Neil,
I have been training for a relay race where I'll be running 3x 5+/- mile
legs within 24 hours. I have been running 4 times (all my schedule
permits) a week for a total of about 20 miles. My long runs are between
8 and 10 miles. I have been running for many years, although its been a
while since I've trained for a race. I am 47.
My problem occurs about 20 minutes into my run. It is exacerbated if I
am running hard with a heart rate over 160 although it still starts at
about 20 mins. The symptoms are a 'dead' feeling in the quad area just
above my left knee and a general feeling of lack of oxygen. If I
continue to push, my left foot will actually go to sleep. If I back off
and get my heart rate back down (generally this means walking) the
feeling goes away. By 40 minutes, I am back to running strong. However
hard I push at this point, I no longer get the lead thigh or tingling
feet.
I have seen a chiropracter (who also is a marathoner) but it doesn't
look like its due to anatomical problems. I am wondering if it is a
breathing problem.
I would appreciate any suggetsions you might have.
THANKS.
Kathy, from the description you give, the problem you are having sounds
circulatory in nature. I am wondering about a potential limitation of the
proximal arteries of your involved leg. A vascular physician is where I would go
for testing. A manual check of pulses reveals a lot, but a doppler study is
possibly called for. Vascular problems might be serious, in that they might
denote a space occupying lesion. I can't say this with certainty, since it seems
to recover after you back off. Neverthless, get it checked out.
Nei
