FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Matt Fitzgerald climbed into his truck on a recent morning and opened his MacBook to work on a book.
Fitzgerald, 52, has written or co-written 34 books, most on running, endurance sports and nutrition.
He has also completed 50 marathons — his best time at 2 hours, 39 minutes and 30 seconds. And, some time ago, he would have been jogging on the quiet street where he was parked.
Instead, Fitzgerald waited for John Gietzel, 48, a business consultant from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to finish stretching before instructing him on how to do a series of uphill sprints. As for Fitzgerald himself, he has barely exercised in three years.
“I probably wouldn't be doing this if I hadn't gotten sick,” he said. “But I have found it surprisingly rewarding.”
Fitzgerald's struggle with long Covid has forced him to rethink who he is. He has found vicarious joy in starting a business, Dream Run Camp, from his home in Flagstaff, where he lives with his wife, Nataki, and a changing group of recreational runners who pay $45 to $115 a day to stay and be coached. for him.
Fitzgerald hosts group jogging sessions every morning. She has “coach office hours” every afternoon, to address topics like “Disrupting Complacency.” Fitzgerald's students, whom he calls “dream runners,” can stay for up to 12 weeks.
Gietzel stayed for about a month to train for the Mesa Marathon, held on February 10.
In February 2020, Fitzgerald traveled to Atlanta, Georgia, to do some promotional appearances ahead of the US Olympic Marathon Qualifiers and then compete in the Publix Atlanta Marathon. After returning home, he fell ill. Shortly afterward, his wife also fell ill. They believe they contracted Covid-19, although this was before home tests were available.
Fitzgerald felt terrible for about a month, before gradually resuming his old routine. She ran and exercised without problems during the summer of 2020.
“And then everything started to mysteriously fall apart,” he said. “My neurological symptoms became impressive.”
Long Covid can persist for weeks, months or even years, reports the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Although Fitzgerald noted that his neurological problems had improved, he still suffers from chronic fatigue and “post-exertional malaise.” .
Early last year, he felt well enough to try to run again. After six weeks of gradually increasing her workload, she was able to jog for 30 minutes. “And then I broke down again,” recalled Fitzgerald, who has not jogged more than short distances since.
As Fitzgerald battled long Covid, he knew he could no longer run — at least not in the near future — but he could imagine a way to stay involved by using his expertise to train others.
He convinced his wife to leave their lives in California and move to Flagstaff, a mecca for high-altitude runners. He welcomed his first dream runners in May last year and has welcomed about 30 to date.
The Fitzgerald home features a community recovery area with a hyperbaric chamber and a vibroacoustic therapy bed. Her garage is equipped with high-end exercise equipment.
Fitzgerald has signed up for Javelina Jundred, a 100-kilometer ultramarathon in Fountain Hills, Arizona, to be held in October. He acknowledged how strange that sounds: “I literally can't run a step right now.”
However, he has a working title for a book he wants to write: “Dying to Run: An Ailing Athlete's Quest for One Last Finish Line.” He wants to finish only within the 29-hour limit of the ultramarathon, even if that means walking.
By: SCOTT CACCIOLA
BBC-NEWS-SRC: http://www.nytsyn.com/subscribed/stories/7143282, IMPORTING DATE: 2024-03-06 02:48:03
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