Ty Godwin Fell Victim To Long- Covid But Won’t Stop Seeking Answers

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Today I’m reconnecting with someone that was on the show back in 2016 and like it has for all of us, a lot has changed in that time.

Perhaps no change has been bigger, or more dramatic, than his battle with long covid and how that’s obviously impacted his running.

We have no shortage of things to cover today and I’m looking forward to welcoming Ty Godwin to the show for round two!

Running For Liam

Ty Godwin found a big part of his running inspiration in his I Run 4 buddy Liam.

I Run 4 is an organization that pairs runners with an individual with special needs.

A special relationship often forms between the two as miles and activities are logged for those that aren’t physically able.

Over the years, the relationship between Ty and Liam grew.

Ty would often travel to California to visit Liam and even push him in races.

In all, Ty and Liam completed 10 races together.

The relationship formed between Liam and his family has been more than Ty ever expected.

Running together has transformed both their lives and Ty continues to visit Liam even though he’s unable to run.

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Prime Years

Looking back over his years running, Ty can easily identify the years he was happiest and most content.

He had run Boston five times and the New York City Marathon once.

Ty loves everything about both those races, but the thing that gave him the most joy was running while pushing Liam.

As he was aging, his times were getting slower.

Running with Liam shifted his focus and replaced some of his competitiveness.

By the end of 2019, Ty was looking forward to running another race with Liam in March of 2020.

From Bad To Worse

Ty routinely traveled all over the world for work and the beginning of 2020 was business as usual for him.

He began to feel sick in January of 2020 but chalked it up to having a cold from all the travel.

In preparation for his March half marathon with Liam, Ty continued to train as usual.

Initially, the symptoms were no worse than a common cold, but all that changed seemingly overnight a few months later.

In a short time, his symptoms evolved much quicker.

Ty experienced a range of symptoms including shortness of breath even when at rest.

He hasn’t run since that weekend in March of 2020 when things took a drastic turn.

Searching For Answers

In the course of two years, Ty has had over 100 doctor visits with numerous specialists in search of answers.

His symptoms have ranged from having a fever for 100 days straight to various neurological issues.

Covid has left devastation behind and Ty is still reeling in the wake of the disease.

On a daily basis, Ty struggles with fatigue and brain fog.

He was forced to file for long-term disability because his symptoms made it so that he was unable to do his job.

The medical community is still very much in the research phase for this disease.

Scientists are just beginning to have more information in regards to long-covid and the related symptoms.

Documenting His Journey

In the initial months of his illness, Ty began to write a blog as a way to document his journey.

Long-covid is not well understood, and therefore people tend to think that it’s all in the person’s head.

Ty has first-hand experience about all the real hardships that resulted from covid including mentally, physically, and financially.

The conservative estimate is that about 30% of people that get covid also experience long-covid.

Looking back, Ty wishes that he listened to his body more and rested when he first began experiencing symptoms.

He has no way of knowing if it contributed to him having long-covid, but he can’t rule it out either.

The last 6 weeks have been some of the toughest that Ty has experienced.

It’s Not The Flu

Ty is two years in and seemingly no closer to getting his health back.

He is determined not to give up, but depression will often take hold.

Ty often feels at his best when he wakes in the morning, but the symptoms always progress as the day wears on.

Dealing with chronic health issues isn’t easy especially when coupled with the misinformation and disinformation always surrounding him.

It may seem obvious, but Ty reiterated to never take advice from Facebook.

A lot of information surrounding covid is taken out of context.

Covid is not the flu and over 900,000 people have already died from the disease.

Looking For The Positives

Ty makes an effort to find things in life that are positive, even when surrounded by all the negativity.

His wife and kids are always a source of happiness.

He also appreciates the extra time he is able to spend with his aging parents that he otherwise may not have been able to do.

Being a runner has helped Ty to be mentally strong to handle what is thrown his way.

Running gives him a goal to try to get back to eventually.

The two pieces of advice that Ty reminds himself of are:

• Everything can be solved with time and/or money.
• Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened.

Ty has found it therapeutic to share his journey with others.

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Mentioned In This Episode:

• I Run 4
• Team Hoyt San Diego
• Ty Godwin Made Boston Qualifying His Goal, and He Didn’t Stop Once He Hit the Mark! (Episode 230)

Stay connected with Ty Godwin by checking out his Blog and following him on Instagram and/or Twitter.

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Ty Godwin was enjoying all the things running had given him until it was all taken away by covid. Long-covid has affected every area of his life, but he is not giving up. Click To Tweet

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As Always, I’d Love to Know What Stood Out to You From this Episode! Let Me Know Your Takeaway in the Comments Below!

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