Monday, March 2, 2009

Is there a doctor in the house?

Okay, I really don't understand this.

Whenever I go for a long run ("long run" in my book = 3 miles), I experience the strangest sensation afterwards. As I'm cooling down, stretching, and then getting ready to get in the shower, the smell of ammonia fills my nostrils. I've asked other people nearby if they smell it, too (most notably my lovely wife - I can count on her to tell me when I stink!), and get rather strange looks in response.

Nope! Nobody else near me can smell it. Is it all in my head?

My friend Chris is a Navy doc and a pulmonologist. I asked him if he had ever heard of anything like this before.

Nope! He's never heard of such a thing. Maybe I'm just crazy.

Does anybody else have this problem? Does anybody else know what causes it?

I can live with it. It's just weird and I don't know how to explain it.

4 comments:

Hilary said...

No doctor here.. just an expert Googler. ;)

Try searching "ammonia smell after workout" - including the quotes. Google will give you a fair number of pages which will explain it.

Sagey said...

Hilary, I did that before reading your comment...
Blunoz I don't recall you ever asking me this but here ya go!
http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/news/article.asp?UAN=2029

Eat an apple!

Anonymous said...

Before moving to Guam I'd notice it. Now its all just nasty sweat. Will have to check out the link, don't know that cause.

And hey, 3 is better than 0!

blunoz said...

Wow, thanks Hilary! That was a quick answer. Silly me, I just figured if my friend who's a doctor didn't know about it then I must be a freak. :-)