"Superman's not brave. You can't be brave if you're indestructible. It's every day people, like you and me, that are brave knowing we could be easily defeated but still continue forward." - Unknown
I'm often mocked about the little amount of clothing I NEED to run in (if it was legal to race nude, I would consider, but then ... chafing!). Jamie, my training partner will arrive at the door in a snowsuit, I will be wearing shorts and a sports bra (teensy exaggeration). Most of my training partners and workout chums know me well enough to understand that the more clothing I wear the greater chance they have of receiving a sweaty shower.
A long run on a warm spring day seemed like the perfect idea, I made a few extra water drops due to the balmy temperature and popped some ibuprofen, why suffer. The afternoon was really heating up and a few miles into the course I decided to shed some clothing, the t-shirt I was wearing was now drenched with sweat. I reevaluated the course route and decided if I ran a double back I would be able to hit my water stops twice. I felt thirsty ... and drank a lot of water. As my mileage increased my vigor and strength decreased, I was becoming nauseous and lightheaded ...I felt thirsty and consumed more water. Not listening to my body I pushed on determined to finish my mileage, I now had a throbbing headache was growing weaker, and sweatier.
I had every intention of having lunch when I returned home, I sat down in the kitchen to remove my shoes and thought about some soup. Within moments I was making my way to the second floor bathroom, I remained here for well over an hour vomiting nothing but water. I wasn't strong enough to shower and barely able to move myself to the bedroom, here I stayed for over 2 days. Occasionally, I would wake and sip a sports beverage and eat a few crackers. I knew something went wrong out there, I had to find out.
Runner's are well aware of the need for hydration, but too much? Hyponatremia is a lack of sodium in the blood caused by excessive sweating. You lose sodium through sweat, drinking too much water during endurance activities such as marathons and training can dilute the sodium content of your blood. Runner's can actually be dehydrated while virtually drowning their body. I was fortunate enough to suffer symptoms similar to the stomach flu, however, more serious cases can be life threatening.
Running isn't always comfortable, sometimes I'm tired or unmotivated. Through my years of training I've started listening to my body and understanding when I'm seriously injured or capable of a "run through". My body wasn't just talking to me during that specific training run, it was screaming! I know I have a lot to learn about running and racing, I often joke with my partners that every run is a new experience and I DO learn something new. I now run with salt tablets, packets and have filled a Ziploc with salt pinned to the inside of my shorts for a quick tear-away. At the first sign of light- headedness during a race, I know it's my sodium level.
