Bachus and the Numbers (or, an unscientific study of the effects of hydration on running)

I am a pretty diligent runner when it comes to the numbers. Negative splits, hitting my pace targets, training to Lactate Threshold, Easy Pace, Marathon Pace, Tempo Pace etc. Once I have my training plan in place I work to stick to it and I have seen my speed and endurance increase.

I have read with some detachment the effects of hydration or rather dehydration and pride myself on keeping well hydrated. Here in Chico we "enjoy" some fairly blistering summers and you get pretty acquainted with the need to hydrate.

I had a bit of an epiphany during this last weekends long run though. My friend Bill E. is a great guy, solid runner and a great sense of humor. We are pretty evenly matched and I enjoy running with him when I get the chance. Bill has been telling me of late that he has been reading up on training better along in your heart rate zones and had been feeling that he wasn't giving his ole ticker the rest it needed at times. He got me thinking about it and I have begun wearing my heart rate monitor and paying a bit more attention. Of course I was not the least concerned; those who follow my blog know I have wrestled with going on statins and have done a cardiac stress test and according to the sage Doc M. I have "the max heart rate of a 32 year old." But we digress.

Saturday dawned a bit cloudy as the marathon and half marathon training groups I am helping coach set off for our weekly long run. Today's workout: half mile warm up, plyo's, stretching then off for a 10 mile loop round Bidwell Park. First mile at easy pace then step it up to race pace and hold it for the remainder.
Bill and I fell into an easy rhythm and trotted out our run talking about heart rates, the weather and our target times for C.I.M. I noticed that while I felt pretty normal for the pace, Bill seemed to be having a bit of an easier time of it and finished looking obviously more at ease than I.
In comparing our numbers we were dead matched except for the heart rate. His was a solid 20 BPH lower than mine! I had done everything I normally do before a long run, same breakfast, same amount of sleep, same basic type of meal the night before and I didn't feel bad, just my heart rate seemed elevated and it took a bit longer to get back to normal.
The only thing different was a couple of glasses of wine the night before. I felt no effects from the wine, went to bed and woke up clear headed and got roughly the same amount of sleep and had essentially the same diet.

Conducting a bit of an experiment I went out after a good day and a halfs rest for a recovery run and really kept an eye on my heart rate. After a couple mile at easy pace, with my heart rate solidly where it is supposed to be I stepped it back up to where Bill and I had been running and low and behold, almost 20 beats lower than the same pace just 36 hours previous!

Doing a bit of math, this whole debacle translated to my heart beating 2400 time more in a two hour period than normal. Extrapolating that to my marathon race pace that's roughly about two miles more that my heart runs due to the dehydration effects!! Not to mention the recovery time now needed at exercising my heart at 80-85% max as opposed to where it should have been, about 70%.

Now no one in their right mind has a couple of glasses of wine before a marathon, and candidly, the only reason I had any was because I planned on a leisurely long run not doing any race pace work. But we do frequently underestimate how hydrated we are and I certainly didn't realize how much harder my heart has to work to pump that thicker blood until I got to actually see the numbers and compare to someone who is in the same shape as I am.
Fall racing season is upon us and I for one, don't need to add these ghost miles to any of my upcoming endeavors!
Hydrate, pay attention to your training heart rates and enjoy the fruits of lord Bachus AFTER your accomplishment!
Tight Laces,
Ed

Muscle Pain, Statins and Running Oh My!

The last three weeks have been HORRIBLE.. I don't know what the deal is but legs have felt like wet bags of sand, achy and my desire to run waning because of it. NOT a good combination as I have begun my run up to C.I.M and am smack in the middle of a 10K training program. At first I thought it was due to the new schedule at work (first having a job.. good thing, and three day weekends every week.. VERY good thing). Perhaps the 10 hour days and heat??? But, alas no. I have settled in and the heat wave is gone. Hmmm, what else? Ahhh. the hydration culprit?? Typical symptoms.. but I hydrated like a crazy person getting ready to run the Marathon De Sables across the Sahara and all to no avail. So, like a good runner I turned the thought process inward and let my monkey mind worry the problem during some rather painful runs. Suddenly last Wednesday I had a true ephinay. Seems the only thing that had really changed over the last three weeks was the cholesterol lowering statin medication I am on.

I have the dubious "honor" of some genetically enhanced cholesterol levels that stubbornly refused to bow to my running, diet regimen. Enter in the local cardiologist, a slew of tests and a nice prescription for Lipitor earlier this year. I will add, err brag, that I have the max heart rate of a 32 year old, and at 48 plus.. I'll take that!!

I was aghast! How could my cholesterol numbers have remained unchanged (by even one point) from my pre running days three years ago to post marathon, half a dozen half marathons and all the miles in between??? After much hoowing and hahing I submitted to the doc (and treadmill tests and blood draws) and began the regimen of those like me, a statin and a baby aspirin a day. Those of you who know me know I was NOT a happy camper and made the doc explain ALL the variables, natural approaches (red rice yeast) etc. We settled on one and I started all this hoopla back in January.

The good news was that once on Liptor my "bad" cholesterol plummeted, and the good stuff went up. Total numbers are now at 137 where I was over 200 before!! Good stuff and all was good with no side effects.
Enter in our corporate America and immutable health care system. Seems that Lipitor is expensive and my current health care insurance provider felt that something else was in order. The doc put me on "Simvastatin" and upped the dose cause apparently it takes more of the synthetic stuff to do what Lipitor does.. ok my first thought is "isn't this ALL synthetic??".. Come on anytime I put a foreign chemical in my body to raise or lower anything (keep your minds out of the gutter) it seems that's synthetic, but I digress.

The possible side effects of statins are widely published, albeit downplayed by the pharmaceutical community, but seriously in comparison a heart attack, quadruple bypass or memorial service hardly seem worth NOT addressing the issue of high cholesterol. But, chief among the side effects is muscle pain, known medically as "myalgia." And lets see.."muscle weakness, weakness in the legs".. yeah DUH... There are a lot of other possible side effects, one of which comes much more quickly to the attention of my male readership but you can investigate that one on your own! :-)

Well this monkey quickly stopped taking the Simvastatin and contacted my medical professional who put me back on the Lipitor (which IS covered under the new jobs insurance). Today's speed workout was markedly better. Even I imagine there was a tad bit of psychosomatic involvement here but after frustrating and painful runs the last couple of weeks I finally felt somewhat back to normal.

There is lots of information out there about fat soluble and water soluble statins and the relation to muscle pain and whether tests for elevated CPK ( creatine phosphokinase) levels are a good indicator. Generally fat soluble statins are thought to be at an increased risk for muscle pain and water soluble not so much. Bottom line is that all the manufactures say it can happen, there can be damage and should be reported to your health care professional right away.

My point fellow monkeys is BE INFORMED.. (Here comes the fine print) Do your research and know what you are putting in your body, the potential side effects and benefits and discuss thoroughly each of your options with your doctor, P.A., Shaman, Wiccan High Priestess or whatever. What works for me, might not work for you, and vice versa. Statins can be actual lifesavers and I had pretty dramatic results. My comments are not a condemnation or recommendation for any of the products listed. All us monkeys are different and your mileage may vary. This advice is worth exactly what you have paid me for it.
Stay tuned and lets see if going back to that little white oval tablet does the trick.
Tight Laces and happy running.

Post Turkey Euphoria

Well we didnt have turkey.. we had a Capon. Its a big chicken, actually a nutered rooster, (who the heck has THAT job?)
Nice quiet Thanksgiving. Stared out with the Run For Food along with almost three thousand other folks!! I hear they raised almost 65 thousand dollars.. WOW.
Kosmo and I did the Rocky and Apollo Creed type run with both of us neck and neck then pounding it out at the end to cross the timing mat at the same time.. He is such a hoot, love that guy.

Today was last long run before C.I.M and it was BEAUTIFUL in Bidwell Park this morning. Fog and the last Fall leaves made it spectacular for a start at One Mile. Did just over 11 miles as close to my easy pace as possible but took it up and around Middle Trail and up the dirt road to get a touch of hill work in. Back and in through the golf course and out on Centenial.
PF is getting better. That Strassburg Sock sure looks funny but it works.
Tomorrow Teri and I are off to Kona for a week with my dad and Pat and low key running, high intensity relaxing!