My sister is a sadist

(LeeAnn Brooks) #1

I’m sure I’ve mentioned her before. The marathon runner who recently completed the Boston.

I get a text message that goes something like this:
Sister- want to do a trail run with me today.
Me- (rather hesitantly) you know I’m training slow?
Sister- that’s fine. We can go slow.
Me- you know I’m only completing about 6-7 miles for my mid runs?
Sister- no problem
Me- (dear, sweet, gullible me) sure, that sounds fun.

Fast forward to car ride that I assumed would be the 6 mile trail we did together a few weeks ago.

Sister- were going to go to Yankee Springs instead.
Me - ah… okay.
Sister - (after we were 20 miles out of town and almost to the exit) so this trail has two options.
Option 1 is 13 miles. (Pauses for dramatic effect)
Me- (raises eyebrow and maintains silence to indicate I do not find this option entertaining in the least)
Sister- option 2 is 11 miles.
Me- well, we can just go 3 to 3.5 miles in and turn around.
Sister- well… it’s also a bike path so it’s one directional. If the rangers see you going the wrong way, they will make you turn around.
Me- so you’re saying the only option is to complete at least an 11 mile trail?
Sister- there aren’t any splits or shortcuts, but we can go slow and we don’t have to run it all.

15 minutes into the run I no longer had visual on her. 3 miles in the “no splits or shortcuts” trail hit a fork. I yell as loud as I can, “Julie, right or left” then pray I heard the disembodied voice correctly from deep into the woods.

It’s stuff like this that I tried to tell my parents growing up just how sadistic she could be.

I ended up running 7 miles, half walking half running the next 2, and straight up hiking the last 2. And omg, running trails is sooo much harder than running roads. Even my very hilly course. I’m soaking my aching muscles in a hot tub right now.

I swear she hates me sometimes. :weary:

(LeeAnn Brooks) #2

Oh yeah, and my hands swelled up to the size of ogres. I couldn’t even make a fist.

They usually swell a little, but this was crazy. It looked like someone took a rubber glove and started blowing it up to make balloon animals.

What’s with that?

#3

LeeAnn, the hand-swelling seems odd. I know I asked you about electrolytes yesterday, but it’s not just a question of getting them. You need to have a balance and ratio that works for you (well, that works for you now). I don’t know much more than that so I can’t really help troubleshoot, but it just seems like something’s up.
Aside from your brutal trail run, you feel good?

(LeeAnn Brooks) #4

Every muscle aches. I really pushed it too hard.

And my big toe is really sore. I stubbed it a lot on tree roots. Guess I don’t pick my feet up enough. Just glad I didn’t totally biff it.

Could I be getting too much salt? I had nausea again after this run and sucked on a little salt, which made the nausea go away pretty quick. So I thought I was depleting sodium.

#5

Yeah, I don’t know - I think it’s a question of getting it just right for what you need, and that probably takes a bit of tweaking, and the ratios (sodium to potassium in particular) are tricky. Has anyone else responded that it happens to them? Hand swelling is definitely more common in the summer/heat and after exercise, so maybe it’s normal?

(LeeAnn Brooks) #6

I haven’t heard from anyone else on it yet.

I always swell some, but this was extreme. I seriously couldn’t make a fist. Luckily I had already removed my rings due to swelling earlier in the week. Otherwise I’m positive it would have cut off circulation to that finger.

I had posted on this yesterday. I would think it would be due to water retention, yet my weight has gone down and my clothes are fitting looser, so it’s just my hands that are swelling.

They were so big today while running that it was cartoonish.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #7

I didn’t take pictures, but this is very close to how they looked.

image
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#8

wow… and then it went down again? Maybe if you have a tendency to swell, and then with the differences in water/sodium levels with keto and fasting, it’s just more extreme?

(LeeAnn Brooks) #9

well, they look normal now, but my rings still won’t fit.

And this is after they were getting so loose over the first 11 weeks of Keto that I was about to take them in to have sized down. They were almost falling off my hand. Then suddenly over the past week, my hands started swelling. Not to the point in the picture. That was just during this run for the first time. But enough my rings were cutting into my finger. That’s why I took them off two days ago.

#10

Yes, my wedding ring was almost falling off when I was fasting regularly last year.

I don’t know - just seems like something to keep an eye on until you have a decent explanation (not that you can miss it!).

(LeeAnn Brooks) #11

I just found this online.

Sounds like what’s happening.

“In most cases, swollen hands while exercising aren’t anything to worry about. However, if you’re an endurance athlete, it could be a sign of hyponatremia. This refers to having low levels of sodium in your blood. If you have hyponatremia, you’ll likely experience nausea and confusion as well.”

Damn sodium levels. I had a ZipFizz with salt added and was sucking on rock salt before running. I just don’t know what more to do to get in enough sodium to prevent this stuff.

#12

It might also be a temporary thing as your system tries to figure all of this out. You seem so knowledgable, and I love your posts! but you’re actually relatively new to keto and fasting, right?

Last year when I was fasting more (and I assume I was fat adapted), I was doing regular hot yoga classes in the summer during EFs, and I didn’t know much about electrolytes so I wasn’t supplementing. If I had done that earlier in my LC life (and/or in my hot yoga) life, I likely would have been a total mess but the body probably adjusts with practice/exposure? Just a guess…

(Alec) #13

Wow, LeeAnn, that’s weird. Do you have a runner friendly Dr who can advise? I assume not an allergic reaction to something? I occasionally get some slight swelling in my hands, but not like that.

Your sister was out of order. As a runner, i think that is a pretty mean thing to do. Ho hum, you’ll know for next time.

I don’t often run with other people for exactly this reason. I want to go at my pace and for my distance (I am selfish like that!). And if I feel like going faster or slower or longer or shorter there’s never a drama.

Whenever I do run with other people I almost invariably end up going too fast and regretting it.

Rest up, take a rest day or 2, ease back into the training slowly. Note that this episode will help your endurance for your HM, even though you probably didn’t enjoy it.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #14

If it had ended at 7 miles, I would have enjoyed it quite a bit. I do like trail runs.

My sister says she’s pushing me, but I think she’s still sore that my half marathon time two years ago is still better than any of her half marathon times.:wink:

Of course, I’m a lot slower now, but sibling rivalry is strong with us.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #15

Well, if CICO worked, I should have dropped some weight from yesterday’s adventure.

I burned over 1300 calories just on that exercise, but the scale didn’t budge. And I could only consume about 1800, so I should have been in a deficit of over 900 calories.

Not complaining. Just pointing out how bogus CICO is.

#16

Agree that CICO is pretty much bogus, but I don’t think you’d know from a one-day calculation anyway - too many other variables!

(Edith) #17

Hyponatremia is not only caused by not getting enough salt, but by drinking too much water. Maybe you are overhydratjng on your runs. Please read up on this, it can be very serious.

(LeeAnn Brooks) #18

I have a doctors apt tomorrow. I will ask about it.

(Terence Dean) #19

Next time, you drive the car. :stuck_out_tongue:

#20

I sometimes get swollen hands when hiking. I remember doing a bit of research & coming to the conclusion that its a combination of dehydration and probably potassiam issues but also something to do with blood settling in the hands (stupied gravity) i found walking with my hands clasp behind my neck every once & a while seemed to help. And drinking more water