Monday, February 21, 2011

Exercise-induced anaphylaxis

I have this thing called exercise-induced anaphylaxis. It makes running hard sometimes...like today. I can't eat too close to when I run, or I will go into anaphlactic shock. Usually it just manifests itself in a variety of weird symptoms like itchy gums/lips, stomach pain, problems breathing, and, most comically, swollen eyes. (My sister-in-law told me when my eyes swell up I look like a camel. If it happens again, I suppose I should document it...but the whole point is NOT to have it happen again.) If I'm stupid about it I could end up the the emergency room again, like that one time (or just panting and lying on the floor of someone's kitchen).

So usually I just avoid eating near running. But sometimes this is a pain because I don't want to run when I'm starving. Last Saturday I went for a run too close to my bowl of multigrain cheerios, and I don't think things were the greatest. I suspect that wheat is something especially not good to eat near runs. I had an allergist do a prick test and he just told me not to eat anything before I ran (and take an allergy pill everyday, but I rejected that advice.) But I seem to have decent luck with oatmeal.

Well today I was in a hurry to get my run in before meeting up with a friend--I didn't have time to eat a bowl of oatmeal and then wait for hours. So I just ran hungry....but felt suprisingly lethargic. I'm not sure if it was the no food or something else. It seems like a fair amount of people run in the morning before breakfast. At any rate, the run today was no bueno (for me and my goals anyway). 3 miles at like 9:40 pace. This doesn't exactly seem on track to running a half marathon next month at an 8 min pace. So...we shall see. I seem to have decent luck running after work.

Who else has weird/comical medical conditions?

2 comments:

  1. Me. Allegeric to most raw fruits and vegetables. I feel your pain. Having strange medical conditions takes a bit more planning than most people have to even think about. Good luck next month on the marathon.

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  2. The anaphylaxis is so scary! I can run hungry first thing in the morning but cannot run hungry any other hour of the day or I feel sluggish too. I wish I could run with you! Maybe we should go for a run together just for fun in May :)

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