Eating beets will turn do that to your urine for the first or second time going after a hard event like something you did.
Glad the mandatory see a doctor, get it looked at comments have been made so I can be the first to congratulate you on running so hard you pissed blood. Next step: run so hard your competition pisses blood.
Yes. I know, see a doctor. But I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this.
I ran a 30 mile race that climbs 1850 feet of elevation this morning. I under performed, but finished. An hour and a half later I was quite surprised when I saw that my urine looked like watery cola. No pain.
No kidney area pain. Thanks.
I wouldn’t worry too much. Happens to me on a regular basis. Here is an explanation:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/blood-in-urine/DS01013
You should get it checked out, but I bet there is nothing wrong, and you are going to piss blood once in a while from now on.
You need to worry. Rhabdomyalsis can lead to acute tubular necrosis, which in turn can put you on a dialysis machine. No such thing as layman telling you it’s ok. Go to you’re MD, get your blood checked. Rest, and think about the future of your kidney function.
The treatment is to increase the alkalinity of the urine to prevent kidney damage. Increasing your hydration is not necessarily the proper way to manage the problem.
Most likely “March hemoglobinuria.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_hemoglobinuria
This can cause iron deficiency you have this a lot. Your urine need not be all that bad looking to be losing hemoglobin in your urine. If your hemoglobin is low, this could be the cause. If the MCV is low and the RDW is high on a blood count, you are almost certainly iron deficient, but these could be normal and you could have normal iron studies and still be iron deficient.
Everybody who’s cool pisses blood. Get a red urinal tattoo on the back of your calf to remember the moment.
Zach
I had it happen several times in the past, though not in the past 2 years or so. For me, it’s when it’s a hot (long) race or run, and I don’t drink enough BEFORE the start.
Went to my Dr, had kidney test/blood work and I was fine. He said it was likely my empty bladder was bouncing against things and caused minor tears or a tear somewhere internally. Nothing to be alarmed about if it went away after drinking lots of fluid (which it always did).
Anyway, maybe someone already said something similar, I’m too lazy to read the whole thread before responding today, but I just wanted to say you are probably not dying, though you might get it check out just to be sure! (ETA: Ok, someone did say this too, I read the chain).
BTW, the first time it happened I called my brother who works in blood banking and is around blood a lot. He told me the same thing my Dr eventually did but I still went to the Dr just to be sure, since my brother is no doctor, just a nice knowledgeable guy. 
Keep running, drink more!
And congrats on the race!
I pee’d bright red blood today after my noon track session! Freaked out the guy at the next urinal over! (I’m all "What’re you lookin’ at?)
It happens every once in a while when I’m doing intervals; usually a warm day with not enough morning hydration. What I do, when I remember, is drink 400 ml. of water when I head over to the locker room and by the time I’m out at the track, the water is filling the bladder enough to avoid the rubbing/bleeding.
Or, I might be dying as I type this. I sure hope not. (just kidding; I already cleared up two hours after rehydrating)
Blood (hemoglobin) in urine = red or pink.
Myoglobin (muscle breakdown) in urine = can be cola colored.
Both test (+) as “blood” on quick dipstick checks yet with myoglobin you don’t see rbcs under the microscope (or at least the number of rbcs doesn’t match the amount of “blood” on the dipstick…
Everyone who is talking about bleeding is wrong. You had rhabdomyolysis = muscle breakdown. It can be serious and can destroy your kidneys but also can resolve without complications…but urinating black or cola is bad regardless…
Dave
Thanks. I went to my general practitioner. He was not concerned and said he would do urinalysis, “if I insisted.” I did. Never heard back. He just told me about his football days when he peed blood all the time. I was a little surprised. Four months and no further symptoms. Hard to believe I was dehydrated after drinking two liters and the cold weather but, I guess that’s what it was.
its from the bladder walls rubbing, dehydration… i think i had it happen to me once, freaked me out.
Hd this. Went to get a check up. Their protocol was to have a scope ran up. Then told cells looked funny. Then biopsy and walking around three days with cathater. Afte 10 grand Doc said I was fine. Then talked to a couple marathoners…They said this is very common happens all the time. Wish I knew all this before I saw the doc…So if it clears up in a day or so you should be fine
It’s remarkable how little that non-athlete doctors know about athletes and their endeavors and subsequent conditions from said endeavors. Maybe I’ve been around ultra racing for too long and expect too much to be known about a sport that hails less than 1% of the population.
Bad regardless but most of the time it’s myoglobin from muscle breakdown and not frank blood.
Dehydration alone won’t do it - not even sure it contributes that much. The problem is myoglobin from muscle breakdown. Dehydration does increase the risk of the myoglobin killing/hurting your kidneys but doesn’t cause the muscle breakdown in the first place (that I know of…may contribute though).
Dabe