t even sum up all of what I am thinking here but a major WTF WTF WTF is close.

    Thank you for sharing the article about covid impacts and exercise. I am almost a month into having covid and was getting better but I seem to have taken a step back and my cough has worsened significantly. I was exercising or running 4-5x per week before all this and can’t even imagine it right now. I’ll be calling my PCP today about the cough/heart rate and reference this article (love my PCP because she is usually well versed in current literature).

    • Reply Sarah Hart-Unger January 7, 2021 at 9:09 am

      Ugh Katie – that sucks. Definitely sounds like it needs to be looked into – could be lung or cardiac issue and neither are anything to play around with. Thinking of you.

  • Reply Anon January 7, 2021 at 9:52 am

    I’m in the long haul slack group and anecdotally there are a ton of reports of people who “recovered” and then exercised which threw them into a relapse/spiral of long haul symptoms. That was not my experience personally – I never felt well enough to work out – but I put it out there as anecdotal evidence (since that’s about what we have to rely on now). I’m hoping the one dose of vaccine prevents you from all of that though 🙂

  • Reply Lisa of Lisa’s Yarns January 7, 2021 at 10:04 am

    Yesterday was horrifying. I was glued to the tv and also had text chains going with several friends. What an embarrassment. We looked like a 3rd world country until a coup attempt. I hope the inauguration goes smoothly… it’s going to require so much security! We’ve been watching homeland during my Mat leave – I told my husband that I felt like we were living in an episode of that show.

    I hadn’t heard much about exercising after Covid. I need to tell my coworker about this. He had a bad case of Covid and is a very active guy so I will share the article link you provided!

    Glad you are feeling more calm about child care!!

  • Reply Amanda Griffin January 7, 2021 at 10:18 am

    Glad you are feeling better about childcare. It really is the issue that has no good answers in all of this. As for yesterday, I am still trying to wrap my head around *all of that* and continuing to be thankful that my son is too little to ask questions. He definitely felt the anxious vibe in our household yesterday though and we had a rough night. I just started the Michelle Obama book on audio this morning and it is exactly what I need right now. Here’s hoping for a calmer two weeks (and four years).

  • Reply Alexis January 7, 2021 at 11:30 am

    Thank you for sharing about exercise. I wasn’t sure if I should proceed with running though today was the first day without lung pain. I wanted to sign up for scuba later this year and they even ask if you have had covid (if you have and even were asymptomatic, they want you to be medically cleared) because there could be issues

  • Reply Jane January 7, 2021 at 12:17 pm

    Dear Sarah, I learned about Hobonichi planners from your blog, and now one of my best friends (and I also) both find them very useful for our lives!

    I’ve also really appreciated your blog and podcasts more generally. I am a woman and don’t yet have children. From your honest and real writing about your life, I feel like I might be able to handle the undertaking of having children in the future. After I read your posts, I feel uplifted and ready to take on what’s coming next in life. Your genuine kindness, positivity, consideration for others, and thoughtfulness come through even in your posts about things that are stressful.

  • Reply Erica Sparky January 7, 2021 at 1:51 pm

    It was a hard day, indeed. I’m still not sure I’ve completely digested the gravity of everything that happened.

    I hope you continue to feel well enough to watch the kids and get some light exercise, and that you all test negative soon! Do you have a plan for testing once your symptoms are gone?

  • Reply A January 7, 2021 at 2:58 pm

    If nothing else, the past few years and the horror of yesterday will hopefully mean that non-minorities will see what the rest of us have been seeing and experiencing and fearing for a good long time. What a gd disgrace, and the GOP needs to be held accountable.

    I am hopeful for your childcare situation, and wish you weren’t dealing with it. and I am hopeful that with light exercise, you can ramp back up to your usual workouts. So sorry you’re starting 2021 like this 🙁

  • Reply Angie January 7, 2021 at 4:34 pm

    Thank you for speaking out. Unsubscribing or unfollowing anyone who doesn’t. There’s no more compassion for people that openly support a racist or stay quiet. He should be charged with treason and I hope they prosecute those people. Seeing them take down the American flag off the Capitol building and replacing it with a Trump flag made me sick.

  • Reply Marjorie January 8, 2021 at 8:07 pm

    Sarah, I really, really appreciate your mentioning what happened on Wednesday, even if only briefly. I tried to be understanding in 2020 when some of the bloggers I follow chose to focus on their specific niche topics. But Wednesday’s near-fatal assault on American democracy and our most sacred institutions as a republic was just too stunning and all-encompassing to ignore, and I was hoping/waiting/desperately pleading that bloggers I follow would at least acknowledge it.

    You and only one other (a fitness blogger and personal trainer!) are literally the only one who have so far, and I’m so proud and honored to be following you and so disappointed in the others. Like others have mentioned elsewhere on this thread, I’m starting to unfollow others. We all deserve a mental break from distressing news, but the glaring disconnect between shiny, happy stories and the looming danger of an insurrection (!!!) is just a bridge too far.

  • Reply Kristie January 8, 2021 at 11:29 pm

    I agree with the comments above – THANK YOU for speaking up. Wednesday was horrifying. I’ve been frustrated by the lack of response and conversation among some groups, when I feel so deeply impacted.
    I appreciate all you do – wishing you and your family a speedy recovery!

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