Giving Blood and Running

Yesterday's Total Calorie Intake: 2045

(Exercise Calories: 422)

Total Net Calories: 1623

I gave blood yesterday. It is something I have been doing regularly now for a little over a year. I have an uncommon blood type - AB+ - so I believe it is an important thing to do to ensure that there is ample supply of blood for this type (even though it is a "universal recipient" blood type...)

The problem with giving blood and training, however, is that your body takes a few days to recover and get back to its normal aerobic capacity. I learned this the hard way :-)

On Thanksgiving Day, I ran the Bethesda Turkey Chase. I had given blood that Monday during my lunch break, and on Tuesday morning I went out for a final 3 mile run before the 10K on Thursday. I laced up my shoes, put on my HRM, and whoa! my HRM was giving me a "resting HR" of 93 (it is normally in the 60s). I knew right then it would be a tough, slow run. I felt really sluggish, my pace was about 1:20 per mile slower than the week before and my HR was averaging in the 160s. I went back to see if this happened before after giving blood. I had been smart NOT to run the day after giving blood, however, I did run a 5K that July - TWO DAYS after giving blood. I remember feeling sluggish at that race and blamed the hilly course and the heat and humidity. Then I realized that I did not account for giving blood earlier that week.

That is why I moved my schedule around this week to rest today, do an easy run tomorrow and hopefully do an interval workout on Thursday (depending on my resting HR).