Contributed By Sandy | Published: May 12, 2005
by Sandy Baguskas
"Why couldn't Pheidippides have died here?" Frank Shorter, at 16 mile mark of marathon.
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Ok, so it is not necessarily winter, but what if you catch a cold in the middle of your training season. What do you do? This is a question you always face when dealing with any type of an injury, but is a cold an injury? You might ask yourself a)- Should I stop training and wait until fully recovered before resuming normal training or b) - Should I continue with normal training at a lesser effort?
These are very difficult questions and really you know your own body and its capabilities. If you are unsure, then contact your doctor. Here are some things you might want to think about, but remember this is only advise, you should contact your primary care provider for medical information.
A lot of runners follow this guideline: if the cold is above the throat, run easily and if it is below and in the chest ease right back or stop. There are some documents theories on the later being very dangerous. If you have a cold that is in the chest, than you need to seriously consider talking with your doctor. Why? Cardiomyopathy.
What is Cardiomyopathy? It is defined as a term derived from Latin and Greek - means 'a disease of the heart muscle'. There are four types of Cariomyopathy?
- Dilated (DCM)
- Hypertrophic (HCM or HOCM)
- Restrictive (RCM)
- Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular (ARVC).
Now, I am no doctor but here is what this all means. Dilated Cariomyopathy (DCM) causes the heart to become enlarged, and to function poorly. As a result the muscle of the heart becomes weak, thin, or floppy and is unable to pump blood efficiently around the body. This cause fluid build up in the lungs which causes the lungs to become congested and results in the feeling of breathlessness.
What causes Cardiomyopathy? A lot of cases the cause is unknown. There are some factors that may cause Cardiomyopathy: Viral infection, Auto-Immune Disease, Excessive alcohol consumption, Pregnancy, and Familial disease. There is some documentation that exercising when having the flu or flu-like symptoms can cause Cariomyopathy.
What are the symptoms of dilated Cardiomyopathy? These symptoms can come on slowly or can be very sudden in the onset. It all depends on the person. Some of the common symptoms are shortness of breath, swelling of the ankles, tiredness, palpitations and chest pain.
One very successful Triathlete has been diagnosed with Cardiomyopathy and it is believed that he elevated his heart rate to abnormal levels during training sessions when having flu-like symptoms (Read More….)
Now, don't get scared and think that this is what you have because you experience some of these symptoms, but know your body and be aware. If you are sick then use common sense to determine if you are going to run or not. If you are sick, then take a break. We are running to be healthier and we don't want our running to kill us.
As always, this is for informational purposes only. It is meant to make you aware of things that might come up when you run. If you have questions, contact your doctor.
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