Total Failure

Hi all. I'm new to the forum and have joined to seek some advice and insight (if available) about an incident yesterday.

I have applied to join a specialist unit within my organisation which requires a high level of fitness. As such, I have been training intensively for the last 4 months between five and seven times per week. Such training includes lengthy runs (14 - 21 km), swimming and both weights and body-weight sessions. I am at a fairly high level of fitness and have been performing well in my training.

Yesterday, I was required to undergo the first of a series of fitness tests before being included on a selection course. The first test was a 2.5-3 km run around Sydney harbour. THe run included 2 stations where we were required to perform 3 x 20 pushups and 3 x 20 sit-ups at each. The run had to be completed in <20mins.

At about the 13 minute mark, I began to feel 'odd'. My breathing was a great deal more laboured than what it has been along similar distances and I became
disoriented, finding it difficult to stay on the course. A friend running close by said that I began staggering and at one stage he lifted me up (I don't remember any of this). My speech was slurred and I has trouble speaking. The ground felt like it was made of rubber...I was all over the shop.

The last portion of the run was a 100m run along the top of a sea-wall. As soon as I tried to balance, I fell straight into chilly Sydney Harbour. Very embarrassing.

When I emerged from the water, I recovered completely in about 15 mons and was able to complete the next phase of training, which involved stair sprints with a life size abd weight dummy.

I was well hydrated, having drunk about 2.5 litres of water over the preceding four hours and had eaten well throughout the day. Today I fell fine.

Has anyboody experienced anything similar?
 
Wow very interessting. I'm glad you are alright.

A lot of the descriptions you gave are signs of heat stroke/heat exhuastion. The speech, disorientation, odd feeling etc all fit. Just becuase you were well hydrated before the event does not always mean you will be ok during the event without continued hydration. Was it unusally hot out that day? The dip in the water may have helped cool you down enough to make you feel better and enabled you to continue.

I deffinatly know the "odd feeling" but thats when I know its time to find some water and shade fast. But I've never gone as far as you seemed too.
 
Yeah, thanks for the replies. I must admit that I was feeling pretty anxious prior to starting the run and my breathing was all over the shop. The day was relatively cool, but I remember thinking about 5 mins into it that I was running much hotter than normal.

I guess it all adds up, doesn't it?
 
yeah, that sounds like a pretty severe blood sugar crash.

and definitely never underestimate what anxious nerves can do to screw you up either.
 
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