Why I was getting slower....

[BethC]

Hi everybody

Don't post often but wanted to share this.

I started C25K a year ago. Did a 10km in October. Due to holidays and slightly gammy knee took the rest of the year off.

In January I started again. I was making steady, if slow, progress. Times were a bit quicker, distances were longer.

Then at the start of May I started going backwards. I lost 15-20 seconds a KM (and when you are as slow as me that's a tragedy) then found the running harder and harder. 10km would see me virtually crawling back home and I completely bu#@ered up a race in Oxford which was soul destroying.

Tried hill work (nearly killed me), track work with local running club (embarrassing).

I couldn't understand why I was actually getting worse as I had no injuries.

Last Monday I went to give blood (for first time in years) and I guess you can tell what's coming. I am anaemic. Quite severely actually.

I had no idea. Now I am armed with iron supplements and hopes I might finish the Oxford Half before the 3 1/2 hour cut off!

So, if you see a marked decrease in performance (as well as overall tiredness and breathlessness) it could be your iron levels. Don't soldier on like I did. I've wasted two months. On plus side doc has said when iron levels return to normal I'll be off like a rocket (he obviously hasn't seen me but there we go).

[Hidden]

Okay that's interesting. I take feroglobin as being a veggie I know my iron does fluctuate at the lower end of what I need to have. But it's a good warning in general that there could be something unseen behind finding yourself running too slowly. Why do you think your iron got so low? Does running make the body use more iron? I guess it's important to be aware what our body uses mineral-wise and make sure it's got enough supplies?

[BethC Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Reason for low iron is to put it delicately 'women's issues'. I've always been at the lower end as well but seems I finally pushed it over the edge! Also apparently running does causes more iron loss - through sweat and blood vessel breakdown. I've learnt a lot this week and will be more vigilant.

[Hidden in reply to BethC]

There is that of course as well Anaemia is far more serious than low iron alone, but it's good to be armed with info... Wishing you full recovery and rocket-like running again very soon

[BethC Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Ruth. I was never rocket like..but I don't know how long I've been iron deficient for so who knows!

[Hidden in reply to BethC]

I'm also pretty slow, and slowed down a lot after graduating, which I put down to increasing distance too quickly. I'm now building up again more gradually (back to 4.2k now, but at 10.22min/k! My excuse - there were hills!) Thinking of getting my iron checked after reading your posts as my graduation run was at 8.12min/k and I'm really struggling to get back to that pace. I've had my lung capacity (asthma related) and blood pressure checked, which all came out fine, but maybe it's worth asking about iron too.

[BethC Graduate in reply to Hidden]

It wouldn't do any harm. I thought I was just unfit and put more training in and I just got slower. Good luck anyway!

[Hidden in reply to BethC]

Good luck too! Hope you see improvement again soon

[Pigivi]

Oh dear... hope you'll feel better soon! Having pernicious anemia I know how wrecked you feel

[BethC Graduate in reply to Pigivi]

Thanks Pigvi. Given how rotten I've felt I don't know how you do it with pernicious anaemia. My Mum had that and she struggled full stop.

[Pigivi in reply to BethC]

I get regular injections and it seems to work - but when the 3 months are nearly over I really feel it and get very tired easily

[TurboTortoise Graduate]

Give it a month of the iron supplements and you will be amazed at the difference. Turns out I was anaemic for the entire duration of the couch to 5k programme, subsequently knocked about 5 mins off my 5k time, just like that - and I am not exaggerating! Thing is I had nothing to compare it to and didn't feel particularly tired or breathless (apart from when I ran) so just thought it because I was old, slow and unfit.

It's important you pinpoint the cause of the anaemia, I assume you've had the full battery of blood tests?

[BethC Graduate in reply to TurboTortoise]

Thanks Turbo that's really heartening. I have had a whole raft of tests and doc is dealing with the underlying cause (good news is I'm actually pretty healthy overall).

I also haven't had anything to compare it to and thought my breathlessness and recently tiredness were lack of fitness. I even tried to train more. So I'm hoping for some PBs once the iron kicks in!!

[TurboTortoise Graduate in reply to BethC]

Good news that you're healthy. My underlying cause was a uterine fibroid, small op sorted me out. Yes the difference once your body has made new blood cells is quite something, I felt like I had new legs and new lungs, especially on the hills that had defeated me before!

[no-excuse Graduate]

How fortunate that you gave blood when you did. Its good that you know the cause and that something can make things right for you again. Hopefully you will be running like a goodun soon! x

[goonkeepgoing Graduate]

I was anaemic during pregnancy and took Spatone to avoid the supplements (and their side effects). I would highly recommend it.

I hope you feel 'super charged' soon.