Friday, January 13, 2012

MR25 ultra marathon: Injured


While training for both MR25 and Annapurna100, I tripped over a root and scraped my right knee on the trails. It was bad enough, as blood were streaming down to my socks & shoes. Worse, I could see half a cm gash deep in the knee cap, with some scraps around.

Thankfully, some passer by gave me a clean towel, which I wrapped onto the knee. Then, painfully, I walked gingerly back to my bike, and walked & cycled slowly back to my house. It was serious enough to take a trip to the clinic to get it dressed up, and got some medication.

It's a bad time to be injured. I've got a major race coming in 3 weeks time.

The first day, I walked with lots of pain. After 2 days, it felt better.

I resumed training on the 6th. I have no choice, given that I have to race MR25 ultra in Singapore. I ran 2 times around my house, and once in FRIM. But I knew it will be hard for MR25.

For the first loop of MR25, the usual pain at the right side of the knee kicked in. That slowed me down considerably. Khaliq Samat seems like injured as well.

The weather was pretty cooling with clouds, that rained a bit. I turned on the ipod to mask the pain.

But that's the most I could do. I quit after 5 loops. Then I felt the usual nausea, which means I will be vomitting soon. Which I did. Actually I was more depressed of the vomitting than the injured knee.

After I did some study, it dawned on me that I suffered from hyponatremia, a condition where your body loss to much salt (Sodium specifically), and couldn't balance things up. I couldn't believe that after all these years doing ultra stuff, I have neglected this basic principle.

But you learn from mistakes & injuries. Life just have to go on.


1 comment:

Kevin Siah said...

Hyponatremia is very common bro, especially in humid places. Taking electrolytes instead of water will help, salt tablets etc. I'm sure you have already read up on it.

My choice is vegemite sandwich hehe.