Donating Blood

Generally it takes me a couple of weeks to get back up to speed after donating blood.  Usually I'll just slow my pace down for those two weeks, but keep the same volume.  And another thing, I hydrate like mad, seems to help in the recovery

Chris

I was a regular donator up until a year ago when a health crisis followed by long-term preventative medication disqualified me from every giving again.

My experience was that it had miniaml effects on training. I was a little lethargic for a couple of days, taking only the day-of-donating off (to reduce the risk of bleeding) and then just reduced volume for a couple days, then right back to normal. I made sure to hydrate well for a few days, taking in a little more than usual, but nothing dramatic.

An few articles of interest re: endurance athletes and donating:

http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/2001/06_01/news.htm

http://www.triathletemag.com/story.cfm?story_id=9773&pageID=1732

http://www.velonews.com/train/articles/5265.0.html

Give blood -- play Rugby!

I donate (A+) as often as I can (every 56 days, I think) and I normally feel nothing when it comes to being active.  The only time I felt a little off after I donated was when I was also on a calorie restricted diet (see weight loss), but my job has me on my feet all day every day, so I was functioning on fewer calories and I was down a pint of blood.

I donated last Tuesday afternoon, ran my normal 6 miler on Wednesday, went to bed early, did a short bike ride on Thursday, long run on Friday, and felt no ill effects of having donated.  As has already been stated, I wouldn't donate immediately before a race, but a few weeks out won't be so bad.

Donating blood is a good thing.  If you can do it, the Red Cross can use your help.

SR 

Contact your local Blood Services collection agency (Red Cross, Canadian Blood Services, etc) and they will tell you if you qualify.

I want to chime in about the importance for everyone to make an attempt to donate as often as possible.

My wife was T-Boned in 94 by a driver on his cell phone doing 160km+ and she was airlifted to a major hospital centre for emergency surgery due to massive internal hemmoraging. They exhausted the supply of blood products at the University hospital and had to send ambulances out on runs and eventually exhausted the supply at every other medical centre in the area just to keep up with her blood loss - a total of 55 units of blood & blood products saved her life. All of this blood came from donations.

Ever since then I made a committment to donate as often as I was able, until last year when I became permanently disqualified.

Please give. Save a life.