Ran 16 miles and had a horrible experience after - why did this happen?

[RUNFORLOVE]

Today I ran 16 miles 2hrs 40 mins.
? I had a lie in until 9am, ate two weetabix for breakfast, bacon sandwich, herbal tea, banana and water.
? I warmed up by skipping then stretching, bought myself a Lucozade Sport drink (I can only drink half as they make me feel sick)
? I also had a full sports bottle of water which I carry on my waist.
? 10 miles in I was starving and I had hunger cramps
? My muscles were seizing up about 12 miles and I had to work my way through each stride visualising them relaxing one by one
? I felt slightly dizzy and queasy during the last mile and in pain. I didn?t feel like this with other runs except one where I had a small breakfast.
? When I got home, I felt so sick, I tried to drink a goodness shake but I just don?t like them.
? I drank more water, stretched, ate a banana and got in a bath not too hot. I almost fell asleep I was so tired
? When I got out I felt awful and struggled to eat brown rice, tinned makeral, spring onions and carrots.
? My vision started to go really odd and when I looked at my partner I could not see all of his face and it looked slightly distorted. In the top left of my vision were starry shapes. This made me feel anxious and so I went for a lie down. I could not sleep but just rested for a couple of hours and basically just felt dreadful.
? Why do think I felt this bad? My sister suggested I was dehydrated. I know I had enough fluids when running and maybe not enough beforehand but there is only so much you can drink when you wake in the morning, have breakfast, wait for the food to go down and go.

I know I drink enough because my urine is clear and today I had to stop twice to do a quick wee.

What do you think is the best time to do your long run, what would you eat for your breakfast on that day? How much water would you drink before?

Now I am anxious about my long run next Sunday and there is no way I want to feel like that.

I would appreciate to hear what you think.

Many thanks

I don't think I agree that running is really unhealthy and messes up all your joints. There was a longitudinal study done several years ago comparing the incidence of arthritis in the knee joints of "chronic runners" and couch potatoes, and there was found to be no significant difference between the two groups. I'll see if I can dig it up and post a link.

But it is a very strenuous sport, and marathon training needs to be approached with some distance running behind you. Unless you think the rules don't apply to you, like I did , which means eventually they'll catch it with you!

I also forgot to add that if you're going to persist with marathon training (and I really hope you shelve it for a few years), you must cross-train to avoid injury and strengthen the areas that suffer abuse from running, such as the hips, and really stretch the hip flexors. Lots of women, regardless of whether they are in shape or not, have weak hip abductors, which are the gluteus medius muscles on the sides of the hips. If they're weak, they allow your hips to "slosh" back and forth which places a LOT of strain on the iliotibial band, another sideways stabilizer. IT band friction syndrome has killed many a running career. You must stretch the IT band and the hip flexors, and strengthen the gluteus medius muscles, in addition to cross-training. Great cross-training for running is power yoga (also called Ashtanga or flow yoga), Pilates, biking (within limits, because it also puts stress on the ITB), and water aerobics (the strenuous kind, because it gives yo cardio and resistance without stressing the joints).

Please cut back on your marathon plans so you don't become another injured or former runner after a very short painful running career. If you work up mileage slowly, you could have years of running and many healthy marathons ahead of you.

Running isn't unhealthy. Marathon running may be. But that isn't what most people do and no-one does it all the time.

oooh, interesting!

How do you stretch the ITB?

I have no advice, sorry, I only run short distances (5-10km).

Am amazed and impressed that op only took up running in October and is now managing 16 miles!

I have been running for years and I don't think I could do that distance.

It can be done - it took up running in September, and ran 20 km at Christmas. But just because it can be done doesn't mean it should be . Kind of like drinking a bottle champagne all by oneself... it can be done... LOL!

notyummy, there are a couple of ways to stretch the ITB. It's pretty difficult in general because to stretch a muscle you have to bend it over a joint, and the joint in question is the hip, but sideways over the hip, if you see what I mean?
I'll try to describe the stretches, if I completely fail to make myself understood, let me know, and I'll get DH to take some pictures and post them on my profile.

Okay, one way is to stand sideways on the stairs (preferably the bottom stair!), and let one leg (the "down" leg) hang down over the stair edge. It would be good to hang on to the banister unless you have superior balance. ;) The side you're stretching is the top leg which is the one you're standing on. Now let the "down" leg stretch down, and bend sideways towards the down leg, so that you feel a big stretch in the hip and down the outside of the thigh on the "up" leg. You may have to bend the knee a little (the IT band crosses the knee joint and attaches in front of the head of the fibula). Really allow the down leg to reach down, while keeping your upper body as straight as possible whil bending. You're trying to bed your body into a wide L-shape sideways at the hip.

Another way to stretch the IT band is to lie on your back and bring one leg up, knee straight. Take a belt or nick an ugly tie from DH and loop it under the bottom of your foot and use the ends to pull you leg up. At first this resembles a hamstring stretch. But when you've pulled the leg up as far as you need to get a comfortable stretch, then allow the leg to fall sideways over the middle of your body. So if you're starting with the right leg, bring the right leg up and then allow it to drop over your middle toward the left. The trick here is NOT to let your body twist over with your leg. Try very hard to keep your low back flat on the floor, and only let your leg and hip go over. If someone can help you with this, ask them to push down on your right hipbone while you let your right leg flop over the middle, and push down on the outside of your right knee - so they're holding your right hip down on the floor, and pushing your right knee across your body so the whole length of your IT band is being stretched between their hands.

Let me know if this makes sense and if not I'll post some pictures.

that should be "bend" your body into a wide L-shape... can't type, it's too early for me...

JacksmamasLittleBundleOfLOve - wow thats ALOT of information!!!

Scared now but I am afraid I cant go back.

I am running for Beating Bowel Cancer and already raised almost £1000.

I am taking a few days break and going to go back a few weeks in my programme and slowly increase my distance.

I'm not sure if I already mentioned that I have started going to the gym and the instructor who also has ran marathons has put together a prog for strengthing the important muscles.

Before I started this training I didnt go from couch potato to running. I dont drive and ride my bike with two children in a trailer attached up BIG hills with my shopping in the back so I had quite strong legs. I know the muscles used are slightly different but what I'm saying is I was quite fit already. I was rubbish at running though.

I cant go back now. I wish I had been running for the last two years but up until this horrible experience I have not found teh runs that hard and on my 14 week run I was thinking that the 16 is not going to be that bad. I really think now it was down to my diet leading up to the run and a BIG lesson learnt.

SweetestThing - I was so freaked out that I posted on here, runnersworld and real buzz. its amazing how much different advice i got.

Thanks jacksmama...will have a go; altho suspect some vaguely sports related injury involing a tie or banister may ensue

Well, notyummy, if it does, make sure you take a picture and post it!

Runforlove, you may end up being one of those people who's just built for running. I hope so!! I'm glad to hear you biked a lot before, I didn't realize that (if you said so in your OP I apologize for missing it), and so you may have the equivalent of a few years of running behind you. (You sound quite intimidating as a matter of fact - you go, girl!)
The advice I posted came from my own horrible experience and from having treated more patients with similar experiences than I would like, but of course it doesn't apply to every one. I do see you can't back off now, and good luck, I'm sure you'll do great - you've raised so much money, that's awesome!! But if I can just make another suggestion, if you're really hooked on marathon training, try not to do more than one every few years, stick to 1/2M's in between to rest your body.
Good luck and I will be cheering for you!!

Jacksmama - Just spotted you here. How are you? Please post a bulletin in the tea room, where we've been worrying about you imagining you stoned out of your head on percocet.

Will do!

JacksmamasBabyIsOneYearOld - thanks

I totally appreciate your advice and you sound like you really know your stuff.

I'm totally hooked on running but dont worry as soon as this marathon is out of the way I wil just be running 4 - 5 miles and the odd long one.

Its been SO stressful fitting this training in around work, college and kids so rest days are never really rest days.

i also hold music and movement classes for preschool children, three on one day and they are like aerobics classes, sometimes I'm sweating

i forgot to mention the bike riding so my fault.

think im going to go to my gp tomorrow to get checked for low iron etc because today o feel so shattered and felt odd this afternoon and just now had to lie down.

thanks for everything

FairLadyRantALot - Yes I am, do you know me? Do I know you? Email me [email protected] if you want to get in touch.

oh, made you all paranoid now...it's jsut such an army thing, or exarmy thing...lol...i.e. because married quarters tend to be all magnolia....and by the time you can you sort of will never want to see it again...

Yep, you're spot on I chose my MN name after we left MQs and bought our own house!

oh just looked at your profile...what a gorgeous pic of you Baby you have on there... and you are a very talented knitter...I can't knit to save my life, lol

oh that's not my baby, that's my BF (Yorky)'s baby - I was there at the birth and was doing a live birth thread for her. Forgot it was still there I haven't graduated ttc yet!

oh right...sorry ...still a gorgeous Baby and must have been really amazing to be there at your friends birth
And I hope it happens for you soon!

She is a gorgeous baby BF had a home water birth in under an hour! It was amazing to be there. Thanks for your good wishes

How much water are you drinking over what period?

oops yeah sorry for hijack

Hello

Went to GP today my blood pressure and urine sample was fine. She reckons it was down to a drop in glucose levels (because i have a fast metabolism) and suggested i bring some of those dissolvable glucose tablets on long runs. i remember using them during my first labour.

Anyone use them whilst running?

thanks

Hello

Went to GP today my blood pressure and urine sample was fine. She reckons it was down to a drop in glucose levels (because i have a fast metabolism) and suggested i bring some of those dissolvable glucose tablets on long runs. i remember using them during my first labour.

Anyone use them whilst running?

thanks