Preparing for a Physical

So, how does running affect a physical exam where blood is drawn? Well, it turns out it can affect it a lot. Muscles are torn when you exert a lot of pressure on them. That is how muscles get stronger. First you tear them then rebuild. This in itself releases myoglobyn into the urine. Don't bother looking, the traces are so small they are not visible to the naked eye, but in a blood test they will be seen. The good news is after 24 - 48 hours your pee goes back to normal. Your kidneys can release small traces of blood into your urine. Proteins are also released. If you want to know all the things that can be affected, read this article https://www.runnersworld.com/health/blood-test-results-for-runners.

So, what can you do if you want normal results? The easiest thing is to not run for a day or two before your blood work. If you must run, take it a little easier. You can always explain to your Dr that you are a runner and they may cut you some slack, but be warned, push yourself really hard the day before a physical could open you up to a whole bunch of additional tests.

Now, one more thing to think about. As you age, life insurance companies will make your take a physical. Running helps keep you healthy and can reduce the risk of falling dead from heart disease by approx 47%, but a grueling run the day before your physical could result in either being turned down for the insurance or seeing your rates go up.

Do yourself, and your wallet a favor. Take a couple of days off from exercise before a physical. This will help prevent false results that can be costly.

What Happens when your run ends at the ER?

In my short time as a runner I have had my own fair share of injuries. Some of them my fault from over-training, others the fault of others. So, what can you do to try to minimize your injuries, which ultimately cost you money and training time?

• Over-Training - It is way too easy to push yourself too far or too fast too soon. I ended up with a stress fracture and 4 weeks off of running just because I didn't respect my body. Start slow and only do the distance your body can comfortably manage. Then, each week increase the distance by no more than 10%. If you want to increase your speed, start by doing it at a lower mileage and then build it from there. 
• Stomach Issues - There is nothing worse than getting cramps in your stomach or needing a bathroom when none is available. So, what can you do to minimize the risk? First, understand how your body reacts to certain types of food. If a certain type upsets your stomach when running, don't eat it before a run. You will soon know what your body likes as fuel for a run. Also, don't overload on energy and sports drinks. Too much will upset your stomach. Make sure to drink more water than energy drinks. A good rule is 3 times as much water as sports drinks. 
• Falling/Injury - I group these together because for the most part both are avoidable. Not warming up or stretching your muscles can result in a strained muscle. If you are like me, I just start running. The first half mile or so I work into my regular cadence. This allows my body to warm up. Work out what works for you and stick to it. Remember, running requires a strong core. What about falling? Most people fall when running on a trail, or over grass (I wrecked an ankle by catching my foot in a hole while crossing a small strip of grass). Worse is tripping on a broken sidewalk. 
  

Yes, it happened to me. If you are running at a good pace, you will not have time to put your hands down to break your fall. A lot of cities are protected from being held responsible for broken sidewalks unless they are told about them. So, the best way to avoid this type of injury is to know the route you are running and if you come across a broken sidewalk, let the council know.

• Running Injured - It is hard to pull out of a race just because of a small injury. Of course, if you choose to run with an injury you are always at risk of making it worse. I did this at the end of last year. I managed to tear a muscle in my back. Not a big tear but painful enough. Dr told me to rest it for a few weeks. Problem was I had 3 races in the following 2 weeks, a 5k, then the Dallas Marathon Series weekend 10k on the Saturday and 1/2 marathon on the Sunday. Finish that weekend and I would get a special jacket and extra medal and we all know it's all about the bling. So, the 5k wasn't too bad. The 10k was a little worse and then came the 1/2. With a couple of miles left to run my back was screaming at me. I eased off a little and finished the race and went straight back to urgent care where the Dr gave me some very frustrated looks. Worse still, he told me in no uncertain terms that I was to not run for 3 months!!!!! So, be careful running while injured. At least I got the bling:)

Water, what is this magical stuff?

This year's London marathon has just passed and in the build up friends were asking about how much water, sports drinks etc they should carry. Well, on a formal race I normally answer none, since there are always plenty of water stations. You want to stay hydrated but not over hydrated. What if you drink way too much? Well, if you drink an extreme amount of water in a short time it can be very dangerous. In fact, it can be fatal. Drinking way too much water can cause the level of sodium and salt in your blood to drop. This can make you very ill, and in some cases can prove fatal. This condition is caused hyponatemia or water intoxication. Takes a lot of water to get that bad, but don't try it.

So, what about on training runs? Well, the answer is it depends. How long and far is the run, what are the weather conditions, how flat is the course? All of these things change the amount of water you need to carry. If, for example, I am running for less than 45 minutes I will drink a pint of water before running, then go for the run and then drink another when I get back. Now, if I am running further I will add a bottle or two that I fill sip as I'm running. I will not take a sip until I hit the 3 mile mark unless the temperature is over 100F. Now, how do you know if you haven't drank enough? Well, your body will tell you. You may get a headache, you may stop sweating. You may feel feint. If you do, stop, hydrate and learn from the episode.

I am not an expert. There are many professionals out there that will spend hours telling your the right and wrong ways to hydrate, but end of the day, it is whatever works for you. One thing though, don't just drink sports drinks. On a long run they will get you into trouble. Drink more water than sports drinks, although on a longer run you will want to mix it one or two to help balance your body. Trust me, you will know if you have drank too many:)

Anyway, keep running and stay hydrated.

Back in the Saddle Again

Well, after the marathon (which I completed in 5 hours and 2 minutes thanks to a knee injury) I continued to have a difficult running year picking up multiple other injuries. I ended the year running the Dallas weekend series, running 10K on the Saturday and the half-marathon on the Sunday, both with a torn back muscle. This caused me to have to take a few months off from running. Well, now I'm back and plan to run more, have more fun and do more and try new things. I'm signed up for a few virtual races and runs and also for a 5 mile run. Then in December I will take part in a relay marathon.

I've just signed up for the Running Dementia Down 2018 virtual race. This benefits Alzheimer's UK, a charity I hold dear to my heart. Having lost my Dad to Alzheimer's and with my Mum currently suffering from it when I get a chance to raise awareness and raise a little money I jump at the chance. So I will be running at least 100K between now and the end of August to raise money for them. You can make a donation at https://runningdowndementia2018.everydayhero.com/uk/andytate. During this time I also run a virtual 10K for the Royal wedding and the Dallas 5 mile on July 4th!!!!

Hopefully I will get back to blogging more frequently. Anyway, I will leave this post with a photo of my Mum, the last time she came over to Texas, when we started to realize that she was suffering from Alzheimer's.