Running with Asthma!

I HAVE BEEN an Asthma sufferer for 18 out of my 21 years, varying from it being quite serious when I was young girl to it being mild and controllable since I reached my mid-teens. Taking my inhalers everyday since I was 3 years old is the norm for me and I can’t remember life before Asthma. This doesn’t make me sad or angry, Asthma is a part of me and I’d like to think it makes me ‘special.’

My younger brother also had Asthma when he was a child but he ‘grew out’ of it and is now Asthma free. I do feel extremely fortunate that my Asthma is now manageable and that I’m one of the lucky few who haven’t been hospitalised due to an Asthma attack, but it is still annoying when I’m trying to exercise (and when I have to pay to get them from the chemist!)

During a crazy moment I decided that I wanted to run a 10k road race in Lincoln (on Sunday 21st March), something I had never done before and I was very wary that my Asthma could hold me back.

It has never stopped me in other sports before like when I’m swimming it hardly affects me but I knew from going to the gym and trying to run longer than 34 seconds on the treadmill that my lungs were not going to make training for the race easy.
I also knew that my general fitness was poor as well so I couldn’t blame my Asthma forever so I began my training for the 10k in January this year.

I can hear the Asthma Nurse now in my head telling me that if I’m out in cold weather (especially when it’s windy) to try and wear a scarf over my mouth to prevent me becoming as breathless as I do when walking through the cold.

Yet here I was, running round a cold miserable park on some of the coldest days of the year. I knew I had to keep it up or be at risk from getting frostbite in some very unpleasant places.

In the beginning I could run about ½ mile before becoming breathless and having to take a puff off my reliever inhaler (Ventalin). I tried to put off taking my Inhaler for as long as possible whilst running but when I was suffering from an extremely tight chest I had to reach for the Inhaler.

My friend (who is also Asthmatic) told me to take several puffs off my daily inhaler about 15 minutes before I began running so that it would open up my lungs before I even began running. To be honest I couldn’t feel any difference as I still needed a puff of my Ventalin after running a very small distance but I was willing to try anything.

Me taking a puff of my Ventalin inhaler



BEST BIT OF ADVICE

The best bit of advice I found for when I was out running was to not hunch over when running, to lean back and stick your chest out and always breathe through your mouth. Sounds simple enough doesn’t it? Believe me it’s like rubbing your tummy and patting your head at the same time!

Another good tip I came across is to make a pattern whilst breathing. One that I used was breath in in then out out (2 breaths at a time to maximise the oxygen getting into your lungs) , also trying to time your breathing in to music when you’re running can be good as well, just as long as your music isn’t ‘Pendulum’ as you may cause yourself to hyperventilate!

Just as I was gearing myself up for the big day, Sod’s Law struck me down with a head cold a week before my race. Usually when I get a cold it goes straight onto my chest due to my rubbish lungs, and then I’m suffering for weeks with a nasty chesty cough. But someone was on my side that week (sort of, they still gave me a horrible cold) as after 5 days I was just about snot free and still up to running on Sunday!

RACE DAY

On the actual day of the race, my Asthma didn’t actually cause me too many problems, I only had to stop once to get my Ventilin out of my legwarmer ( I was running in fancy dress, I don’t always run wearing bright yellow leg warmers honest!) and take a few puffs of Ventalin.

I was panicking that I would have to be picked up by the St. John’s Ambulance and be put straight on the Oxygen after collapsing after the first mile, but in fact it was my legs and feet that caused most problems whilst I was running not my Asthma at all.
I proved to myself that I can run and not let my Asthma make me doubt whether or not I can do something.
Yes I only have mild Asthma but it has definitely held me back in the past when it comes to sport (I’m still blaming it for me never winning, or coming in the top 10, during the 100 metre race in School Sport’s days!) but on Sunday I tried to relax, remember my breathing and it really helped me!

I also managed to raise over £100 for Asthma UK, who sent me a lovely green vest to run in on Sunday. I’m glad that at least a charity, who works closely with people like me, benefited from my pain and un-fitness!

I think I have proved that I’m the controller of my Asthma, it doesn’t control me! Actually looking forward to my next big run now!

Runners Club!

My blog has been added to The Virtual Runner Running Blog under the list of Best Running Blogs

Thank you Jamie - fellow runner and author behind The Virtual Runner, the tips I have found are really helpful and the similarities I'm reading about on other people's blogs in comparison to me are too true!

I'm glad I'm not the only unfit, struggling runner out there. I feel part of an elite society now!

1 WEEK TO GO!!!

1 WEEK TO GO! I CANNOT BELIEVE HOW FAST IT HAS COME AROUND!!!

Ok, I'll stop shouting at you now, I'm just incredibly nervous/excited/happy/emotional!

Alas to bring down my peak of good spirits, I have been feeling a tad under the weather today and after sneezing several times I don't feel too good. Fantastic, cheers immune system. Time to hit the Orange juice, vitamin tablets, cold and flu tablets - anything I can throw at myself to bang this cold on the head before it begins!

I don't want to run next week if I'm all dribbly and having to run with a box of tissues. Bath and bed will seem more appealing!

Just when things were going to plan something blows it out of the water but being all philosophical 'That's life.'

Anyway standard moaning out of the way and back to telling you about my progress today, with training hours slowly diminishing before my very eyes (I regret the decision to put a countdown on my blog) I've got to keep going and plough through with this last big push this week.

I really pushed myself today and I once I got running I imagined what it would be like next Sunday resulting in me nearly tripped over my 'Puma' trainers and into the lake! Blooming heck! 6 miles is a LONG way! I only mostly ran, walked a bit of a feeble 2 and a bit miles today! Next weekend is gunna be a killer!

But as for today's poor performance (I wanted to do at least 3 miles) I'm partially going to blame me feeling a bit off today to not doing as far as I hoped.



The run was quite pleasant though in the March sunshine. Running past small dogs wearing coats and seeing a dog sat inside one of those trailer type things that are attached to their parents bikes, that kids usually sit in! It made me chuckle as I dodged past them and the kids on roller-blades and bikes and the fishermen...Ooh that reminds me that I still need to invest in a new bike and roller-skates!

This fitness malarkey is going to my head, I think I've gone back to being a 10 year old - I'm going to save up my pocket money for one of those bikes with a basket and streamers hanging from the handle bars I will look so COOL! They do them in adult sizes right? Don't burst my bubble please!!

Sorry my attention span isn't with it tonight - running, dogs and now bikes! So I'm off to relax, load myself up with cold tablets and order a Swedish Masseuse for next weekend after the run! Bye!

Pressure, pushing down on me!

After an un-scheduled day off yesterday (due to too much cheap Portuguese wine the night before- my body is clearly not a temple!) I thought I'd better get back to training again today.

I took my good friend Becky (a highly skilled photographer - who totally did not pay me to say this) and got some snaps of me running/stretching, oh and a few of the ducks/squirrels/robins we saw along the way we can't resist some pretty animal pics!

So now I have photographic evidence that I HAVE been training!

(Slideshow to be added soon)

Ran about a mile again today on a very cold bleak day in Staffordshire and it felt okay. After running for a few minutes so Becky could take some pictures I had to stop for a few mins to catch my breath as per, but then I felt strong enough to continue running again!

A few weeks ago when I had the lung capacity of around 3% and the fitness levels of an obese 50 year-old, I would have ran a few hundred metres, stopped, collapsed on a bench and definitely not re-started.

So at last I see some progress in my fitness levels. It was shameful when I couldn't walk up stairs without getting out of puff but now give me a flight of stairs over a lift any day!

I started running not just so I had something to write my blog on, but so that I would become a lot more fitter in myself. I didn't plan on losing any weight I just wanted to tone my legs (like every 21 year-old does) and feel better about myself. And I do. I never thought I would ever be singing 'Exercises' praises but there you go, trying something new can be a good thing (if you skip through all the moaning/pain I've mentioned on here, it had to be done I'm sorry!)

Wow that was quite deep for a Friday afternoon, maybe it's all those endorphins running through my blood still who knows.

With the days dwindling away, I'm psyching myself up for the big day and the promise of a McDonald's (courtesy of my dad) when I complete the race. It's the simple things in life I love and yes food is up there at the top of my list...

The pressure is ON now and I like it, keeps me going and not humiliate myself by not finishing the race!

I've been raising money, running and finding time to write this blog!

There is a slight chance that I could be SuperWoman!

Feeling the burn!

My calves are killing me.

Pushing myself yesterday to run that half a mile more has taken it out of me. Usual places of ache - thighs, feet even bottom - are absolutely fine. It's just my lower legs that are feeling the burn.

Any tips to make sure troublesome calves don't stop me in my tracks? Better stretches maybe, comment me and help me out!

A woman pushing pension age even passed me on the library stairs as I crawled up them looking like a OAP with not enough pension to afford a Stannah stair lift.

Ouch

Day off from training today then, although I don't know if this is wise with the race in (checks countdown) yep 11 days! Oh dear.

I've planned out the rest of the weeks worth of training though...

Swimming tomorrow
Running on Thursday, Friday, Saturday
Sundays off (hurray!)

Also I have a new area to run in that is handily or stupidly a 3 mile loop and it means running on main roads which I don't like to do as it means people in cars are watching and that concept just freaks me out, makes me tense and generally loathe running all together.

Yes, yes I do know that the race in Lincoln is running on main roads and in front of thousands of people. But it's fine I will suck it up then and just 'Run, Forrest! Run!'

Also the new running route goes temptingly past a KFC and McDonald's. I'm like a donkey with a carrot dangling in front of my face. The prospect of a fast-food meal when the 10k is over is keeping me going!

Those 4 lbs I have lost since beginning running/not eating crisps and chocolate will be straight back on after eating just a kid's meal at Maccy's. It will be totally worth it though.

Whiskey? No thank you I'd rather have tea

2 weeks till the race!! Where on earth has the time gone!!

If the weather is as sunny as it is today I'll be a happy runner! Rain? I'll be a grumpy moany horrible runner, my dad will definitely run on without me this time if i moan so I gotta suck it up and not be miserable on R-day (race day)

The nerves are beginning to kick in now as I'm on the last bit of countdown. My doubts about not completing the race have pretty much gone, the adrenalin and excitement have taken over!

I ran around 2 miles today in training as well - not all at once I'll admit but still I didn't stop too many times just once or thrice after I could no longer breathe and when I got cramp in my little toe.

I got a twinge in my ankle again - in the same place as before - but again it wore off after a few minutes of hobbling round the lake so who knows what it is but I hope it goes away I don't want injury getting in the way of my running!

Lots of friendly people out walking/feeding ducks/steering toy boats on the lake. I like it when they say 'Hi/Morning/What you got in that bottle- whiskey?' to me.
It spurs me on and makes me keep going. Mainly because I don't want to stop when they can still see me running in front of them and they know I only set off running just before I over-took them and their judging me!

Thank goodness for running round a lake - as soon as I get round a corner I come to a grinding halt. Although i forget that the track around the lake is quite exposed and wearing a purple hoody to go training in makes me more visible than a fox wearing a fluorescent jacket. I don't know stick with me please, I think my sugar levels may be a bit low.

It gets more embarrassing though when other runners jog past me several times when I'm still walking catching my breath, and the look in their eyes of 'Oh look she's still walking' bore into me.

I just stare straight back. Even the best runners (even my dad) have to stop sometimes to catch their breath back we are not all competing to be the next Usain Bolt so HA!

Ahem, sorry I'm not in the least bit jealous at all. Honest...

Time to go snack on some cardboard, sorry flapjack and maybe have a cuppa too - I've only had 3 cups today, I'm a northerner, my body's made up of 70% tea.

I was very tempted to go sit in this new cafe that's opened where I run that looks out onto the Lake and watch Stoke-on-Trent inhabitants go by. But somehow I don't think sitting in there for a hour pretending I ran 2 miles is going to help me in 14 days.

Do you think I can run with a flask of tea on the day of the 10k or request a nice brew to be waiting for me on one of the drinks tables half way round?

Don't answer that.