Kidney Failure and Ultramarathoning
by Don Davis
Four days after winning the Seagate 100 km Ultramarathon in Toledo, Ohio, I was hospitalized for 11 days with Acute Kidney Failure, a direct consequence of the race, possibly exacerbated by the 2400 mg of ibuprofen that I took during the race. In this article, I will describe my race and my hospitalization, discuss similar experiences of two runners after the 1994 Western States (WS) 100 Mile Endurance Run, and tell what I have learned that might be of general interest.
I am 49 years old and have been running ultras regularly since 1979. My most memorable performances have included; winning the first ultra I ran, a 6:10 50 miler in my hometown of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, winning a Sri Chinmoy 12-hour race near San Francisco in 1989, covering almost 78 miles, second in 45-49 age group in national championship 100 km in 8:51 in New York City in 1993, and representing the US in the 1994 Italian Del Passatore 100 km, where I finished 54th of 3500 participants in 9:39.
The Seagate Ultras on November 26, 1994, included races of 60 km, 50 miles, and 100 km, each run on the same 1.1 mile loop. There were approximately 10, 10, and 6 runners, respectively, in these races, which were judged separately. My 9:29 time for 100 km was not very fast, but it won that race easily, and I also went through 60 km and 50 miles faster than anyone in those races. So I am not a novice.
The weather for the race was ideal by my standards, with temperatures in the 30s, light wind, and no precipitation. I was drinking water and/or Gatorade almost every lap, so I don't think dehydration was a cause of my problem. One unusual feature of the race is that I stopped to urinate at least 25 times, whereas usually I stop about 6 times in a race of that duration. I attributed that to the cool weather keeping me from sweating.
One factor which is probably significant is that three weeks before the race, during an easy run the day after an excellent 41-mile training run, I injured a calf muscle. I used electronic stimulation to promote healing, and ran very little during the three weeks preceding the race. This area bothered me frequently during the race, feeling as if it wanted to cramp. Whenever this happened, I would
