Aborted my run after about 700 feet

I started my run but aborted after a few hundred feet. I feel really tired. My daughter-in-law is a nurse, and she said persons on Coumadin often are anemic (the symptoms of being anemic include being tired). I'm going to start an iron supplement and then have my blood tested in a week when I go in for a cholesterol test.

The good news for today is that my weight is down to 166 pounds (my normal is 162 pounds), and that 4 pounds extra could be due to my diet, swelling, or both. The bad news for today is that my wakeup pulse this morning was 62 (my normal is 50). That pulse reading means my body is very tired for some reason. With the exception of one night last weekend, I've been sleeping well during the past week. Last night I had a good, solid 8 hours.

1.5 miles of mostly walking

I completed the 1.5 miles but walked most of it. My body was really tired and I just ran a small amount. I'm going to take a few days off for rest.

A tired 1.5 miles

I completed the 1.5 miles, but I was pretty tired when I finished. I ran about 0.7 miles. My wakeup pulse rate has been high (low-mid 60s), likely from not getting enough sleep, and that indicates my body is tired; today's performance confirms that.

My oxygen level surprised me during my 1.5 mile run/walk

I measured my oxygen level a number of times during my 1.5 mile exercise. I was surprised to see that my oxygen level increased during my running, especially when going up small hills. The level was 96% when I started, and it went up to 99% during my runs. After I thought about it, I realized that my running was causing me to breath more deeply and more often, and that put more oxygen into my body. I had already determined on the evening the finger-clip arrived that I could increase the oxygen level by taking deep breaths.

So, I decided that my getting tired during my running is either due to my body condition not being very good from the effect of the blood clots and my inactivity for several weeks while I was getting the swelling under control, or my clots haven't been dissolved yet, or both. My oxygen level is pretty good.

The finger clip for measuring the oxygen-level came

The finger clip came yesterday. The clip displays both oxygen level and pulse rate, and it is giving a surprising result.

The pulse rate numbers are accurate and are within one beat of my measurement of my pulse at my right ear taken for a minute. My pulse rate last night was 77 plus or minus a couple of beats. The pulse rate this morning was in the mid 60s. In both cases, the numbers are significantly greater than my normal wake-up value of 50 and my daytime value of mid 50s. This increase in pulse rate isn't unusual, considering the sleep-deficit that I've been having the past couple of weeks (I'm still not doing very well in getting to bed earlier, and I still wake up around sunrise).

The oxygen numbers last night and earlier this morning were 93-94%. They are above the 90% threshold that was used when I left the hospital 5 years ago after my auto accident. My oxygen was around 87% when I left, and for a couple of weeks I had to use an oxygen tank until my recovery improved and my oxygen level went above 90%. The last time I used the tank was during a visit to my doctor. She used a finger clip to measure my oxygen level. It was about 95%, and she took the tank away. The last time I had my oxygen level checked was a couple of years ago, and it maxed the clip at 100%. So values of 93-94% are above the threshold but not as good as they should be.

However, I just woke up from an hour nap, and my pulse rate is 51 and my oxygen level is 96-97%. It appears that with proper rest, not only does my wakeup heart rate come down, which I already knew, but my oxygen level goes up. That makes sense. I'll use the clip for the next couple of weeks to see if that trend is correct.

I also will take the clip with me when I run tomorrow to see if the oxygen level varies between my walking and my running. I won't use the clip while I'm moving but will stop for a few seconds and check my oxygen. I also will use the clip when I mow my lawns next week; I'm really curious to check my oxygen level while mowing, because that activity has been making me very tired and huff and puff in my breathing. In fact, it is that huffing and puffing that caused me to worry about my oxygen level.

Bought a finger-clip thing to measure the oxygen level in my blood

When I was in the hospital in January, the docs did a CT scan of my legs and lungs. The scan showed multiple blood clots in my legs but none in my lungs. However, the doctor was concerned that I might have small clots in my lungs due to my heavy breathing from climbing stairs and while walking.

As I've mentioned in previous posts, my recovery and ability to run again is going very slow, and I'm still breathing heavily while I run and especially while I mow my lawns. I don't breath heavily, though, when I climb one flight of stairs (15 steps) to my bedroom. In January, before I went to the hospital, I had sweat running down my face after climbing to my bedroom. My heavy breathing while I run and mow my lawns concerns me, so last night I bought a finger-clip that will measure my pulse rate and the oxygen level in my blood. The clip should arrive in 5 or 6 days. My blood level should be in the high 90%, and if it is below 90%, I'll revisit my doctor and probably go back to the hospital for more testing for blood clots in my lungs.

As long as I don't die from all of this, this experience is pretty interesting. I've had almost perfect health for 72 years, and I'm enjoying the experience of being in a hospital, being tested, having mummy-looking legs, and wearing compression socks 24/7. If I do die prematurely, meaning before I'm 100, then that will be interesting too.

Pictures of the inside of my colon

Here are the pictures of the inside of my colon that I mentioned in my comment to the post just above this post. Older people like me should have a colonoscopy every 10 years. Click an image for a larger view.

End of colon looking into small intestines.


Point where appendix connects to the colon. The camera is inside the colon and doesn't see the appendix.


Other end of the colon, looking into the anus. The gray area in the center is a hemorrhoid. The black area above the hemorrhoid is the balloon that was pushed through the colon.

My 1.5 miles started out good but I aborted just before the end

As I anxiously left for my run, I wondered if the increased blood flow would have a significant effect on my running. I did run a bit farther on my first running segment, and my legs didn't feel as tired at that point as they have in the past. However, at the half way point I had run about the same distance (0.37 miles) as I've been doing. On the way back I felt nauseous, and I aborted my run about 200 feet from the end and made a bee-line for my car and then to home (the nausea was caused by my bowels needing attention, and there wasn't a porta-potty nearby, and due to a chain link fence, I couldn't go into the bushes. I did make it home ok, and the nausea was gone.

I've felt fine during the day, although when I mowed my lawns this evening, I still got pretty tired. Before my blood-clot attack in January, I could mow the lawns without stopping and feel great at the end. Now, I have to stop and rest several times, and my legs and body feel tired. My total distance for the run was 0.85 miles for the 1.5 mile course.

I made a great discovery last night about my legs

I've noticed for quite a while that my toes were a reddish color, as if they weren't getting enough blood. Last night I decided to sleep without my support stockings. Sure enough, when I got up this morning the reddish color was replaced with the normal skin color. In addition, I went to the bathroom several times during the night, and the volume of my urine was greater than the water I drank during the night, and my weight this morning was 4 pounds less than it was on Saturday. I'm not sure I understand this very well, but what I think happened was that by removing my compression socks, I got more blood into my feet, and that resulted in more blood going into my lymph system and down to my kidneys and out as urine. When I received therapy in February and March for the swelling in my feet, I was told to wear the compression socks for 2 years. However, the measurements I take each morning on my legs (I measure the circumference of my legs at 3 places) showed my feet weren't swelling any more. I've left the socks off all day, and I'll sleep without them tonight. Then I'll see if my measurements in the morning show any significant swelling.

Another 1.5 mile run/walk

I was out about 9 am and did the 1.5 mile course again. I didn't have my GPS with me to measure the amount of running, but I think I did a bit more than on Wednesday. Probably 1.1 miles or so. There are two places that I use as a judge of how much running I'm doing. The first place is at the beginning of the run, and the second place is at the beginning of the return leg. In both places I ran about 200 feet more than I've been running. I can't use any guideposts in the middle of the run since I don't have an absolute place to start those phases. At the beginning of the out-phase and at the beginning of the return-phase I have a consistent starting place.

After my run I went to a local hospital for a health fair and had my cholesterol checked. It was 162. Six months ago it was 240 (I've been eating less cheese and red meat during the six months). That 162 is the lowest I've ever had. My glucose number was 74 (80 to 120 is considered good), so I'm better than that. My blood pressure was 117/70. My eye test wasn't good, though. My right eye is 20/50 and my left eye is 20/40. Both eyes together are 20/70. I've been aware that I was starting to have problems in my distance-vision, and this confirms that. I'll have to get to an eye doctor before my drivers license comes due in October. Considering everything, I'm in pretty good health for an old guy.

My wakeup pulse rate is high. This is probably due to my not getting enough sleep in past weeks. Even though I'm doing better in getting sleep, it takes time for my body to recover from the lack of sleep. When I was in marathon training 25 years ago, it would take me a couple of weeks to recover from lack of sleep, and due to my it probably takes more time than that now. After my pulse rate comes down, I should do better in my running, although my legs are my weakest point right now.

My body wasn't quite so tired during my run

I completed the 1.5 mile course again, and I ran 0.97 miles or 65% during the run. I had a big bowl of Cheerios and a banana about an hour before I ran, and I could tell my breathing wasn't quite as good as it normally is. However, by the end of the run I was breathing normally. I usually stop running and walk the last 0.1 miles, but today (and the day I ran 1.01 miles) I ran to the end of the course. That is a good sign, indicating my body is slowly getting stronger. Many people would ignore small signs of improvement, such as running the last 0.1 mile, but I notice them. They are signs that I am improving, and they help keep positive my attitude and emotions about my running.

Before my run, I drove to my son's house in the west part of the valley, and it was starting to rain as I got there. However, the central part of the valley, where I run, was partly sunny, and I completed my run with no rain. It is now starting to rain at my house. Not a big downpour, just a gentle rain. The temperature is in the low 70s (F), and it is a nice day!

Rock chucks again

I forgot to take my camera on my run, but I did get a good lock at a rock chuck. It did have the reddish fur, and it had the stripe across its nose.

My legs (and my body) were tired during my run this morning

I ran the 1.5 mile route again this morning, but as soon as I started running I could tell my legs were tired. I ran 0.8 miles of the 1.5 miles. I felt tired during the rest of the day and didn't do much yard work when I got home. The snails in my flower gardens are getting a holiday since I didn't put out the snail bait today as I had planned.

Other than feeling tired, it was a nice run. There was a walker behind me. She was walking faster than I was walking, and during my walks she would almost catch up to me, and then I would start running and pull ahead of her. At the turn-around point, I stopped for a couple of minutes to look at the river, and the walker came to the turn-around point, and we spoke for a couple of minutes. She said we had talked last summer when it was awfully hot; I recognized her face, but I don't remember our conversation. She thanked me for helping her last summer during the heat. I guess I suggested she drink more water or walk slower or something like that.

A family of rock chucks

There is a family of rocks chucks living in the rocks at the turn-around point of the path. I've seen them on several occasions. Last Saturday I saw four of them poking their heads out of their hole or sitting on rocks. Including their tails, they are about 18 inches long, and their body looks like it has a diameter of about 4 - 6 inches. I mention their size so you will know they aren't gophers. If I remember I'll carry my camera tomorrow on Wednesday and see if I can get a picture of them. In the meantime here is a picture of a rock chuck that I found on the Internet. I don't remember there being red on their bodies, and I think their tails weren't as fluffy as the one shown in the picture.

I reached next week's running goal today!

I mentioned in my last post that my goal of reaching 1 mile of running in the 1.5 miles of my workout would likely be reached on Wednesday of next week. I was pleasantly surprised that my body performed better today than I had expected, and I reached 1.02 miles or 68% of the total distance. My legs didn't feel as tired as they have in the past, and my body didn't feel tired either; I was able to breath fine. It will be interesting to see what happens on Monday. I'm avoiding the temptation to push for more distance and am just letting my body tell me when to stop running.

The temperature during my run was in the low 70s (F) and the sky was cloudy. A great day for running.