Episode 158: What Happened After My Longest Hike Since Illness

In this episode, Anna shares the experience of completing her longest hike since chronic illness — a 21km hike lasting almost 6 hours — and reflects on what the following 72 hours revealed about recovery, capacity, and nervous system regulation.

This is not an episode about pushing harder.

It’s a conversation about what late-stage recovery often really involves:

• understanding load distribution
• preparing the body appropriately
• supporting recovery intentionally
• and learning how to take on bigger physical challenges without overwhelming the system.

Anna explores:

• training and pacing considerations
• planning around wider life stress and menstrual cycle timing
• fuelling and post-exertion recovery
• sleep and nervous system support
• active recovery tools such as restorative movement, heat, cold and body work.

Blending personal reflection with clinical insight, this episode offers a realistic and grounded look at what rebuilding capacity can look like in the later stages of recovery.

Useful Links

Take the Chronic Fatigue Quiz: https://app.annamarsh.co.uk/quiz-page

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Work with me: https://annamarsh.co.uk/work-together/

Website: https://annamarsh.co.uk/