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Yesterday, I was getting ready to take my first "long" bike ride of the season (which would probably be barely a warmup to most of you, but I'm a newbie) and I started getting a small headache. I ignored it. My sister arrived with her bike and we started riding. The headache gradually got worse and focused on the right side of my head. I kept going because the terrain was relatively flat, my legs were feeling great, and my son was making happy noises in the baby trailer. Half an hour into the ride, I realized that the headache was a migraine and I'd have to turn around immediately if I wanted to get home under my own power. (Calling my husband for a ride home wasn't an option because his car isn't big enough to carry the baby trailer and my bike while the carseat is installed.) When we got home, I went straight to bed and my sister babysat until my husband finished some yardwork.
The only thing I can think of that might have caused that migraine is that I'd just gotten out the latex swim cap from my first tri and I'd put it on for a while for my son's amusement. ("See Mommy's funny hat?") The only other time I wore a latex cap was at the race where I received it, and I got a migraine on the bike leg of that race. I've had mild headaches correlated with getting accustomed to a lycra cap, so I suppose I'll need to keep using that nasty latex cap until I'm not getting headaches. It's probably a good thing I'm finding out about this relatively early in the season...
"Real winners aren't content with yesterday's victories"
Welcome to my world. I was just chatting with a fellow tri(girl) last night about our migraine issues. Both of us have them at least once per week, mine can last up to 2 weeks at a time.
They can be triggered by anything - including exercise. My common triggers are lots of calcium, lactose, dairy, bananas, peanut butter, and caffeine. Stress, too. The smell of the latex or simply the tightness of the cap could easily have triggered your episode.
I usually have a visual aura that preceeds mine, but not always. Swimming frequently brings them on.
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Elivis needs boats.
About once a week for me too. The funny thing for me is that they usually only appear sometime between Thursday-Sunday. I never have them early in the week. The good news is that I take a prescription Axert when I have one and it never fails to knock it out. Almost like clockwork about 1.5-1.75 hours after I take the medicine is when I start feeling relief. I have to make sure I have an Axert with me wherever I go, so I keep one in the car, at work, in my workout bag, etc.
Haven't figured out the triggers for mine yet. I'm just now starting to recognize the difference at the onset of pain between a migraine and a regular headache. In the past, I've had to wait and find out that ibuprofin or Tylenol isn't working, and by then it's usually too late in the process to catch it early.
I get them when:
A. Having caffeine withdrawal
B. Starting to get dehydrated/electrolyte imbalance. This started to happen yesterday on my bike ride. The thing with bike riding is it can fool you into thinking you don't need to drink because it doesn't seem hot. Could you have been dehydrated?
has happened to me before, I think it may be bike position along with exercise, I always carry ibuprofen with me 'cause if I get a small headache on the bike it will without a doubt become a migraine by the time I make it home; I also get headaches at races, I believe similar reason, added stress and exertion and the bike position doesn't help...
hope you're feeling better
I never have gotten a migraine until this year, when I've had two horrible bouts with them. I basically grew up on a boat, and have also never gotten sea sick until I started doing endurance events. It's often made me think what kind of physiological changes our bodies can undergo as a result of putting it through the stresses we do as endurance athletes...
I was getting them way to often late last year. Right around Christmas I decided that I had to do something. I cut out caffeine, processed meats, cheddar cheese, started eating a good breakfast every day, started taking magnesium, and about 10 other things that have at least some association with migraines. I have'nt had one since Feb 17th. I guess one or all of those things I did helped. I take Relpax when I get them, it knocks them out pretty well.
I get them after bouts of exercise. Sometimes several hours later.
I keep Imitrex and Ibuprofen with me at all times. I have been getting them for 40 years.
As soon as I start getting the aura or my eys become sensitive to light I take it.
DougStern