Patience; the new endurance sport.

wow, that is really interesting! I've never heard of Foot strike Hemolysis before either, but it makes sense. I eat meat, but when I'm pregnant it's not often! I wonder with the extra weight and demands on my body if this could be some of my issues too. I'm off to pop some vitamins right now! :) (I'm also not good at taking my pre-natals after the first 12 weeks).

I'm glad you've found a way to feel better and that it seems to be helping you as well. However, I MUST disagree with the point that you are larger than average. I really think you are a tiny woman - I wouldn't describe you as larger than average AT ALL!!!

We need to find somewhere to meet up at Ogden so that I can run with all of you ladies. I'll feel like such a loser if I end up running alone :(

Larger than average runner.....

Here's some more tips:

liver, lean meat, oysters, egg yolk, dark green leafy vegetables, legumes, dried fruit, and whole grain or enriched cereals and bread.

1. Eat 3 ounces of lean red meat or dark poultry a couple of times per week.

2. Caffine reduces iron absorption

3. Eat or drink vitamin C-rich foods with meals to increase iron absorption.

4. Use cast-iron cookware (particularly for acid foods like spaghetti sauce).

It's light when we get to the top of the resevoir--even if we can't find each other at the busses, we have to wait for a long time at the top. We'll just have to be on the lookout. I hope to find Josse and her sister Ericka and you! I'll wear a neon yellow race shirt so you can spot me first!

nope...still not larger than average runner in my mind! :)

okay..I didn't barf at d.green leafy, whole grain or dried fruit - I couldn't handle the others. However, interesting point about the caffeine and Vit-C. I rarely drink caffeine, but usually just have milk with meals. Cast iron is another good one, I'll be looking into more of this!

Key Bank it is! I will have my phone, feel free to call if I can't be found!!

Great post! I've been super aware of my iron intake ever since my freshman year in college when anemia ruined my season. It definitely helps to eat red meat a couple of times a week and take iron supplements with Vit. C daily. And another tip is to avoid taking calcium and iron at the same time because as my college cross country coach described, its like two football players trying to get through the door at the same time. In other words, absorption is disrupted. More runners need to know this info. Anemia is really hindering on performance and life altering in general.

Oh and in addition to the foot strike hemolysis, you are loosing plenty of iron in menstration every month, so women are even more prone to anemia then men.

I'm really loving all this info! You ladies are imparting VERY valuable wisdom - for free, and I'm eating up every bit of it! THANKS! Oh, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with monthly iron losses right now :) Just a whole other burden on my system. Between pregnancy and nursing, I'm gonna need all the nutritional info I can get trying to run!

stupid question as i know nothing about this stuff - would you say that taking a multi-vitamin is bad then? (i do not take any vitamins.) you say to avoid taking calcium and iron at the same time. aren't they both in multi-vitamins? i have considered starting a vitamin... i just really know nothing about them or which to take. i am pretty anti-medicine all around and will not take anything unless i feel like i am dying. i don't like to put things in my body that aren't there naturally.

I take an 'organic' type vitamin, but I feel the same way about meds and so I'm not good at taking ANY pills (my oldest daughter is the best proof of that :) ).

There are many good ones, but most of the best I've heard about actually separate into AM/PM doses. I'm assuming things like calcium and iron are then separated into the different doses. I'll have to check the one I'm taking now to see if it is that way. I typically take the AM dose one day then the PM dose the next day. I figure I eat well enough to support not taking one EVERY day; however, these other two ladies probably know more about this subject.

Nan-- it was actually your friend Cyndi that was talking to me about iron loss/anemia. You're right on all counts about the iron--and I'd forgotten the calcium/iron problem. I was really glad I'd figured out what my issue was and have felt better since. Sounds like you are the iron expeert!

KP--I used to work at the Good Earth Health food store for about 3 years and it kind of made me anti-suppliment for a few years after (too gimmicky & false hope sometimes). Overall, the best choice is good nutrition. That said-- this whole blog entry, for me, was a testament to my need for additional B Complex vitamins (all of them) & fish/flax/omega-3 oils and trying to get the red meat back into my diet because I could tell I wasn't doing a good job of finding easily absorbed iron (protein based is easer I guess than plant based irons). Generally I hate taking Iron suppliments (like when I was pregnant) because they made me naseous & constipated (especially if taken on an empty stomach, or with milk or anything high in calcium as Nan pointed out). That said, lots of women take Iron suppliments --just find a good one that your body can tolerate. Chelated iron (?) I seem to remember is a good absorbable calcium. I eat lots of green vedgtables and fruits and don't feel like I need Vitamin C, but I might take it in combination with Iron because of what I learned (Just like calcium absorbs better with a bit of Vitamin D). So I would reach for suppliments now-a-days (especially during the running season when you can really feel your body is lacking something).

Yeah, I agree with RAD and Luzy. The way I see it is that you can get a ton of good vitamins from eating a healthy, well-balanced diet all the time. But do I eat a perfectly well-balanced diet all the time? No. So I have all these little cups in my body that hold Niacin, Iron, Omega 3s, Calcium, Vit. B6, ect. and from my good diet (that only includes fish once or twice a month and may be lacking in dairy a bit) they fill up to 70-80%, which is pretty good. But why not see how much better I can feel/perform by ensuring that those cups are filled to 100%? You may feel like you're just creating some really expensive florescent yellow pee, and I don't think its going to cure all your potential ailments but you may actually feel positive physical benefits from taking vitamins which will be worth it (especially if you are tired and run-down from anemia and start to restore those Iron levels.) Ask the health food store vitamin expert which brands are best because I know not all brands are created equally. Luzy, it sounds like you know a ton about it. Which brands do you recommend?

I'm like you Nan, I go with the store vitamin/suppliment specialist. Brands have changed since I worked there (20+ years ago when I was in college)--but I think my B vitamin complex is either Nature's Way or Solaray. I take a D (Nature's Plus) with my Ionic Fizz Calcium, and Barleans Oil--the kind you keep in the fridge (flax, fish, Omega 3's). Usually the people there know what's up, why something assimilates better, combines with another suppliment for maximum absorbtion etc.

KP--I'd stay away with general multi-vits. Throwing them all in together often cancels out some of the benefits due to cross-toxicity (some oils shouldn't be combined, higher acid viamins such as C shouldn't be combined with lower Ph one such ad B's in a single pill). So think about why you are considering taking a multi-vitamin (low energy, bad digestion, sleeping problems, overall health)--get a blood test at your doctor's for anemia, blood pressure, diabetes, high or low white/red blood cell count (all the regular stuff). And then go to the best health food store you have around to ask them their suggestions for your specific health concerns. Talking to the specilists, deciding how much you can afford and want to take is usually how the end products are decided. That's my advice. But there are lots of people who just go to GNC or Walgreens too and just pick up whatever multi-vit they can afford. It's hit and miss, and you should try different things to see how they affect your running and overall health & energy, etc (that's the ultimate answer).

I have had to take iron 1-2x a day for about 4 years. Right before St. George I found I had absolutely no energy and they found I had iron deficiency anemia. They thought it was a combination of heavy periods and heavy running - but still had the problem after a hysterectomy.