Can you run with sleep apnea?

 

It’s not exactly sleepwalking.

 Lots of runners find themselves gasping for air after a speedy sprint. Maybe that’s why so many of our finish-line race photos are so comical, or even scary. But what happens when runners (or other folks) experiencing gasping or a struggle for air while sleeping? Doctors call that sleep apnea, and it’s not uncommon among runners.

 

“You can’t have sleep apnea. You’re not fat.”

 My primary-care physician actually said that to me, while I was training for another marathon. “If you can run a marathon, you surely don’t have sleep apnea,” he added.

 My Garmin watch/activity tracker consistently showed respiratory and heart-rate fluctuations and awakenings overnight, during hours when I thought I’d been sleeping.

 

One sleep study later, I was diagnosed.

 Based on that experience, I began researching apnea and running. Here’s what I learned.

 Sleep apnea affects some 10-30 percent of all adults in the US, according to the Sleep Foundation. It’s a sleep disturbance, marked by plentiful nightly episodes of cessation of breathing. These not only affect respiration, but they also increase blood pressure and heart rate, as the body struggles with the lack of oxygen.

 Basically, apnea causes breathing troubles and poor sleep, which domino into all sorts of complications. Apnea sufferers may experience choking or gasping. The lack of quality sleep can cause morning headaches, daytime drowsiness, reduced energy and endurance, slower muscle recovery, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, memory issues, weakened immunities, dramatic snoring, and more. What’s more, apnea increases a person’s risk of heart and brain issues over time.

 Contrary to my own doctor’s pat answer, apnea isn’t restricted to those with excessive weight, although it’s most commonly associated with obesity (and frequently with diabetes). It’s found among those with narrow palates and necks, as well as those with thicker palates and fattier necks. Men are more likely to have it than women, and it’s more often diagnosed in folks aged 50 or older. Not everyone who has apnea actually snores. And it can run in families.

 Once diagnosed, apnea sufferers are generally prescribed CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) therapy, wearing masks with hoses connected to monitored devices.

 

Where does running come into play?

 Exercise has been found to help those with sleep apnea for multiple reasons:

• encouraging cardiovascular health
• gaining lung capacity
• reducing stress (and stress hormones)
• increasing endorphins (How we runners love our endorphins!)
• helping with weight loss
• reducing abdominal and neck fat (common with obstructive sleep apnea)
• improving strength and fitness
• bettering sleep habits

 These benefits combined can help to reduce the severity of sleep apnea effects for lots of people. Of course, sleep apnea experts urge everyone to consult their own physicians before embarking on new or increased exercise programs (including running).

 

Running can be especially helpful with sleep apnea.

 Pounding out a few miles in the great outdoors, while rhythmically breathing fresh, open air, has been lauded as therapeutic for those with sleep apnea. Actually, running or walking can be helpful.

 The trick is to choose an optimum time of day for running (or workouts), while energy and endurance may be as high as possible. For many runners with sleep apnea, that means lacing on sneakers early in the day.

Additional frequent advice for those with sleep apnea focuses on weight loss, healthy diet, good hydration, non-smoking, side sleeping, and regular exercise.

 

Related Items:

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• How cold is too cold to run outdoors?
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• What’s the difference between a runner and a jogger?
• Winter weight: 8 ways to stay trim during the holiday season

 

 Image/s: Creative Commons Licensing, Wikipedia Commons photo

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

The worst-run race I ever experienced ... and why

  But first, full disclosure. I’m not actually gonna tell you which race it was. Not worth the litigation exposure.

 Any runner who has done more than a few races can tell stories of the best and worst run events. Be they 5Ks, 10Ks, half marathons, full marathons, or ultras, each race has a story.

 

This is not that race.

 

What lessons can be learned from the worst of all races?

 A few years ago, I splurged on a fancy themed destination half marathon, starting and finishing on an historic resort property. The website was flashy. The swag looked swell. The course photos were scenic. And a friend was an enthusiastic race ambassador. So I signed up.

 Oh, boy. Was I in for a surprise or what?

1. The entry fees were higher than most major races. This might have been OK, if the race was aimed at benefiting some worthy charity. But nope. It was all for-profit.
2. The race expo was miniature, despite big hype beforehand. Basically, the only exhibitors were the race company, the pacer organization, and a couple of referral/multi-level marketing (read: pyramid) sellers hawking scents and soaps and such. There wasn’t a running-related vendor in sight.
3. The swag tees were flimsy and cheap. To make matters worse, several runners didn’t receive the sizes they ordered. And for those who did, the fit wasn’t as expected.
4. The race map was generic with no race info. The race company had simply copied the resort’s publicity map. No race directions, course routes, or other relevant information was added.
5. The location wasn’t all it was advertised to be. Who knew the pretty lakefront locale would be overcome by lake algae, with wave ripples sending sludge and foam along the shoreline running path?
6. Parking was very limited. Runners who opted not to stay as guests at the resort property had to park along the edge of a busy, curvy county highway and hoof it to the race location. They also neglected to arrange for shuttling relay runners to the midpoint. (I didn’t do the relay, but I heard this was a real quagmire.)
7. They had no PA system for the start (or finish). This led to some confusion, as mid-to-back-of-pack runners could not even hear the start. And it was a good thing runners knew the national anthem by heart, even if we couldn’t find the flag anywhere around.
8. The course roads were open. Ever run a half marathon on the narrow or non-existent shoulder of a county highway? (Remember what I said about runners having to park out there too?) OK, some of the course traced a running path, but after the first mile or so, the course hit the roads. And so did the traffic.
   
9. No split clocks on the course. Hey, they barely even had directional signs. And that’s only if you count chalk arrows on the ground at various turns. (And don’t get me started about the total lack of course marshals to direct runners and vehicular traffic.)
10. What? Only two aid stops for a half marathon? And all they offered was water -- lukewarm water on a hot summer morning.
11. The final stretch ran across loose gravel and the resort’s lawn. Tired runners trudged through bumpy terrain to reach the finish line. Smile for the cameras, folks! And don't step on those flower beds. Just leap over them.
    
12. The finish line ran out of waters before half of the field finished. Who counted the registrants and then planned the purchase of finisher water bottles?
13. The post-race breakfast ran out of food. The race promotional materials highlighted the fancy eggs Benedict and bacon breakfast. Photos displayed tables of colorful fresh fruit, elegant pastries, and assorted giant cookies. But anyone crossing the finish line after the first 100 runners or so had to settle for a paper cup of warm water and a granola bar.
14. One bartender was expected to serve hundreds of runners at the after-party. Mimosas for everyone! Well, only those who got there first or stood in a line that wrapped around the whole crowd.
15. The race organization became my permanent pen pal after the event. Despite many unsubscribe requests on my part, they continue to flood my email address with announcements for this event and others they hold in various destinations. I think I will pass.

 

What were the pluses?

 They had fabulous pacers (actually a different company) and really spiffy finisher medals. And my friend (the race ambassador) gave me a 10% discount code on the event.

 Was that enough?

 

Related Items:

·        Choosing running races: How do you pick which races to enter?

·        Race aid stations - What are they serving this time?

·        Race management: 10 tips for choosing race tees

·        Race volunteers are both valued and violated

·        Sports nutrition: What runner foods do you hate?

  

Image/s: National Parks Race - public domain photo

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.

Sciatica is a shocking show-stopper for runners

 

Ever step on a high-voltage cable? Don’t even think about it.

 That’s sort of what sciatica (sciatic nerve pain) feels like. At least, that’s my own best estimate.

 It’s crazy-painful. Like many runners or other athletic types, I’ve broken plenty of bones. I’ve had stitches in several spots. I’ve had a frozen shoulder, a collapsed lung, and a host of other injuries – not to mention chronic migraines.

None of those comes close to the agony of sciatica.

Sufferers have described sciatica as aching, burning, sharp jab, or stabbing pain. It often plagues pregnant women (when the baby’s weight adds pressure to the lower back), as well as older folks who spend a lot of time sitting. But active folks can have it too.

 If you’ve ever lived through this ordeal, you’re already nodding your head. (That might be the only thing that doesn’t hurt with sciatic pain. Or nearly so.)

 Wish I had a heroic story to go with this injury. The truth is, I was pulling out a too-big and too-deeply-rooted plant in my garden on the first really lovely spring day of the year.

You know how the story goes.

 Immediately, I felt something go wrong in my lower back. Then I could hardly stand to my feet for a while. Soon, the high-voltage torture ran from the small of my back all the way down one leg. Fire gripped that hip, those glutes, that hamstring, the back of that knee, that calf, that ankle, and that foot.

 Soon, the foot went pins-and-needles and then numb. For nearly a month, that foot alternated between pins-and-needles and numb. I couldn’t trust that ankle while walking. (Forget about running for a while. More on that below.)

 An x-ray showed only a 23-year-old compression fracture. My primary care physician quickly tagged that as the cause of my sciatic pain. 

Um, not exactly. 

There’s like a 6-inch distance between that spot and the onset of sciatica. My chiropractor, physical therapist, and neurologist begged to differ with the PCP, pointing directly to a lower vertebral spot (right smack at L-4). Classic sciatica.

Did I mention insurance won't cover an MRI till after at least a month of physical therapy?

Ten weeks later, I’m just barely coming out of the woods on this thing.

 

What is sciatica?

 The sciatic nerve is the biggest (largest and longest) nerve in the human body. It runs from the lower part of the spine all the way (on each side) past the hip, buttocks, thigh, calf, ankle and foot. It ends by the big toe. It’s approximately 2 cm (almost an inch) in diameter at its widest spot. That’s a lot of nerve!

 Sciatica occurs when the sciatic nerve is pinched or compressed, usually by a bulging or herniated disc between two vertebrae (often L-3 and L-4). And it’s a whopper.

What does sciatica mean to a runner?

 Running is a no-go till it subsides. People try, but pounding the pavement isn’t exactly what the doctor ordered. (Walking is good. More on that in a minute.)

 Lifting is a non-starter. I was instructed to forgo any exercises with weights and to steer clear of anything over 10 pounds in daily life. In our house, that meant someone else has to tote the 50-pound bag of dog food into the house.

 Yoga is a mixed bag with sciatica. Some yoga stretches can be helpful, but twisting can make it worse – much worse.

 Sitting is out of the question for a while. That rules out deskwork (unless you stand up for it), and biking is not an option (especially trail biking or bumpy road biking). Don’t mention horseback riding or motorcycling for a couple months.

 Sleeping is a stretch. Many sciatica sufferers can sleep on their backs. Not so for me. The only way I’ve caught any Z’s has been on my stomach. Side-sleeping is starting to become an option, but only on the good (non-sciatica) side.

 Standing can be challenging, especially after a few minutes. Walking is a bit better and sometimes helps to alleviate some of the sciatica stiffness, as long as you don’t go too far. For two months, I had to force myself to get up and walk at least a mile or two (wearing compression socks and a lumbar support belt with an ice pack at first), just to push back the pain of trying to be still (or adjust painful positions) overnight. 

And if you have MS or another chronic medical condition (such as an autoimmune disease), guess what ongoing sciatic pain (and all that lack of sleep) can do. That’s right. It can trigger a flare-up/exacerbation.

  Doctors may suggest steroids (either orally or by injection into the affected area of the back), physical therapy, back surgery, or any combination of these. And maybe massage.

 For me, the answer has been a combination of chiropractic adjustments (first twice a week, but then weekly), added to physical therapy (on a similar schedule). It’s a long struggle, but it eventually helped.

 In the meantime, I missed a bunch of races. I’ve skipped a lot of cardio and strength training sessions at the gym. I’ve done a lot more walking than running.

 But I’m coming back.

Related Items:

·        Hey, Doc. Don't tell a marathoner to exercise more

·        Marathon recovery: Let's talk about toenails.

·        Mid-season knee injury puts a crimp in marathon training

·        Peroneal Tendonitis is stretching my vocabulary by a foot

·        Sick days are setbacks for runners!

 

 

Image/s: Public domain photo by WolfBlur - Pixabay

 

Feel free to follow Runderdog on Twitter, as well as Run Run Run in Wisconsin and Northern Illinois (Runderdog Runs the Midwest) on Facebook. Please visit my Amazon author page as well.