Giving Blood while training...

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19 years ago 02/14/2005 9:40am EST

It seems it happens to me every couple of weeks whenever the blood bank comes to my work for a blood drive.

I'm the only one in my office who is a competitive runner and runs every day, although I am months away from competing in my next marathon (Early summer possibly).

Much like I get asked every day at lunch "Why do you run?" I get asked "Why don't you give blood?"

I tried explaining that losing blood would be a hinderance in my training, although I've never seen actual data on it, it seems common sense: Less blood = less oxygen.

I'm not against giving blood, in fact, when I'm done competitvely running, I'll gladly get on the table.

Am I correct in my assumptions, or am I just secretly harboring a phobia of needles?

19 years ago 02/14/2005 10:15am EST

re: Bloody Hell

19 years ago 02/14/2005 1:32pm EST

re: Bloody Hell

I once trained with a guy who gave blood; before giving blood, he was a 2:50 marathoner, and ran strong. After giving blood, he totally bonked in his training and never recovered; it was liked he was wiped out. Never broke 3 hours again for the marathon; in fact, never came close.

I ran into him a few years later; he couldn't say that giving blood was the catalyst, but he was never the same. It may have been a coincidence, but he always wonders what would have happened if he never gave blood.

Training for a marathon already leaves you on the edge both mentally and physically...why take the chance?

19 years ago 02/14/2005 2:13pm EST

re: DontDoIt

Wait until a few days after your marathon, then donate. Assuming that the marathon is a "goal" race, you won't be doing any hard or indispensible training for a month or so after the marathon anyway.

19 years ago 02/14/2005 3:42pm EST

re: Bloody Hell

It won't ruin your career or anything, but it will wipe you out for a WHILE. A whole rival team of mine gave blood in HS during the middle of outdoor and they sucked ass for the rest of the season. Don't do it, tell the people criticizing you to go suck a nut and that you don't have any responsibility to give blood anyway, even if you weren't running.

19 years ago 02/14/2005 6:21pm EST

re: Bloody Hell

Actually I have heard that while it will result in an immediate performance drop after 3 weeks or so you will have a slight overshoot above normal hematocrit which last a short time. Any experts who can verify this?

19 years ago 02/14/2005 6:50pm EST

re: burnt out

I have heard that you are somewhat weaker for a month afterwards. However, to avoid disagreements with those who do not understand running, you could go to a foreign country. Even walking across the border to Mexico will do the trick.

19 years ago 02/15/2005 4:41am EST

re: runthecountry

I had donated blood at the end of November last year. I didn't have a choice, well, if I didn't want to act like a complete jerk... (my best friend's family member had a life saving surgery... didn't survive after all).

I was really worried how it would affect my running, since I was running 80+miles a week and preparing for the spring marathon. The problem was, to begin with, that my Hb level was low even before the donation (in 120s and I am male), I am very light and had issues with anemia when I was younger.

My running buddies who warned me beforehand were right- I felt terrible for the next 3 weeks, running much slowlier and with greater effort. However, after the 3rd week I felt better, and in the middle of January I was back, and for a while (2 weeks) felt great, better than ever. Now I am doing just ok, feeling no effects.

Be careful - recovery is somewhat slowlier, but you need to keep working hard, if you expect to return to the same shape, or better.

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