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Hi there... I am a 31 year old female who had my colon removed with a open colectomy with ileoanal anastomosis in 2005 after developing toxic megacolon from colonic inertia. About one year ago, I started running as a way to lose weight and I fell in love. Last summer I only ran 3 mile distances... but this summer I am training for my fourth half marathon.

In the winter I did not have too many problems with hydration... but this summer it has just been horrid. It seems like right around 8 miles or 90 minutes my body just shuts down and wont allow me to keep going. I feel dizzy, my sweat decreases, I feel nauseous. I drink a ton during my runs... and it doesnt seem to help.

I guess what I am asking is .... I have never met another distance runner without a colon... and I would love to find someone to converse with ... or if anyone has any more ideas. I cant imagine my hydration is the same as someone's who has a colon?

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

I am colonless and have a failed jpouch currently with a high output ileostomy. I have run three half marathons in the last half year - two of which for Team Challenge. The key to hydration is to hydrate well before running. Manage  your diet and hydration to slow  your gut down. Eat foods which help, such as rice, applesauce, etc... Stay away from sugar and sports drinks like gatorade and G2 which are  full of sugar. Also stay away from plain water, it can actually cause more dehydration. Drink all day, sips... not gulps.  The only liquids I drink - running or not- are a WHO solution. When running I ALWAYS have a bottle and sip frequently. And for a half marathon -I make sure I am drinking certain volumes by certain time marks.
Also - I have trained and ran in the heat. We colonless people must be careful, but it can be managed.

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

pedialyte is great for staying hydrated. it has more electrolytes than Gatorade!

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

hi emma, thought i posted but guess not, lets try again. in 1986 i had a total colectomy and ileo-anal anastomosis (now so elegantly called simply jpouch) surgery. yup math is right 25 years ago.

i began running with team challenge, the endurance training program of the CCFA to raise funds and awareness for their mission. my first half was the Napa to Sonoma race in July 2008. I struggled through it as i am an undisciplined stretcher and have a reconstructed left ACL and twice repaired right achilles - both from volleyball. but i finished and thought i would hang up my sneakers. but like you i realized i missed running and enjoyed its benefits.

next week i will be running my 6th half marathon in las vegas. granted i train in san francisco, arguably an ideal year round running climate, but this past june i ran a personal best of 1:58:55, in kona. and while we were blessed with overcast skies there is no denying the heat there.

so kindly add my name of "successful" endurance runners who do so without a colon. you should look up the team challenge team in your area. we have a few jpouchers on our norcal team and its been great comparing notes from time to time. feel free to email directly if you have questions or simply post here. deweythom@sbcglobal.net

happy trails to you emma,

dewey

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

I can think of one long distance runner without a colon off hand.  If you go to intenseintestines.org  the guy who runs it, Brian, did the Team Challenge marathon and he has no colon.  He is great about offering support and talking to people.  

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

I can think of one long distance runner without a colon off hand.  If you go to intenseintestines.org  the guy who runs it, Brian, did the Team Challenge marathon and he has no colon.  He is great about offering support and talking to people.  

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

Is there something you can wear under the clothes while running that help!  Something that holds in the bag.

 Reply posted for dtrooney.

After surgery while running do you have to go to the bathroom as much!  I here this all the time.

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

I had the same issue.  I have run two marathons after my surgery.  It was always really tough to get past 13 miles during the summer.  To combat the overheating I would start my long runs at 4:30 or 5 am before the sun got up.  So that I would finish my really long runs before 8 am and before the sun heated things up.  The humid days were the worst.  I would focus on eating foods that absorb water the night before and drinking as much water as possible so you are hydrated.  Also I found that drinking gatorade during my runs helped me out a lot and for some reason my body seemed to absorb the nutrients a little better. 

The other trick I used was to drink water every 1.5 miles and during the actual races I would have additonal water with me or a wet towel to put around my neck.  The towel helped on hot race days.

Good luck

 Reply posted for emmaleigh47.

For people with a colon, that is where most water is absorbed.  I've read that your small intestine adjusts and learns to absorb more water than it normally would, but I'm guessing that it probably doesn't ever absorb just what the large intestine would have. If you learn anything new with this, please post and let me know about it if you can =)