I almost moved this blog to WordPress until I realized how many strings were attached, so to speak.
Anyway, it is my hope that I can drive more traffic to this blog so that in addition to all the other things I write about, I can make Public Service Announcements (PSAs) like this one:
Don't run on empty.
If you've ever heard the Diana Fox song "Running on Empty" while doing your tenth mile, you probably thought about your heavy legs or some other "wall" that you have to push through. However, I'm not talking about energy reserves... I'm talking about pee.
It makes sense to relieve yourself before a run. After all, who wants to think about the port-a-potty on top of everything else a runner has to worry about? But unless you really need to, refrain. Or, get some liquid in you soon after.
Hematuria is the medical term for having blood in the urine. It can be caused by many things, including scary things like kidney disease, stones, etc. One less harmful cause is strenuous exercise, including running long distances, also known as "joggers' hematuria." Even if exercise is the culprit, the next question is: why? One possibility is that an empty bladder's walls can rub up against each other and cause capillaries to break. Many marathoners have the condition after races. Bicyclists can get it because of "impacts" to "that" area.
There are other specific causes/origins, so if you ever find blood in the pee, get it checked. Stay hydrated!
Source: http://thedevonshires.blogspot.com/2006/10/joggers-hematuria.html and other sites I found during a Google search, and possible experience
It's giveaway time! On a long run recently, I took a couple packs of Sharkies Organic Sports Chews with me to keep me going on a hot day. I got through those 15 miles eating these, versus normal gels. I've been opting to eat chews over gels in my running nowadays because I just find them more palatable and easier on my stomach for some reason. Plus, they do pack a few more calories, which is a good thing in this case. I normally associate cute little chews with candy, but these actually contain natural electrolytes. Plus, they were light to carry and very tasty, too! Each pack is about 140 calories. The only downside I found to the sport chews is that they stuck to my teeth a tiny bit more than my normal choices, and the packaging gave me a fight at times. This could easily be solved by conslidating them into a baggie pre-run, or eating them BEFORE running would be much easier than during. Want to win the prize pack below?...
The urge to pee almost always shows up at the most inopportune time. I think having a little bit of pee in there is good but too much and it is not comfortable to run with. Interesting article tho.
ReplyDeleteI did not know that running or jogging can cause hematuria. Thanks to your article, I'm now more informed about it, and can now take the necessary precautions.
ReplyDeleteI have had "runners bladder" before, man the tests were the worse part. Low and behold I have it right now, heading to the doc in the AM.
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