I'm Running My Life…

Just last week, I was saying how I listen to my body.  Boy was I put to the test at the end of this week and it really sucked because race day was in less than a week.  Oh well, my health and well being is much more important than running (did I really just say that, blasphemy).  I’m not going to lie, I was a little worried about running period but especially worried since I knew I had the Rock and Roll (RnR) Raleigh half coming up. I mean just last year two people died during that very race and I think it was heart related. SCARY.

The days leading up to my heart scare:

Sunday and Monday, I just chilled.  I was supposed to run on Monday but my bed held me hostage a little longer than anticipated, so I succumbed.

So of course on Tuesday I decided to run my mileage for Monday and Tuesday.  I mean come on, it was only 9.5 miles total.  No biggie, right?  Well it could be a biggie, my running coach (who is missing in action, emailed him a number of times but haven’t heard back, guess I’m on my own for my next half, it’s okay I have really learned a lot) would frown on me trying to make up a missed run because there is a greater risk of injury to the body…so I wouldn’t recommend it.

I planned on meeting BGR! Columbia at five but wanted to start earlier to get in more mileage.  I headed out about 4:30 am and started with my repeats.  I did a one mile warm-up at my CP (8’45), 3 repeats of the following: 3 minutes at 8’15 pace, 1 minute at 8’45.  Finished this run up with a cool down at my CP before meeting the ladies at 5.  I ended up running 3.45 miles and felt really good during that run. I knew I had more to give, so running six more miles turned out to be cake.

Got back to my car at 5, and decided to give the Huma chia energy gel a test drive. I usually don’t use any thing during a run but decided to give it a go. The taste was amazing (I mean really, I could use this as a snack). I’m always skeptical about energy gels but loved the fact that this claimed to be all natural.

5:10 on the dot, I met up with my sole sistahs to pound out six more miles.

This was an easy run at my CP.  Again, I felt awesome. I’m not sure if I noticed a difference energy wise,  because like I said before I was already feeling AWESOME!!! I guess I will try the energy gel one more time on my next long run to see if I notice any thing different.

On Wednesday I met my sole sistahs for hill repeats.

With all the talk going on about the hills in the RnR Raleigh half, I knew I wanted all the hills I could stand (or in this case run).  Always great getting in some hill work.

I really felt like crap on Thursday, nothing hurting, I just wasn’t feeling it. I didn’t want to run or workout but since I lead the Thursday morning runs now, I didn’t want to let anybody down by canceling.  Headed out earlier and got in a mile run before meeting the ladies at our designated spot.

Met up with my sole sistahs and got in 4.5 more miles.

Funny how once I got started I didn’t want to stop.  Some days we need an extra push to get it done and the ladies were just that for me that morning.  Knowing they were going to be there to get there run in was all the motivation I needed to get my butt up and out the house.  Another sole sistah mentioned she needed four miles but was going to stop at three but with that sistah power (push) Erica was able to finish up her four miles. AwesomeSauce!!!  Ended up running home for an additional mile for a total of 6.5 miles (and I didn’t even want to run LOL).

I was so pumped from that run, that I came home to finish my lower body workout.   This workout consisted of plenty of squats, burpees, box jumps (which I used my kitchen chair 🙂 improvised) and deadlifts.  I was really feeling GREAT!!!  In fact, Thursday was a great day…until it wasn’t.

Friday, I woke up still feeling pain in my chest (had chest pains Thursday night before going to bed). It really felt like something was sitting on my chest.  Ok I didn’t know the saying ‘feels like an elephant sitting on my chest’ was a thing.  When I woke up on Friday, I wasn’t thinking heart attack but it’s funny that I stopped in front of the mirror and placed my hand over my heart and was mesmerized by the beat….so loud so powerful so strong (couldn’t be my heart).  Didn’t think any more of that.  I figured I would go to work and see how I would feel later in the day.

Got to work and my boss made me go to urgent care.  I was more than happy to oblige, especially after her and my coworker scared the heck out of me.  She said my symptoms sounded like someone having a heart attack (hmmm remember earlier when I stopped to put my hand over my heart…interesting).  It really scared me but I’m healthy, I couldn’t be having a heart attack…could I?

Got to Doctors Care (I will never go there again) and waited and waited.  They gave me an EKG and said it looked normal but the doctor felt as though he should call me an ambulance.  What the hay?  But it was normal. The doctor went on to explain that there was more to a heart attack than just the EKG and I needed to go have more test ran.

Well you know, had I been driving I would have went right home 😉 (yep, sure would have).  But my coworker said come on let’s go.  That morning Google was my bestfriend.  That’s where I discovered the saying ‘feels like an elephant sitting on my chest’ was heart attack related.  I also discovered if you tell the person checking you in that you think you are having a heart attack you will be taken back real quick like 🙂 .  Got to ER and they took me right back and ran their own EKG.  Then sent me right back out to the waiting room 😦 .

I figured two things right then and there… 1) I’m not having a heart attack because I’m sure if I was, I wouldn’t be sent to the waiting room to wait and 2) The rest of my day was going to be real interesting in that dayum ER (and it was).

They ran every test in the book on me, took my blood, gave me a GI cocktail (didn’t work), nitroglycerin (just gave me a headache) and did a chest x-ray.  Every thing came back normal.  I was given a clean bill of health.  You know I really hate going to the doctor but it really did ease my mind to know that I wasn’t having a heart attack.  The doctor figured I was just having pain and said that sometimes that can happen for unexplained reasons.  OKAY!!!

I’m sure you all are aware that heart attacks can happen at any age.  I really feel as though I take pretty good care of myself by eating right, working out and getting enough sleep at night.  Those are just a few  habits that will enable me to live a healthy life.   Now don’t get me wrong…I have my moments…but for the most part I’m going to do my body good (she’s all I got).   It’s important for us to stop and take care of ourselves.  I am….are you?

I never did get in my 14.5 miles to finish the week up (planned on running 6.5 on Friday and 8 on Saturday).  I was going to do it on Sunday but I thought best that I should just go ahead and rest up (listening to my body) and start fresh on Monday.  Looking forward to the upcoming week…it’s another taper.  My half is this coming Sunday….man I hope I’m ready…really hate I missed my long run.  Oh well…I’m still going to give it all I got?

Have you had any health scares while training?  Did you listen to your body?  

Have you tried Huma before or any other energy gel? Can you tell a difference in performance?