Mono Strikes Again!

MileSplit announced today that Chris Derrick, who had a great chance of breaking the long lasting high school 2-mile record, is out for the season due to illness. What illness was strong enough to knock out one of the toughest high school distance runners? Mononucleosis!!! What is mononucleosis (mono)? Mono is a common viral illness that can leave you feeling tired and weak for weeks or months. The most common symptoms of mono, according to WebMD are a high fever, a severe sore throat, swollen glands and tonsils, and weakness and fatigue. Symptoms usually start 4 to 6 weeks after you are exposed to the virus. If this is the case, Derrick ran his 8:58, 4:14 double last week with mono! According to the detailed explanation fromWikipedia the fatigue of infectious mononucleosis often lasts from 1-2 months.

Chris Derrick isn't alone in this struggle with mono. Peak Performance has stated that seven out of the western world's top 10 runners every decade will contract it. The disease will strike them when they are at the peak of fitness. Two runners from Maryland tell their story of having mono in 2006. Personally, I coached a high school runner who was 14th at Foot Locker as a Junior and contracted mono, unknowingly, his senior year. Needless to say, his Senior year was disappointing. Point being that mono is not an uncommon virus that attacks distance runners.

Mono is particularly difficult for runners to deal with because of the duration of the illness and the duration of the recovery. Educate yourself on the signs and symptoms of this virus. Follow the links I have provided and ask your doctor for information.

For all you runners out there who are healthy, stay informed and keep on running. For all those who are fighting with illness, especially Chris Derrick, take the time to fully recover and believe that this setback is only temporary. Your body will heal, your mind will follow, and your dreams will become a reality.