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Breathlessness

Okay...I had an injury to my calf that put me out for 5 weeks..still managed to swim but that was it..no running or cycling. Work has been pretty crap and I learnt last week that I am now redundant so that is also playing on my mind. I started cycling Sunday and although told to take it easy (and did) I did at times feel out of breath.....yesterday I tried a run.....disaster....could only run for about 20 seconds at a time, before feeling of out of breath which i ususally get when I'm running hard. Walking my HR was at 130!
Went to the doctors who has tested peak flow (170 that's good) lungs..fine..BP..fine...sat test..okay...have had a blood test to check for DVT but had already been checked for this when I had my calf injury.
Doctor says it could be that I'm out of condition...!!! but I've been a triathlete for 12+ years and did the Ironman UK last year.....
Is it stress that brought this on........help!!
Oh and just as an aside have entered Ironman Austria....

Comments

  • That's harsh. Whenever I have any more than 3 days off training I start to feel like I'm going backwards and I get a bit paniced. Of course it always turns out to be fine. Could it be that you've had such a long time off cycling and running that you need to almost start from scratch? If you tried to do your normal bike ride on Sunday, it's possible you pushed a bit too hard and you're still recovering, hence the bad run?
    The only other thing I can think is you are subconsciously srtessed about the time off the leg exercise, and this is causing you to have a mild panic attack when you run. Running is a fairly intense workout, for your lungs and heart and what you described is basically what unfit people experience when they start trying to run (I'm not saying you are unfit by the way). You probably don't think of it as intense if you're used to stepping out of the door and doing 5 or 10 miles without blinking it's hard to go back to the drawing board. Add in an stress you are experiencing and that's a combination which could have resulted in your breathlessness. Having 12+ yrs under your belt I'm sure you'll find a way to cope and get back up to match fitness. Maybe try a speed walk with a heart monitor on, and if it feels comfortable after 15 minutes move to a gentle jog, then another 15 mins and move to a slow run etc. The other thing you could do is forget about running for a while and concentrate on swim and bike, then revisit running in a month.
    Also, in case you don't do this already, keep a diary of all training you are doing and how you felt during it and review it regularly - it can show up where you have ramped up too quickly or other patterns like time of day issues etc.
    I hope you figure it out soon.
  • tested peak flow (170 that's good)
    Do you know what scale he is using?

    All the peak flow systems I have seen would expect a fit male adult to blow at least 500. Anything below 300 and I'd be asking some interesting questions. At 170 I would be inviting you take a seat in my van whilst we take a little trip to A & E.
  • Sorry that should have been 700 not 170!!
    Anyway update...
    2 blood clots on the lungs..now on Warfarin to thin the blood...in a nutshell...VERY CLOSE CALL.
    Any triathletes out there using Warfarin and can give a newbie some help and advice...!!
  • Hi,
    That was a lucky escape! Although why have you ended up with a PE/DVT?
    Obvously warfarin 'thin's the blood' so long runs could potentially cause micro muscle tears and bleeding/bruising. The same could occur around the knee joints due to impact. From what I gather though it's only impact sports such as rugby that cause significant problems - or if you fall off your bike!? Obviously check with the doctor/haematologist, but once your 'INR' is stable you should be good to go for moderate training sessions.
    Hope all goes well and good luck for the IM.
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