The Running Thread - 2018

[camaker]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

ATTQOTD: I do not always have headaches but once I get one they seem to come in a series for a few days. Yesterday I had one, but was determined to try to run. After 1/4 mile it got much worse and I shut it down. I was very aggravated about the whole situation. I get headaches and my best method for getting them to go away is going into a dark and quite room and simply have to sleep it off. I am absolutely useless when I have one. The more sound and light I'm exposed to the worse it gets. I am a wimp essentially with those darn things.

There are a couple of things to unpack here. First off, what you're describing sounds like a textbook migraine. I'll run with a normal headache, but a full blown migraine would not be something I'd run with. If you are having migraines, have you talked to the doctor about specific diagnosis and treatment options? I've had migraines with varying frequency for my entire life. At their peak, I was averaging almost 3/week and working with a neurologist to try to prevent them. The best prevention for me seems to be limiting triggers, especially stress. As far as treatment goes, have you tried Imitrex/Relpax/sumatriptans? The sumatriptan-based drugs were a life changer for me. I went from being sentenced to an early bed time in a cool dark room whenever I had a headache to being able to get rid of the headache within an hour or two with the drug. There are also some other options for treatment these days, but the sumatriptans work so well for me I haven't needed to try them out. My strong advice is to work on preventing and treating the headaches rather than just living with or trying to power through them.

 

[AntimonyER]

Hi everyone! New guy here. I have been peeking in here now and again, thought I would finally say hi! I have had an on again off again relationship with running in my life, I ran track in middle school, but then stopped until after college, when I did some jogging to lose some weight. Stopped again after I met my now wife, started and stopped again a few times as I attempted to manage said weight over the years. Mostly failed (was obese from high school on, even while jogging on and off, and 2.5 years ago, tipped the scale at 300 lbs). Had enough, and started walking and counting calories, and then started jogging once I hit the 250 mark. Been going strong ever since, and at 165 lb now, I reached my healthy weight goal and now am looking forward to improving my speed/endurance. I am signed up for my first official half marathon in November (Savannah Rock n Roll), and am excited to see how well I can do.

 

[PrincessV]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

ATTQOTD: I can run fine with a mild tension or sinus headache, and running often makes it feel better. But a migraine? Forget it. Luckily, I rarely get those anymore, and when I do, it's usually after a long, hot run. Pepsi* plus Advil usually fix it right up.
(*It HAS to be Pepsi, in the tiny cans, the kind made with real sugar. I have no idea why that one, in particular, but that plus Advil is the magic combination and if I hit it before the pain gets too bad, I can stave off a full-blown migraine.)

ETA: @LSUlakes what you described absolutely sounds like a migraine. I used to get them frequently, but figured out my triggers (MSG and artificial sweeteners are doozies) and managed some health issues (basically, I'll be on a low-dose birth control pill for life to keep my hormone levels where they need to be), and migraines are now rare for me, and easily kept at bay when I do the Pepsi+Advil protocol at the first sign of one. Definitely worth discussing with your doc!

 

[Slogger]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

I always have some type of headache due to allergies, stress, multiple concussions in my younger days and who knows what else.
Dark rooms and sleep seem to help at times. Light also seems to be a factor which is why I almost always run in sunglasses.

I try to ignore them and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Otherwise I would be a world class couch potato and probably weigh 50 more pounds right now.


****In today's sensitive climate, I meant no criticism of couch potatoes, couches, or potatoes and hope no offense was taken. ****

 

[Chaitali]

I agree that the headache you described sounds like a migraine. I can run through sinus headaches and mild tension headaches. I could not run through a migraine. And I agree with what other people have said about identifying triggers. I know that dehydration and extreme sunlight were triggers for me so I manage my hydration better now and I try to remember to wear sunglasses. So it's rarer that I have to deal with a migraine.

 

[ZellyB]

ATTQOTD: I don't get many headaches, so they don't typically prevent me from running. I also will take pain relievers while running even though I know you are't supposed to.

Hi everyone! New guy here. I have been peeking in here now and again, thought I would finally say hi! I have had an on again off again relationship with running in my life, I ran track in middle school, but then stopped until after college, when I did some jogging to lose some weight. Stopped again after I met my now wife, started and stopped again a few times as I attempted to manage said weight over the years. Mostly failed (was obese from high school on, even while jogging on and off, and 2.5 years ago, tipped the scale at 300 lbs). Had enough, and started walking and counting calories, and then started jogging once I hit the 250 mark. Been going strong ever since, and at 165 lb now, I reached my healthy weight goal and now am looking forward to improving my speed/endurance. I am signed up for my first official half marathon in November (Savannah Rock n Roll), and am excited to see how well I can do.

Welcome to the thread. Amazing success story and congratulations on your weight loss and commitment to running. Hope you have a fantastic half in November!

 

[rteetz]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

I don't really get a headache while running ever. If I do in the middle of a run I can usually finish a run with it. I will just take an aspirin when I get back.

 

[TheHamm]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

I find this tangential to my recent concern on pounding headaches that appear while running somewhere after the 3 mile mark. I keep hoping it is just a hydration issue and I will figure it out. I also wonder if it is electrolytes or other changes in body chemistry. I keep running, and cannot escape the mostly irrational fear that I am having some sort of medical issue [I have a few friends/acquaintances that have had strokes in the 35-45 year old range and it has me on edge] and should probably just run circles around my yard just in case.

 

[SarahDisney]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

I don't get headaches super often, so I don't know. Sometimes I get a stabby pain in my head, and whether I run with that depends on the day.
Totally agree that one should not run with a migrane. I don't think I could identify a migrane if I saw one, but I know enough to know that they're bad news.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

ATTQOTD - Migraine sufferer here. I will absolutely run with a pre-migraine headache. You know when a migraine is building, and running increases your blood flow which is supposed to help. For me, a run with a pre-migraine headache almost always ends the headache altogether. The key is to get out there when you feel it building. Once I have a full blown migraine - nope, not happening. At that point I am looking for someplace quiet and dark, and in a hurry.

For other headaches I just go about my business. I don't change any plans, running or otherwise, for a "regular" headache.

 

[KSellers88]

ATTQOTD: Knock on wood, I don't get headaches very often as long as I am drinking enough water. I would probably still try to run through because I am stubborn. What you described sounds a bit more intense than a headache.

@AntimonyER Welcome! Awesome story and RNR Savannah is an amazing race. I ran the full there last year. Have a great time!

 

[PrincessV]

ATTQOTD - Migraine sufferer here. I will absolutely run with a pre-migraine headache. You know when a migraine is building, and running increases your blood flow which is supposed to help. For me, a run with a pre-migraine headache almost always ends the headache altogether.

Oh, this is intriguing! W&D 2016, I was awakened by a migraine an hour before my alarm went off. I had my Rx codeine, but was afraid to take it (or anything else) before a race. By the time the race started, I was in a lot of pain, nauseous, the lights were killing me, but figured I'd start and pull myself out if it got worse... but it got better! Down to a dull roar by the halfway mark, almost gone by the end.

 

[AntimonyER]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

Thankfully, I rarely get headaches. I don't know if I have ever had one while running, but I imagine it would not be fun.

 

[Slogger]

Welcome @AntimonyER to the group. Great story about your personal triumph.
Best of luck with RNR SAV. Can't wait to hear about it and your future successes.

 

[huskies90]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

ATTQOTD: Thankfully, I don’t get the headaches/migraines you folks are describing. Usually, I have always had the mindset to tough out anything which is not always smart as I have run through pulled hamstrings, torn ankle ligaments and different levels of sickness/flu which I think sometimes causes more damage than good.

 

[kbenson13]

Don't judge me, but the headaches I'm most likely to have before a run are the type you get from overindulging the night before... While its REALLY hard to start running with one of these...headaches, I've generally found that once I get going, the running/heart pumping/blood flowing helps me feel a lot better quickly.

For other headaches, the only thing I can do is take and advil. Nothing else really works.

ATTQOTD: I can run fine with a mild tension or sinus headache, and running often makes it feel better. But a migraine? Forget it. Luckily, I rarely get those anymore, and when I do, it's usually after a long, hot run. Pepsi* plus Advil usually fix it right up.
(*It HAS to be Pepsi, in the tiny cans, the kind made with real sugar. I have no idea why that one, in particular, but that plus Advil is the magic combination and if I hit it before the pain gets too bad, I can stave off a full-blown migraine.)

ETA: @LSUlakes what you described absolutely sounds like a migraine. I used to get them frequently, but figured out my triggers (MSG and artificial sweeteners are doozies) and managed some health issues (basically, I'll be on a low-dose birth control pill for life to keep my hormone levels where they need to be), and migraines are now rare for me, and easily kept at bay when I do the Pepsi+Advil protocol at the first sign of one. Definitely worth discussing with your doc!

FWIW I used to get a lot of headaches that could only be cured by some form of caffeine. When I realized the connection (i.e. caffeine addiction) and quit drinking caffeine entirely, I stopped getting those types of headaches!

 

[Bree]

ATTQOTD: I only get a headache every 28 days. I still run because ain’t nobody got time for that. What you are describing sounds more like a migraine. I’ve only had a few of those in my life, but there’s no way I would run with one. Just the twitch of a finger or toe made me want to die.

 

[GreatLakes]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

I don't get a headache often unless it is a part of a cold or being otherwise sick. It has probably been 3 or 4 years since i just had a headache. I usually don't run with one since they don't last. I suspect if I got them more frequently I would try to push through but it would depend on exactly how bad it felt.

 

[avondale]

QOTD: Lets talk about running and headaches today. If you have a headache are you able to run with it? How often do you get them and whats the best methods for getting rid of them?

ATTQOTD: I don't get migraines, so my answer refers to "regular" headaches. But, like you, I tend to get headaches in series for a few days. I don't generally have any problem running with a headache. Usually running makes me forget/ignore the headache, and if I'm lucky, by the time I'm done running, the headache is gone!

 

[avondale]

I find this tangential to my recent concern on pounding headaches that appear while running somewhere after the 3 mile mark. I keep hoping it is just a hydration issue and I will figure it out. I also wonder if it is electrolytes or other changes in body chemistry. I keep running, and cannot escape the mostly irrational fear that I am having some sort of medical issue [I have a few friends/acquaintances that have had strokes in the 35-45 year old range and it has me on edge] and should probably just run circles around my yard just in case.

If you're always getting the headache after a certain amount of running, I wonder if you are unintentionally causing some kind of tension that is leading to the headache? I'm thinking something like jutting your chin forward, causing neck/head pain. Or clenching your jaw, squinting your eyes and forehead...something that you're not aware of doing but that is causing you to get a tension headache. Maybe next time when you get into the run, try to do a self-check to see if you're doing something like this?