Run the Bayou

I had a really bad race at the Run the Bayou 10k, running something crazy like 41:23 - this is a pace slower than my half-marathon pace and also I pace I beat in workouts TWICE very recently (one was a hill fartlek of 5.8 miles at 6:32 pace overall; the other was goal 10k pace intervals that, including rests, averaged to 6:39, for 6 miles). I actually went in to the race expecting a 39-low. But I had a really, really rough week leading up to the race.

I started to feel terrible early in the week. Since the fall, I've had symptoms of anemia, and finally validated my concerns in December. My lab work wasn't too alarming, so I started an oral iron supplement (or actually continued it - I started it when I felt symptomatic, so before I actually had the blood work done). But I had been struggling with what I thought were long, heavy periods, so I made an appointment with a NP. She diagnosed me instead with an active hemorrhage, and put me on a few things to get the bleeding to stop. She also rechecked my iron, and while my hemoglobin had improved, it was still pretty low at 10.3 and my ferritin was all the way down to 8. I was feeling it, too. I was gasping for breath all the time and just felt lethargic and tired. And then things got worse. I started bruising. I started noticing large bruising on my legs and abdomen on Wednesday, all unprovoked, and they got worse on Thursday. So now I'm hemorrhaging and bruising and probably losing all the iron I so faithfully took: all I know is, I felt AWFUL.

Also I won because no one else showed up, but that doesn't make me feel any better. 

Nonetheless, there I was at this race! And as soon as I started to run, I was miserable, unable to breath, dizzy, pain in my legs. I actually stopped during the race and put my head down because I thought I would faint. It was a terrible feeling. I'm disappointed, because that is not anywhere close to my goal time, and also because there aren't many 10ks around these parts. And the worst thing is that now I have had four bad races in a row:

1. Manchac 10k with a carbon fiber plate, second run back after time off for injury
2. Turkey Day 5-miler with intestinal bacterial infection 
3. Marathon - and I can't blame anyone but myself for that one!
4. and now this, Run the Bayou with raging anemia. 

I definitely need a good race to get me back on track!

The plan for my iron is follow up with my NP once I stop bleeding, and I will probably be referred to hematology if I'm still bruising. I personally think I have a platelet issue because the medication I'm taking to stop bleeding isn't working. If the problem was hormonal, it would work. But it has made no difference at all. Perhaps the issue will resolve, or perhaps I'll need treatment, but in the meantime I am supplementing with iron. Once I get my iron stores beefed back up, I should start to feel better, and then I hope to hit some 10k and 5k PRs. But first I need to get healthy!