Ok, so if you run in the desert, you have to be really careful with the hydration. Just breathing with your mouth open can dehydrate you. So on any run 6 miles or more, I always carry a Camelpak and I have been good at that. On my 5 mile and shorter runs, I drink before I go and when I get back. And I haven't been really good at that. Add to that; when I am out and about at work or whatever, I am always ordering up a Diet Coke, not a bottle of water...
So after 1 and 1/2 years of this training stuff and clocking close to say - 1200 miles - would it surprise anyone that I created a kidney stone?!
Turns out my "bladder infection" and "back spasm" self diagnosis the day of the PFChang 1/2 were just a little off... I have a great friend that is Neuro Critical Care Nurse and smarter than most people and she suggested my continued Right Back Pain Complaint was perhaps Right Kidney Pain. So some doc visits and xrays later... my bladder had about 10 specks of calcium floating around in it! The "gravel" of a broken up kidney stone.
I am lucky - I didn't experience the drop you to your knees pain. Although in hind sight, the morning of the race, I could not stand up straight I hurt so bad! Funny how the twinging pain felt similar to that awful spasm of throwing your back out. And also funny how I might "throw my back out" while doing nothing physical since I was off of running the 3 days prior to the race!
I always super-hydrate for 3 days prior to a run - one of the tips my Bicycle Racing Doctor buddy told me about. If you pound the fluids for a couple days, you can create intra-cellular hydration to help get you through the race. I had been doing that and maybe all that extra fluid passing through my kidneys and bladder helped to break up the stone.
The funny part of this entire thing was once I started running, I did not notice the pain. Again - how lucky was I?! The stone must have been breaking up that morning and the worst of it was over by the start of the race.
Wow! Sometimes it's better just not to know. And sometimes you are just lucky...could have been WAY worse.
Let's all go drink some water!
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2 comments:
I'll drink a glass to you.
yikes... I never want a kidney stone. My uncle had one two years ago during thanksgiving and he was in a lot of pain.
I am going to be sure I drink plenty of water.
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