At the risk of sounding like the old guys discussing their colonoscopies in loud voices at Tim Hortons, I thought I would tell you about my doctor’s appointment this morning.  I had to walk uphill – both ways! Oh wait, wrong old guys.

Anyway, I went for my annual tune-up and 75-point inspection, and as always, we discussed my diet and level of physical activity.  While I am not due for much blood work this year, she told me that due to my level of physical activity, she was sending me for tests* for haemoglobin, thyroid, kidney function, IQ, midichlorians, some other stuff I can’t remember, and an EKG.  “EKG?” I wondered aloud.

She told me that the current recommendation for anyone who is very active (there’s that term again! I love it when medical professionals say that!) is to have an EKG, both to ensure there’s nothing abnormal going on (at least not with your heart!) and to have a base line for the future.

It was a really simple and completely painless** test – the lab technician spent more time sticking stickers on me than actually recording information – I was in and out in less than five minutes. I just thought I would throw that out there in case anyone happens to be chatting with their GP and thinks this might be a good idea.  After all, on those rare occasions where you hear of someone dropping dead in a sporting event, most times the story contains the phrase “pre-existing, undiagnosed heart condition.”

*list may not accurately describe prescribed tests.
**for me anyway; anyone with a hairy chest or ankles may disagree.

I’ve been a blood donor for longer than I’ve been a runner.   I am told most folks don’t really feel any different after donating, but for as long as I have been donating, the morning after I have always been thirsty, and reaching for the top shelf of the pantry could produce a “head rush” like bolting upright from a lying position while bursting into an operetta.

According to my conversations with clinic nurses, when you’re first “down a pint” you are dehydrated, which explains the thirst and head rushes.  You have to focus on fluid intake, but general blood volume returns to normal within a few days.  However, your blood is essentially diluted because your volume of red blood cells is not replenished for several weeks.  Red blood cells are those fabulous vessels that transport oxygen around your body, so you can see why you’d want them; having full blood volume without all of your red blood cells would be a bit like having a complete subway system without enough trains during rush hour.

In talking with other runners, I’ve heard quite a variety of experiences, from one extreme where they didn’t notice anything at all, to the other where they’ve stopped donating completely while in training.

My personal experience is that for a day or two after a donation, I feel lousy when I try to run.  After that, I don’t feel bad as such, but my level of effort to maintain the same pace is much higher.  When I am running at easy pace, it feels more like moderate pace.  Anything harder than easy pace and my legs start to feel like they’ve been filled with cement.  When I get into the really intense work, my lungs feel like sieves – unlike when I have asthma symptoms, I feel like I am still able to take big, robust breaths, I just feel like I am not getting anything out of them.

However, this gradually gets better over time, so that in about 2 weeks, I am always back to my old self (your mileage may vary).

Whether or not to donate blood is a very personal decision, and I would never judge anyone for their choice.  However, it is worth noting that according to Canadian Blood Services, someone in Canada needs blood approximately once every minute, and 52% of Canadians say they or a family member have needed blood or blood products for some sort of medical treatment .

Giving blood is important to me, and not just because they feed me cookies (although that’s a big part of it). As a member of that not-so-elite 52%, I just happen to have first-hand knowledge of the life-saving power of my donation.  It doesn’t conflict with my training; I just make a point of knowing the affects of the donation for me, personally, so that I can time my trips to the clinic accordingly.  I joke with my husband that I am getting a 2-week period of “altitude training” without the expense and hassle of flying somewhere for it!

I think I have talked about goofy tan lines before.  If you’re out in the sun a lot, you end up with them, even if you are diligent with your sunscreen.

While everyone’s tan line woes are different, there are some generalities that can be made within a sport.  Swimmers are pretty lucky from the waist down, but women get the strap-marks that may or may not line up with the shoulders and neckline of that new dress for that wedding they’re attending.  Cyclists get the perfect shorts-line that makes it look like their legs were masked off and painted.  And of course runners, we get great sock lines and watch straps.

Now personally, I tend to wear fitted shorts, so my shorts-line resembled that of a cyclist.  And while the line was above most of the skirts I wear to work, it was definitely below where the shorts I would wear on a weekend stopped.  It was conspicuous.  And goofy-looking.

Just when I thought I had the market cornered on goofy-looking, I just had to take it one step further.  About a month ago, I bought new running shorts that are longer than my usual pair.  I didn’t think much of it.  Well, they quickly became my favourite pair for long runs, which is where most of my tan lines come from.  This morning while in the shower after a 25K run, I noticed it: the double tan line.  I shook my head as I realized my legs look like two core samples drilled from the same rock.

The good news is, they also look a bit like a slab of Neapolitan ice cream, and I love ice cream.