Sales & Deals,

I am starting over as a runner after a short break and I am some having strange difficulties. I am a 45-year-old woman who has never had problems running before. I was able to build my endurance to running 8 minutes and walking 2 minutes at a slow-to-medium pace, but then I went backwards.  It became extremely hard to run for 7 minutes, then 6, and now 5. I can run 5 minutes and after a 2-minute break, I can only run maybe 2 or 3 minutes before I have to stop. I have to stop because I need to breathe and my legs feel like they are going to fall off. After a 5-minute break, I can sometimes run another 5 minutes but not always.

What would cause me to move backwards in my running after being able to run 8 minutes with no problems? – Sonya

Dear Sonya,

It sounds like your training is going the wrong way.  I always worry about exercise tolerance that drops off for no particular reason in a seemingly healthy person.  With no other history or background information, my greatest concern would be that your heart and blood vessels are not working well.

Although you are young at 45 years old, a woman can have heart disease at much younger ages.  On average, coronary artery disease does not show up in women until age 55 (about a decade later than in men). However, that does not protect you as an individual. It is common for women to present with “atypical” heart symptoms, so I tend to error on the safe side and test for suspicious symptoms.

My other concerns are also tied to the cardiorespiratory system, like are your leg blood vessels open and carrying oxygenated blood to your muscles or are your lungs working properly to oxygenate your blood?

I think this story deserves a trip to your personal physician to review your medical history and to update your physical exam.  It would be important for you to have your family history available along with your personal data, such as past medical problems, medications, tobacco use, nutrition, injuries, surgeries, and a detailed account of your current problem. 

After discussion and exam, your physician may course you back to your exercise program or may order a set of lab and other studies to help rule out coronary artery disease, peripheral vascular disease, or lung problems.

Sales & Deals.

Cheers,

Bill

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