when Marathon training goes bad....

[metalfan]

Now I have learned several lessons about marathon training in the summer heat and humidity in Florida the hard way.

I went out this morning for a 16 mile run. It would have been my 1st 16 miler. I have done two 15 milers now.

I wasn't 'really sure' I was going to commit to 16 miles. 8-10 was what I had planned, because we sat around and split a bottle of white wine with dinner last night and I didn't sleep well after.

So I didn't do my 'usual' preparation:

1. Power Bar for breakfast (16 grams protein, good carbs, vits and minerals)

2. I started late--8am--it was already 80+ and extremely humid

3. I only took 8 oz water

4. I neglected to take a powergel with me (110 cals, NA+ and K+ supplement in gel form) for the 1/2 way point

When I got to the 5 mile mark, things were going better than I thought so I said to myself, 'let's push on for 13."

When I got to the 6.5 mile mark, same thing. So I foolishly said to myself, 'let's go all the way out to the Sunoco station and make it 16 total!!' (DUMB, very DUMB)

I ran out of water at about mile 9 and resolved to stop at the Publix grocery at mile 13 and refill. That went okay. But then I started to develop symptoms of heat sickness.

My legs were cramping, I was extremely nauseated, I started having pins and needles in my arms and legs that progressed to a steady "buzzing" feeling in my fingers, I was faint, sweating in beads and having visual distortion. I got very oxygen hungry. I couldn;t seem to breathe deeply enough to get enough air.

I stopped running and started walking, now only concerned with being able to make the 2 1/2 miles back home at a slow walk. I had to stop several times, thought I was going to throw up or faint constantly. Finally I just stopped and sat down in the grass by the side of the road.

A cyclist happened by and stopped, he had been on a 50 mile jaunt and recognized the fact that I was in dire straits. We tried to call my husband on his cell but he didn't answer. He was out of water but had a Powergel that he gave me, and he called his wife and she came out with an ice cold bottle of water and took me home in her SUV. I don't know these folks, they are an older couple who live somewhere along our road, all I got was Ed and Sharon. But they are truly angels and probably saved me a trip to the ER.

After getting in a cool tub with fluid resuscitation and electrolyte resuscitation, I felt better and was able to eat something. But it was a close one, and taught me a very valuable lesson that I should have already learned. The temp when I got home on the outdoor thermometer was 93F.

This happened to me once before, in the mid-late 80's in California. We went to Long Beach to run a 10K in May, and So Cal was in the middle of a heat wave. The race started at 8am, and it was already 85. When we finished, it was well over 90. The organizers hadn't gotten enough water for the event for everyone, and we didn't get any because they ran out. We stopped for a coke on the way back to LA, and I had a full blown heat stroke in the car. I quit sweating, and started trying to jump out of the car while my husband was going 70 on the freeway. I was having the same paresthesias in my extremities and visual disturbances I was having today, and I blacked out and he said that when he pulled over, my pulse was barely there and thready. We barely got to help in time.

So you'd think I would know better, huh?

Next time, if I can't get started before 7am, the long run is canceled. I am going to carry a larger bottle of frozen GATORADE and never leave home without my cell phone and a Powergel. AND an adequate breakfast.

I weighed before I left, my weight today was 127. When I got back, AFTER about 32 oz of fluid orally, my weight was only 120. That's a drastic loss for me, I usually only lose about 3 pounds in fluid during a run, 4 at the most. That means before I drank the 32 oz I was probably 118-119. Probably almost a 10 lb loss.

Lesson learned. You'd think an old dog like me would have already been smarter than that, LOL.

[BS Man about Palms]

Dun you dew no more stupid stuff like dat! y'hear? or we will be very angry wif you!!!

Glad you are posting and a little wiser...

[Kim]

Yes, dehydration is not a joke, glad you are ok. I am surprised, I know you know better!

Last time I hiked the Grand Canyon I wondered what happened to the tourists who were walking to the bottom wearing flip flops and not carrying any water. Crazy.

[palmmermaid]

Gina,

This heat ain't nothing to mess with! I had a heat stroke once when we were diving. Since we were diving in a spring-fed river, we had on wet suits. Had to walk about 1/4 mile in a full wetsuit. By the time we got to the water, I was no longer sweating and was hallucinating. My husband got me in the 72 degree water, unzipped my wetsuit and we just floated for about an hour. Scary thing. We were a long way from anywhere and this was before cell phones. after that, I just went with no wetsuit and stayed until I got too cold.

Most people also don't know that diving is very dehydrating. This is caused by breathing completely dry pressurized air from the tanks. You inhale no moisture and exhale a lot. I always warn my students that one of the biggest contributors to decompression sickness is dehydration. That means start drinking water the night before and lay off the alcohol.

Glad you are OK and don't do that again!

[metalfan]

The gentle man who stopped to help me was so nice, he called later that night to check and see if I was okay (he had tried to call my hime number to get my husband when we were out on the road). He never even told me his last name. I scarfed his name and number from caller ID and looked him up in the phone book, and went to one of the local cycle shops and purchased a gift certificate for him and sent it to him today as a surprise 'thank you'.

I bought some PowerAid Zero today, 'all the electrolytes but no calories'. I am going to try it out next run. I figure that I get enough calories from the Gel, that a sports drink with lytes but no sugar will be a-okay.

Kitty, I know what you mean. My husband had gotten sick a few times diving from dehydration. Its a scary thing to be out on a boat in the middle of nowhere with heat sickness.

[Jeff Searle]

Gina,

What a great, but scary story. I'm glad to hear your alright, and what a nice thing to do by sending him a gift certificate.

Jeff

[metalfan]

I guess there's something to be said for delayed gratification.

I did the same 16 miler today, had a good breakfast before (ie a Zone Bar with 2 glasses of tea), took 17 oz of frozen Powerade Zero (all the electrolytes, none of the sugar!) with me and had a PowerGel (110 cal) at the halfway point. Started half an hour earlier (at 0730 rather than 0800) and made it with absolutely no difficulty other than expected tiredness and muscle fatigue in 154 minutes!

[John in Andalucia]

I guess there's something to be said for delayed gratification.

I did the same 16 miler today, had a good breakfast before (ie a Zone Bar with 2 glasses of tea), took 17 oz of frozen Powerade Zero (all the electrolytes, none of the sugar!) with me and had a PowerGel (110 cal) at the halfway point. Started half an hour earlier (at 0730 rather than 0800) and made it with absolutely no difficulty other than expected tiredness and muscle fatigue in 154 minutes!

Gina,

It sounds like your engine is firing on all cylinders and running true. Now when you put her away at night, don't go messing around under the hood!