Heart Palpitations are Wack

On Friday morning I met my running buddy for what was supposed to be a four hour run to kick off the Fourth of July weekend. Roughly a mile into it, as we were approaching the Belle Isle bridge, I experienced yet another heart palpitation. I stopped, put my hands on my knees, and waited for it to go away, which it commonly does. But like the palpitation I experienced last Sunday, this one didn't go away. Chris was very patient, as we walked, jogged, walked, jogged, walked... We eventually agreed that he would take off running, and we'd meet at the Nickel Bridge before I walked home. That four hour run turned into one hour of running and two hours of slow walking. Ugh.

My heart palpitations don't just feel like a rapid heart rate, although that's certainly part of it. Along with beats that are so fast they are almost indistinguishable, I have a feeling of pressure in my head and chest, like I've tried to swim too long underwater. When I walk uphill or try to jog, the pressure builds. If you've ever tried to exercise at altitude without being acclimated, you have a sense of what's it like.

The upside to long palpitations? There are two, I think.

1. They force you to both pay attention to your body and your surroundings. I certainly paid more attention to the plants and animals around me while I was walking the trail I normally run.
2. They make runs that are palpitation-free seem that much better. I have been feeling very unmotivated lately, but on Sunday I did a 3.5 hour run at my own pace and felt good the whole time. Now I remember why I like to run!