Friday, January 18, 2013

What price running?

I have been experiencing a problem while running. Sometimes my heart starts to pound "out of control" It is really, really fast. I become dizzy, like when I stand up too fast. My heart POUNDS in my chest, out of control! The weird thing is, I can keep moving. I can't run but I can walk.

The first couple of times it happened, it scared the crap out of me. In fact, the first time I was really freaked out. I finally lay down on the trail, threw water on my face, and then, all of a sudden, I felt fine. Got up and took off running. The second time wasn't as dramatic.

It started happening more often. I didn't know when it would hit or how long it would last. Mile 2? Mile 30? Uphill? At altitude? In the heat? The only thing that has been consistent is that it only happens when racing or running "at race pace." The most reliable way of "fixing it" has been to lie flat on my back. I am no longer frightened. I am frustrated though. I have started taking it easy during races.  I figure that I lose more time when I lie down on the trail than when I slow down a little.

So I told this to my physician. She said it was because I was dehydrated. Wrong. I told it to my next physician and, only after I said I had chest pain, she referred me to a cardiologist. I had a stress test and an echocardiogram. He found a few little abnormalities but certainly nothing to worry about. Told me to take a baby aspirin every day. Okay, fine.


But then I started reading about heart arrhythmias in older, long distance runners. I learned that it is not that rare and that there are treatments. Medications might work. If not, an ablation can be performed, either via a catheter or surgically. So when I moved to ABQ and got a new doctor, I told her about my little problem. She told me I am getting older and I may just have to face the fact that I can't push myself that hard anymore. I told her that is the wrong thing to say to a runner. She didn't want to accept my advice anymore than I wanted to accept hers.

She ordered a Holter Monitor test and I have scheduled it. I can go out there and try to initiate one of these episodes. It might happen; it might not. If not, then there are further tests. But, perhaps it is time for me to do some soul searching. I have had two orthopedic surgeries, one on each heel. I've spent thousands on these surgeries...well, my insurance has anyways. And lots more on physical therapy, medications and other orthopedic treatments so that I can continue to race.

Maybe this is ridiculous. Maybe I need to "back off the pace." From reading about the athlete's arrhythmia, it appears that there is some evidence that this level of running can actually injure the heart. Is this true? There are so many studies showing that consistent running is good for the cardiovascular system. In the world of biomedical research, there is rarely a definitive study. Until studies are replicated, using more people--especially older people who have engaged in long distance running for a number of years, we just won't know.

So the question is: should I have the Holter study done, at substantial expense to my insurance or should I just continue as I have been? Do I settle into not only a slower pace (that I can live with), but a reduced effort? This is not my style.

Saturday, January 12, 2013

The holidays are over. The bills are paid. I just returned from spending time with the grandkids. They are amazingly good. They are amazingly noisy!!! They are amazing.

It's time to settle into the spring semester routine. Spring break is months away and the ink on my syllabus is still wet (or it would be if it were printed on paper). My racing calendar is starting to fill up.


A couple of weeks ago I went for a run on the east side of the Sandias, at a higher elevation. It was a five mile loop and I decided to take both Idgie and Sadie. The first part of the trail was packed snow. Then we hit fresh powder. It was a delight. I was having a blast kicking through the snow. Sadie was doing her disappearing act. She'd leave the trail and suddenly show up in front of me. Never could figure out how she did it. We came to the trail intersection and I couldn't discern the trail since no one had yet tracked it up. It took me a few false starts, but I was able to locate it. I wasted a bit of time and realized that I  would be hard-pressed to make it back to the truck before dark.

The best part of this run was being with Idgie. She loves the snow. She romped, she chased Sadie, she stayed with me, she was smiling! We had done this trail in the summer and she wasn't able to run it. The heat wiped her out. But this day, she was on top of her game!! I was thrilled to see her running easy.

I was reminded of her days as a "huffer." In Wyoming, she loved to run behind the snowmobile that groomed the cross country  ski trails. She was stay right behind it, breathing in the fumes. Then she would throw herself on the ground, rolling and tumbling and acting just like a cat on catnip. I know she was getting high. Whenever she heard the snowmobile, she would start looking for her fix!


I am glad we had that day. Yesterday I took her to the vet. She has been having trouble breathing and her neck was very swollen. The vet gave a diagnosis of lymphoma. Without treatment, she will likely die within a couple of months. With treatment, she will likely go into remission. Remission will only be temporary. Her life expectancy, even with treatment, is only about a year. She is 12 years old, no spring chicken for an 80 pound dog. She has had a pretty good life. I can deal with her death. The hardest part is making the decision. Do we choose chemotherapy for a 12 year old dog? Or do we choose treatment to increase her comfort? Either way, there will come a time when I will have to make the final decision.