Why do I feel giddy and nausea when I stop running?

Question

I have been running for a while recently, and I find that whenever I stop I feel like I'm about to faint or throw up, and I need to sit down for the feeling to subside. I've tried to slow down to a slow jog before stopping right away, but I experience the same feeling. I used to jog a few years back, but didn't have such problems. What have I done wrong or are there problems I should be concerned about?

Answer 1

Bluefossil,

You're probably doing ok. I assume that you don't have dizzy spells without running, or that your heart gives you any trouble that you know of? Because if not, then you are likely having a normal experience with your blood pressure. More on that in a bit.

Right now that leaves questions like:

1. How long have you been running this time?
2. How long and how fast do you run now?
3. Do you eat before you run?
4. Do you drink enough?

You could very well be overrunning your training, that is, running too fast and/or too far for the shape you're in.

One of the most common early errors we make in running is impatience. We think that we can run farther or faster than we can, and so we overdo it, or we run too soon after eating.

This can happen to anyone. In a recent retrospective of the life of Steve Prefontaine, a teammember remembered that he ran a race, then pulled up beside his team, threw up, and then said, "I guess I didn't digest those last two danishes."

About running too far or too fast, it doesn't seem as though we do at the start. If anything we seem to be going too slowly, but we probably aren't.

It takes longer to get into shape than we think. It took me a couple of years to get into good shape. In a little less than one year, I was in shape to hike the Chilcoot Pass (from Skagway, Alaska into British Columbia), but for real running and for being in good shape, not yet.

The trick is to listen to your body and run as you can, and then run just a little (a very little) more.

While there are many different training schedules and methods that you could use, one good rule of thumb that I have found useful is to run according to my breathing. If I run so that I breathe once every four steps, I find that I can run a long way like that, and it's fast enough that I increase my conditioning.

Now, if I increase that for a bit during my run (say for one mile out of four) so that I breathe once every three steps, and for a short time once every two, I find that to be a very good conditioning run, and I don't feel sick at the end of it.

Now, one problem that you may be experiencing is simply the normal reduction in blood pressure that occurs during a run. Since your arteries and veins expand during your run, you can feel a little dizzy when you stop.

After a street race--especially after a half marathon or something--those who cross the finish line first tend to stop right after, making those who come after stop behind them. This is usually in what is called "the chute," the lane of the finish line. There are always those who come after who have to stop suddenly, and soem of them faint right there in the chute. It's blood pressure.

What you describe is not unusual. Give yourself a little more time, set yourself realistic goals--never increase your distance or your speed more than 10% over last week, and never, ever increase both at the same time--stay hydrated, eat no less than two hours before your run, run within your conditioning, and establish a training schedule and keep to it, and you should have no trouble.

Don't be surprised if, now and then you have a spell of nausea or a bad day when running seems more effort than it should be. We all have days like that. There are days that running is a real chore and six miles seems like crossing the Gobi Desert. Then there are days that the miles float by almost without effort and the run is just fun. It all depends.

Just don't expect too much too soon from yourself.

Answer 2

Drink plenty of water and don't push your body too hard. Try running shorter distances at a slower pace until your body is comfortable.

Answer 3

Your not giving your body enough time to cool down, slow your run to a job, then walk over 10-15 min...This allows your body to recover.

Answer 4

I feel that you should seek some medical advice from the doctor before you start the run again afterall you have a break in between.