Forums >Racing>Competitive Jerks Racing and Training - 2023
Health Question: Has anyone here ever had an abnormal EKG? I just had one yesterday and I was referred to a cardiologist to make sure everything is alright. The EKG showed palpitations. I am absolutely freaking the fuck out. I can't imagine my life without running. I'm seeing the cardiologist tomorrow so I just have to sit tight. I can't tell whether the doctor is being extra cautious or something is actually wrong.
Not an 80%er
Once the exam person told me I had a larger heart and that I should go see a cardiologist.
I freaked out!
The cardiologist told me I'm a larger person, that's why I have a larger heart. Nothing to worry about.
Alls I'm saying is do not freak out until you've spoken to the cardiologist.
Especially do not Google stuff.
mt79 - Welcome aboard!
PRs: 1500 4:54.1 2019 - 5K 17:53 2023 - 10K 37:55 2023 - HM 1:21:59 2021
Up next: some 800m race (or time trials)
Tool to generate Strava weekly
Are we there, yet?
But I don't expect to see an athlete win the London Marathon in April, win a world championships medal in the 1500 in August, and then win the Chicago marathon in October.
Have any elite runners tried this before?
2024 Races:
03/09 - Livingston Oval Ultra 6-Hour, 22.88 miles
05/11 - D3 50K, 9:11:09 06/17 - 6 Days in the Dome 12-Hour.
When I had my medical issue several years ago, they admitted me to the hospital and gave me some sedatives. That lowered my HR so much that the nurses freaked out and did and EKG/ECG. The EKG showed irregularities. So they ordered an echocardiogram which used ultrasound to produce a 3d model of my heart. I was in surgery when the cardiologist stopped by to see me and then in another procedure when he came by a second time. So I ended up leaving the hospital and they set me up an appointment at his office.
He said he was trying to stop by just to let me know there were 0 issues and I didn't need to give it any thought. I have a strong heart, low HR and no structural or other issues. He said that lots of people have a regular irregular heartbeat and its no issue and it comes and goes. He said that the heart has a backup electrical system to cause a contraction if the main system doesn't, and mine was firing every like 4th heart beat. So instead of bump bump, I would get a bump bumpbump.
Also, tons of people the last couple years have had irregularities as a result of covid, and they usually resolve on their own. I've personally known 3 people that went in for racing heart beats/dizziness/other arrhythmias and now they are fine.
So don't worry until you need to!
I've had a few health care providers get concerned over a heart murmur. I've had an ekg and echo and it is benign.
Do you drink a fair amount of caffeine? I know someone that had an abnormal ekg prior to having caffeine and then it was normal after drinking caffeine (worked in ems, was testing new equipment). Flip side, I also know someone who gets palpitations from caffeine and can't have it.
Mt79 welcome back.
DW great race report thanks.
Merkle that sucks but wait for the expert analysis.
I went to the Doctors a year ago and had high blood pressure but turned out it was white coat syndrome
55+ PBs 5k 18:36 June 3rd TT
" If you don't use it you lose it, but if you use it, it wears out.
Somewhere in between is about right "
I've had a few health care providers get concerned over a heart murmur. I've had an ekg and echo and it is benign. Do you drink a fair amount of caffeine? I know someone that had an abnormal ekg prior to having caffeine and then it was normal after drinking caffeine (worked in ems, was testing new equipment). Flip side, I also know someone who gets palpitations from caffeine and can't have it.
This is interesting. I drink about 3 cups of coffee per day on average, but skipped the coffee before the EKG because I was afraid it would mess it up!
Thanks piwi and mt79 , that's reassuring. I also get the white coat induced high blood pressure and it's annoying. I'll let you know what happens tomorrow. Hopefully it's nothing. I do know that my heart gets a fluttering feeling when I'm anxious. Maybe it's mismanaged anxiety or something?
Also welcome mt79. If you want to break 3 then this is the right place. I broke 3 for the first (and second) time this year and this thread helped get me there. I'm happy to help you out, as is everyone else here. Feel free to take a peek at my training log too if you'd like.
Dwave- Congrats on a well executed race! Gotta admit the airplane wing would have freaked me out quite a bit I was thinking about doing the Chicago-NYC double next year. I take it you recommend Chicago?
5K 18:36 (2023), 10K 39:40 (2022), 1/2 1:24:37 (2023), full 2:58:36 (2015)
MMerk Hope all is well, my thoughts are with you. I agree stay the "F" away from google, probably nothing to worry about!
MT79- Welcome. the earlier version of this forum took me from 3:50 to sub 3 MANY years ago. This current thread helped me get back to sub 3 again at age 52!
Flavio- Maybe it was a Christmas Miracle (shameless Grinch reference).
mmerkle : I had a half marathon in Sept that I DNF due to feeling very weird around mile 6. My heart rate was just too high for half way of a HM ( I have typically a high heart rate - but averaging 190bmp by mile 6 was a little too much, but most importantly I just felt way worse than I should). I felt better once I stopped so didn't mind it except my husband was encouraging me to go to Urgent care.
My EKG came back irregular and they said they need me to go to ER ( though not bad enough to send me by Ambulance). At ER, they did troponin( protein released during heart attack) test and it was normal. They had me wait there for hours since the EKG at ER was also irregular. The ER doctor consulted a cardiologist and she said they need to admit me to the hospital until I do a stress test the next day ( I was really having zero symptoms and actually wanted to go home since all that felt ridiculous).
Anyways I slept in a fancy hospital room and did the stress test the next day. During my stay the monitor was going off often because my resting heart rate was too low for them ( 42 - 45 bpm). The attending physician said the irregularity really is not a big deal. These irregularities happen and sometimes they are just some variation from people to people. He was the first person who was not worried about the EKG results and said he really expects the stress test to come back ok.
This was my second stress test ( I did one in 2017 because my family doctor freaked out when I showed her my heart rate data during a marathon. I sustained over 210 bpm for the last 3 miles of my marathon and I was feeling really good. The max heart rate during my stress test then was 250 .... the technician was not comfortable to proceed which was why they paused the test. btw, I had to get a note from the cardiologist at the time for the technicians to allow the latter ignore standard test protocol. If they followed the protocol they would have paused the test when my heart rate reached 90 % of ( 220 - age ) which is really by easy pace HR and would not have stressed by heart ).
Anyways, this time during the stress test my max heart rate was 238. Again I had to convince the people running the test to go beyond what their test guideline says. I could still have kept going but they felt they got what they needed and stopped the test. The doctor wanted me to consult an electrophysiologist so I am scheduled for that. But after staying over at the hospital for observation, I was told there was nothing to worry about what they saw on the EKG.( btw, in 2017, an electrophysiologist shook my hand and said that I am just an outlier with very high hear rate ( technically it is sinus tachycardia) and to keep running marathons if I want to ) .
So in short, it might not really mean much .. or even if it might mean something, you could be told to keep doing what you have been doing when it comes to running. Good luck!
Flavio - most experienced runners have slightly enlarged hearts anyway.
I had heart murmurs once, apparently. I got very sick after two beers and went to the A&E. They thought I had heart murmurs and sent me to the hospital, who took my appendix out and then it turned out I actually had campylobacter (food poisoning) all along. Anyways I never need to worry about getting appendicitis.
mmerkle - stay off google and trust the professionals!
need2tri - your HR is crazy high! But a good reminder how different people can be. I know one runner who I swear is part reptile, his active HR is so low (he averaged 158bpm during a 10k race).
mt79 - welcome!
Darkwave - congrats on your race. I’m still amazed you can be so patient during those early km’s.
3,000m: 9:07.7 (Nov-21) | 5,000m: 15:39 (Dec-19) | 10,000m: 32:34 (Mar-20)
10km: 33:15 (Sep-19) | HM: 1:09:41 (May-21)* | FM: 2:41:41 (Oct-20)
* Net downhill course
Last race: Runway5 / National 5k Champs, 16:22, National Masters AG Champ!
Up next: Still working on that...
"CONSISTENCY IS KING"
I've had one for over 30 years. Went through a battery of tests, including echo cardiogram, EKG, stress test with and without dye. For years the conclusion was simply that it was abnormal, but had no adverse effects for me. Meanwhile I continued regular checkups for monitoring in case anything changed. A little over 5 years ago matters became complicated when it was discovered that I had a-fib as well. That was initially corrected by cardioversion, but I started having problems again off and on a couple years ago. Almost two years ago that required a pacemaker, which did help, but eventually I had to have an ablation. That was just last month and recovery from that has been slow. Currently in the process of determining if there are other factors besides the a-fib. Shortness of breath when I try to run might indicate some arterial blockage, so that has to be checked out. BTW I'm now 77, so general aging isn't helping matters any. The cardiologist and staff think I'm doing amazingly well.
+1000
Dave
Problem Child
I drink about 3 cups of coffee per day on average,
I'm at 32 ounces average and TYPICALLY have my THIRD 16 ounce (200mg) caffeine dose around 10am PST.
When are people going to address the competitive advantage of Screw Shoes?
Many of us aren't sure what the hell point you are trying to make and no matter how we guess, it always seems to be something else. Which usually means a person is doing it on purpose.
VDOT 53.37
5k18:xx | Marathon 2:55:22
Funny, I had been seeing this meme for a long time before finally seeing the movie. Until then, I had no idea what it was actually referring to. I wish I still didn’t.
And on the coffee survey, my standard routine: 2x8 oz pre-morning run, 1x8 oz post-lunch. The latter is usually shortly post-run on LR days, with some folks from my running group.