Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Quick Question

I had forgotten to mention this in my race report yesterday but it was something that actually frightened me a bit.  When I finished the race I felt fine right away.  My legs I think just needed a quick break (or not).  My stomach was okay again and I didn't have any cramping.  I think that this happens to a lot of us, once you stop running your body stops revolting!

But I noticed something unusual or odd when we got back to the car.  My fingers and hands were severely swollen.  They were tight and tingly and my fingers looked like sausages!  Actually, they looked more like they belonged to Eddie Murphy in the Nutty Professor!

I have had slight hand swelling after a marathon, but never even after a long run or a half marathon.  I couldn't get my wedding rings off until the next morning which is weird too, since they are a bit big right now and often are turning.  Has anyone ever experienced this?  Do you think it was due to my lack of nutrition and hydration?  I was covered in salt when I finished and I knew right away I had done a bad job at hydrating - but I couldn't drink on the course with my stomach all crazy.

The sensation was weird and a bit scary.  My SIL Suz who is a RN thought maybe something was going on vascular, but she checked my pulse and my blood pressure and everything was in my normal range.  My hands were just swollen like crazy!  Have any of you experienced this?  Do you think it was the lack of salt and nutrition?

My quads were a bit sore yesterday after a long day at work sitting at my desk.  I could feel them when I went down the stairs!  So I took the day off (I hadn't had a rest day since the Monday before) and just stretched, did my core work and called it a day.  Tonight I am going to head out and pick back up in my training schedule.  I feel a lot more confident after Sunday's race. 

I am happy to report that many more of you have stopped being pansies stepped up to the core challenge and are on board! We have a good running going and I know you won't be disappointed!  Here are the new challengers!  Whoo hoo!  Stop by their blogs and give them a swift kick in the a$$ some encouragement!
Jill at Run with Jill
Tara at Colorado Runner
Stephanie
Tonia at Racing With Babes
Amanda at Run To The Finish
Jameson at Crush Til it Hurts
TAO at Fenavo!
Indi at Learning to Run & Running to Learn
Sarah at I am a Runner

If I missed you or you would still like to join, drop me a line at katiea801@yahoo.com and I will add you!  Keep up the good works peeps and don't forget to encourage one another!

Happy Tuesday and Happy Running peeps!

15 comments:

RW said...

this happens to me sometimes in the spring as the temperatures start to warm up. i (and my mother who is a physician) have always assumed that it has to do with an interaction between a temperature regulation issue and a drainage (blood pressure in extremities) issue. i would only be concerned if it happens repeatedly...

Pining for Pinterest said...

I have it happen when the weather warms up more too! Also when I do not hydrate that well!

Sarah said...

I'm thinking it also has to do with your dehydration and lack of electrolytes from not even keeping down gu. Crazy that it took until the next morning to go away though! Hope that was just a fluke. ;)

TMB @ RACING WITH BABES said...

I think it's a hydration thing ... the more dehydrated I am the worse it happens!

Psyche said...

I'm so glad you asked this- it happens to me, too, after races and hard workouts. It doesn't SEEM to be a weather thing, as it happens in all kinds of weather. It's a mystery.

Jill said...

I agree with the weather and the swelling; I can't budge a ring on my fingers for hours after.

I failed on the ab crunches yesterday. I had "one" of those extremely stressful days trying to get everything ready for my trip (panning out my kids). I did get my glute pullbacks in, which is a necessity for my sorry weak glutes ... I'm worry (stressing) about that little race in a few weeks since I've gained wt and it's noticeable in my butt! Ha. But I will do doubles today for ya.

Hope all's well. Miss ya.
xo

RunToTheFinish said...

ok well everyone says weather, I think it's something to do with salt...

Jen Feeny said...

Randomness! I'd check in with my MD to make sure all is well.

FYI - I started my core challenge yesterday (Monday) and so far I have 100% success ratings.

Heather said...

That has happened to me before too - it seems to be related to salt with me.

Angela and David said...

I would agree with others that this is linked to dehydration. There's another blogger out there named Marit who does Ironmans and her ankles and legs get crazy swollen from dehydration. Probably something for you to monitor but I think it's pretty normal.

Jess said...

In the summer, here in FL, I experience some level of swelling on any run of more than about 6 miles. The heat just does it.

Still, you might want to be mindful of hydration and be vigilant of conditions if it repeats.

ajh said...

I think it is the salt you lose through sweating and that you need more (gator aid etc.)

Anonymous said...

Take salt pills. That happens to me, too. Try and take one after an hour of running and it'll help yo a lot!

Jo Lynn said...

From what I have learned in training for ultras, it's either too much salt or not enough salt. Or it's too much fluid or not enough fluid. There is a fine line. It takes a lot of experimenting to figure it out. It's hard.
Thanks for all your kind comments and support on my blog. I love to re-read the comments all the time - they all give me incredible strength. Thank you SO much! ;)

Sam Felsenfeld said...

Sounds pretty weird. I wouldn't think you'd swell up from being dehydrated. I've never experienced that problem and it seems a little concerning that you're experienced marathoner, but you had problems like the swelling and the salt with just 13 miles. Part of it could be due to whatever it was that made you sick. But I'd be wanting to know the true cause if I were you.