Oops! Put that blood back!

Believe it or not....I did a dumb thing. Ok, ok, I know, it's not all that unusual.

I had my routine annual physical and needed to get some labs drawn. I finally got to the lab this weekend and the phlebotomist took 6 tubes of blood (10 ml each). Now granted, that's not really that much blood, especially since we've got 5 liters in pumping throughout our bodies. But "Dang!" I thought as she kept grabbing more and more glass tubes as I watched the blood being sucked from my vein into them. "That's a lot of blood! I don't think I want to give that much away just 2 weeks before Umstead!"



.... "Ahh! Put it BACK!!"

I got worried. Again, I know it's not a lot of blood, but it does take 6 weeks for red cells to replenish. Not two. I can replace the volume easily with fluids but I can't replace the cells (the oxygen transporters) during that time.

I went for a shortish run on Saturday only to find that I was huffing and puffing up the hills, which never happens. Was it a real physiologic effect? Or was it just psychological? Won't EITHER answer ruin my race? Which is more powerful - the physiologic effect or the psychologic effect? What do I do?

Here's what I am doing.

First, what's done is done. They can't put the blood back.

The physiologic effect may or may not make a difference. The difference, if there, will be small. The psychologic effect, on the other hand, can ruin my race. That is the more powerful issue.

So, I started myself on some supplements to support regeneration, which may or may not be helpful. Still, I feel better doing it, so I'm going to do it.

I will ignore any shortness of breath that I perceive. (Note that I wrote "perceive" as I really don't know if it's real or worry or both, and really, it doesn't matter because like I said, even worry has the power to totally ruin my race.)

I will forget that I made the mistake and pretend it doesn't matter at all, which is likely the case anyway.

Here's what I will be taking for the next 10 days. I'm going to stop all supplements in advance of the race, especially the iron as it always does a number on my gut.

Iron
Vitamin B12
Omega 3s
Vitamin C
Folic Acid
Vitamin E

I'm also going a bit carnivore this week. I don't usually choose red meat to eat, so it's kind of hard to do it, but I'm firing up the grill this week!


Perhaps more importantly,

Today's Message of the Day is (modified from an email I received):

Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive quickly, Kiss slowly, Love truly, Laugh uncontrollably, And never regret anything that made you smile.