It is not uncommon to have a persistent cough after the acute flu symptoms have resolved. Fortunately, this does not result in any permanent damage. Your exercise capacity suggests that you have good lungpower and do not have respiratory disease. The symptoms you describe are consistent with muscular discomfort, possibly with excessive muscle tension. In this circumstance, stretching exercises that include slow deep breathing can be helpful. Also yoga can be helpful. Muscle relaxants are generally not very helpful.
Anxiety may well contribute to muscle tension. If you continue to harbor concerns about your lungs or chest, having a chest x-ray and doing spirometry may ease them. Spirometry is a simple breathing test that measures how your lungs are working. It will show if there is obstruction in your airways. Often it will identify a problem in your lungs before you have symptoms. When this is done periodically it will tell about the health of your lungs over time.
Keep up the exercise.
Sounds like asthma, do you somke? If so STOP.
Thank you very much for your reply.
Last week I did see my doctor and we are in agreement that my acid reflux could be acting up again as well (it has been 5 years since any major problems other than mild heartburn). After an exam he thought asthma and or cardiac problems were highly unlikely and I tried a quick spirometry test and the highest reading was something like 640. It did put me at ease as you mentioned it may!
So we treat the reflux for a month and see how things seem after, I already notice a difference in chest pressure as of one week on pres. antacids.
Thank you again for your time and knowledge!
I'm sorry that was a PFM test not a spirometry.