Mirth and Motivation

“It (Rhabdo) can kill you. I’ve always been completely honest about that.”Greg Glassman, founder of CrossFit

Motivation Mondays | Rhabdo: Warning Signs for Runners

Sabrina Pace-Humphreys, ultrarunner: During the 2026 UTMB, experienced ultrarunner Sabrina Pace-Humphreys became so seriously ill that she had to be airlifted from the course. She was later diagnosed with exertional rhabdomyolysis. Her experience is a powerful reminder that rhabdo can strike highly conditioned endurance athletes, too. Rhabdo: Real Runners, Real Stories: Listen to Sabrina’s story on the Runner’s World UK Podcast

Monday Motivation: The Danger of “Pushing Through” – What Every Runner Needs to Know About Rhabdo
Until I experienced the nightmarish Rhabdo episode that almost cost me my life, I had never heard of Rhabdomyolysis. Runners have been conditioned to believe that “grit” is the ultimate running virtue. We wear our blisters like badges of honor, celebrate pushing through the wall, and romanticize the mental toughness it takes to keep moving when everything hurts. I was one of those true grit runners, but at around Mile 19 of the Boston Marathon in April, I learned a terrifying lesson: sometimes, the very grit that gets us to the starting line can become dangerous when it keeps us from listening to our bodies.

Frankly, I wasn’t feeling tired. I wasn’t experiencing what some might see as normal late-race marathon fatigue. It was my 14th marathon, not a bad day or training cycle. I trained for it as I did for my other marathons. Yet, suddenly, I was losing control of my body, and I had no idea why. I was terrified. Up until Mile 19, I was having a typical marathon day, pacing, fueling, hydrating, jeffing to my run-walk-run Galloway method, when BOOM, I was listing to the right like a plane in free fall.

My muscles were no longer responding the way they should, and I couldn’t fathom what was happening to me. Other runners around me understandably thought I was exhausted from the marathon. I didn’t know enough to tell them otherwise. I only knew it felt frighteningly wrong. Cheri Whitt, my running coach, was equally baffled and concerned. She helped steady me as we headed for the finish line. None of us knew my muscles were rapidly breaking down. By the time I crossed the finish line, I was unconscious.

What followed was a serious medical crisis, a three-day stay in the ICU at Tufts Medical Center, and a diagnosis I had never expected or heard of in my life: severe exertional rhabdomyolysis known as rhabdo. I narrowly survived.

Today, part of my Motivation for sharing this post, other rhabdo stories, as well as my story, is to make sure all runners and other sports enthusiasts know something I didn’t know that day: what rhabdo is and how its warning signs can present. Learn the causes, hidden risks, and critical Rhabdo warning signs for runners. Let’s all learn to differentiate normal marathon fatigue from a life-threatening crisis.

According to the CDC, approximately 26,000 people experience an onset of rhabdomyolysis every year. You may not know what is happening to you. The runners beside you most likely won’t know and might assume you have bonked, hit the proverbial wall, or crashed out from fatigue. Some of the symptoms might even be mistaken for the exhaustion, muscle pain, weakness, or physical distress associated with endurance events. That is why recognizing when something feels different, sudden, severe, or profoundly wrong matters.

Rhabdo: Real Runners, Real Stories
Statistics tell us what rhabdo can do. The experiences of runners who have lived through it, and those whose stories ended tragically, remind us why recognizing the warning signs matters. Blockquotes throughout this post offer brief summaries of five athletes’ publicly reported experiences, with links to their full stories. Do read them to learn about our unique stories and experiences of rhabdomyolysis, aka rhabdo.

“After a few tests, he came back with a crisp prognosis: rhabdo. ‘Liver damage. Danger of seizing, acute renal kidney failure, heart attack.’ … And while they’re flushing you like a drainpipe, I told myself, maybe you can also figure out why you’re really here. It’s a strange bargain to drive the body that hard.” Anonymous Writer

Motivation Mondays | Rhabdo: Warning Signs for Runners

Aaron Kuen, marathoner: Aaron was having what seemed like the race of his life and was approaching the finish of the California International Marathon when he suddenly collapsed near Mile 26. What looked like an extraordinary athletic performance became a devastating medical emergency associated with rhabdomyolysis. Rhabdo: Real Runners, Real Stories:  Read Aaron Kuen’s story at Outside

What Is Exertional Rhabdo?

Rhabdomyolysis occurs when damaged skeletal muscle cells break down and release their contents, including myoglobin, creatine kinase (CK), potassium, and other substances, into the bloodstream. In severe cases, this process can disrupt the body’s chemistry and damage the kidneys. Complications can include acute kidney injury, dangerous electrolyte abnormalities, and abnormal heart rhythms. Severe rhabdo can be life-threatening, and that is how I ended up in the ICU at Tifts Medical Center for 3 days

Exertional rhabdomyolysis is rhabdo associated with strenuous physical activity. It can occur after unusually intense or unfamiliar exercise, a sudden increase in training load, or exercise combined with other contributing factors. Heat, inadequate hydration, recent illness, certain medications or substances, and some underlying genetic or metabolic conditions may increase risk. Yes, it can happen to trained athletes.

Read more…