Post Race Running

Well, now that my second 1/2 is done, and I've recovered, what to do next? Hmm. I have been thinking about a few smaller runs over the summer, maybe finishing off with a 10 miler locally. It's in August though. August in Virginia. Can you say hot and steamy at 7 am? Yes, I thought you could. So, I will wait and see. I've had pretty serious heat exhaustion twice. The whole nine yards with the hallucinations and everything. Don't really want to do that, again. Ever.

Since training for the Marine Corps 1/2 took up a bit of time this spring, I'm not planning any races till after school lets out. I need to use the last few weeks of preschool time for doctor appts and lots of catching up around the house. Cleaning bathrooms. Vacuuming. Dusting. Collecting dust bunnies for the SPCA. Painting the kitchen. Painting the bathroom. Painting the office. Gardening. Gardening. Gardening.

Out of necessity my runs till summer vacation will happen only when we head to swim team, and hopefully my long Saturday morning runs with my neighbors.

Happy trails!

13.1 + 13.1 = 26.2, Well, sort of

It's official. I've now run two 1/2 marathons, and so over the course of 6 months I have completed the equivalent of a marathon. My thighs are still screaming after the Marine Corps Historic Half, so I think I have an idea of what I might feel like after running all 26.2 miles in one fell swoop - hospitalized!

The conditions for the USMC Historic half were great at the start: overcast skies and a light mist, with temps in the 50's. I was happy to avoid heat-stroke and sun-burn. However the skies let lose twice on the runners and we had quite a downpour. I joked with my fellow runners: "If it ain't raining it ain't training!" It certainly didn't slow down the course as the winner broke last year's time by 2 minutes. I also beat my previous time by 5 minutes, coming in at 2:09:47. I had an asthma attack around mile 4 and dropped everything on the ground from my hydration belt bag. Thankfully the runners behind me didn't run me over as I stopped to collect a variety of things: driver's license, cash, tampons (YES - UGH!!) and the really important rescue inhaler. It's not every race that you find some chick stopping, turning around and grabbing things off the course - ON A DOWNHILL!! So, thank you to my fellow runners, and SORRY!

My Ipod didn't care for the rain, and conked out on me twice. I was able to get it restarted and hten the earbuds kept floating out of my ears on all the water running off my head. Just as we got to the base of the hardest climb the Ipod quit for good, so I kept singing Rihanna's "Pon De Replay" through my head all the way up 'hospital hill'. I made it to the top without walking but the pain behind my knees that had nagged me for most of the run got worse and I walked about a 1/4 mile. I got to the last water station and realized that the pain was probably just aching from my very soaked and cold running pants. I figured running my legs would keep the muscles warmer, and get me done and inside the Convention Center faster so I picked up the pace, hit the last, small hill, passed a few people which boosted my spirits and crested the hill. I saw the giant American flag and the mile marker: #12. Oh. I have 1.1 miles to go. Ok. I can do it. We rounded the last corner, and the wind, a very chilly raw wind, hit us in the face. Great. Marine's must special order this stuff. Well, I've lived in Pennsylvania and Alaska, so I've run in the wind and the rain before. I can do this. And the faster I do this, the sooner I'm done. So I picked up the pace and kept on. This has to be the longest last mile in the history of 1/2 marathons though. It didn't seem to want to end. I could finally hear the announcer, but I still couldn't see the finish line. Oh, is that it way off in the distance?? Yes, it is. But I'm still more than a quarter mile away. Oh. Come on legs you can do it. That's what those shoes say, "Just do it!" I finally crossed the finish line and there were my friends, ready to hold me up! Yea!!! Legs, you can take a break now.

Oh, and legs, don't worry. I won't register for another one of these for at least a couple months. The next one will be in October in Pennsylvania. I'm sure the weather will be better.

Maybe I should retitled this blog "One Small Asthmatic Step Towards a marathon"

After running and enjoying one 1/2 marathon I got hooked. I like the distance and it doesn't seem to be too much for my asthma. I don't know how that 20mile wall will feel on my asthma so I'm a little intimidated by the marathon thing.

Used to be I wanted to run a marathon before I turned 40. Now, as far as the turning 40 thing: I've been there done that. Still didn't get the marathon under my belt. I was diagnosed with asthma in 2006 and pulled a hamstring in 2007 so my 1/2 marathon training got derailed a bit. My first 1/2 was completed just after the 40 year mark. Successfully, and happily. It was a great run. But, all this running has highlighted an increased level of asthma, and an increased dependency on pharmaceuticals. Neither of which I am happy about.

Now, I come to find out that the one pharmaceutical that seems to be helping, Advair Diskus, has a dark side. I thought my mild heart burn was an annoying side effect, but some people have died over their side effects to Advair. Yikes. After reading the PDR (Physician's Desk Reference) I will definitely get the Peak Flow Meter out and start tracking that. I can add a column or two to my running spread sheet and keep track of my asthma right there. When I figure out how to add the spreadsheet I will update the blog.

Happy running!

Note to self: Just Deal with the Asthma, there's no denying it

Monday: Ran the 3.4 mile loop in my neighborhood in 30:18. That's a sub 9 mm for the whole thing. That's about where I was right before the 1/2 marathon in December. It took me 6 months to get back there. If I had not taken off 3 months after that race( due to worsening asthma) I might be at an 8:30 mm now.

I took the time off because I didn't want to face up to the fact that my asthma is worse and I need a steriod inhaler (advair for now). I never had to be on so many medications in my life, and now I have to be on them FOR life. But after 3 months of gasping and wheezing, and not running regularly I sucked it up and took the advair. One of the side effects of advair is heartburn, and that's a minor inconvenience. If the alternative is not breathing, I'll take it. It is managing my asthma much better now although when my neighbors cut the grass I still feel a tightness, and if I'm running past them I sometimes need my Proventil.

Considering that when my asthma worsened, it was winter and all my spring triggers (every tree known to man, cut grass, and lilacs) were still sleeping, I can't begin to imagine what I would be like right now without the advair. Possibly hospitalized. This spring has been bad by all accounts. Most every day, even rainy ones, are listed as High Pollen Days on the Weather Channel website.

Pretty soon we'll be exchanging "high pollen days" for "High Ozone Days". They were rough on the asthma last year. I spent many a summer morning running inside on the treadmill. This summer we're at a different pool for swim team so I won't have the inside gym to escape to. I hope the advair continues to combat the asthma well. If it doesn't, I've learned my lesson and I'll go see the Doc right away. I don't want to go through another 3 months of gasping and wheezing when I could just live better through pharmaceuticals.

Better Living Through Pharmaceuticals

I love my Advair. It's been over a weeksince I've had an asthma attack where I needed my rescue inhaler. Fantastic. Today I had a great 8 + mile run. Training for the 1/2 marathon is still a go!

Here's Hoping I have enough Time

Well the Advair is working. My asthma is back under control and I was able to run 4 miles without using my rescue inhaler once. Lungs felt great, legs felt great, and only minor shine splint-y (is that a word?) discomfort. Having had shin splints several times in my life I know that I'm still in good shape there.

So, now the big question: Do I have enough time left before the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon to get trained up? It's 40 days and 20 hours away! Yikes!! I think I can, and with that positive attitude I'm off to register.

Have a great run!

Optimal Running Pace Studied

This is cool. I knew that a 9 minute mile felt better than a 10 minute mile, but now there's proof from this new study I found at Yahoo News.

I haven't been blogging about my running because my asthma interefered with the running. I had to start a new asthma med which is beginning to work. Today was the first day I was able to run more than 3/10ths of a mile. I have a 5k course that I run often and today I ran over 2 miles of it with only 2 asthma attacks. Yippee! It feels great to be running again.

Not sure if I'll be in any shape for the Marine corps historic half but we'll see. Have to check if registration is still open.

I love spring, but Asthma Stinks

Now that the weather has warmed up again - 75 over the weekend! - I am so happy to be running outside. Except that now that all the trees are starting to bud, and the spring breezes are blowing - I can't run outside. Well, not without dying a little from my asthma.

I tell you, allergy induced asthma really stinks! Really, any and all asthma stinks! I am about ready to call my doc and switch off the singulair I've been using to (till now) successfully manage my asthma. Virginia allergens are the worst! This week even at the gym I've had to pre-medicate with my rescue inhaler - something I thought only the cold-induced asthma required. Ugh!!!! Those days that I haven't pre-medicated I've needed the inhaler mid-workout. The alternative to singulair is a steroid inhaler. I'm not thrilled to go on one of those, but I'm using my rescue inhaler quite frequently these windy spring days. Not good.

That leads me to the million dollar question everyone asks when they know I run....."Are you running the Historic Half?" That is the Marine Corps Historic Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, VA. I would LOVE to run this race. Last year, I was in the hospital with my daughter when this race had it's inauguration. This year, barring any illnesses or hospitalizations, I was really looking forward to it. Then asthma hit. Now, I don't know what to do. I am training as best I can, mostly indoors. My plan for now is train and see. My mileage is way down, and the asthma hurts that. If it gets much worse and I switch asthma meds maybe I'll be up to it. All the runners I know are registered for this. It will be like a great big party, only faster :)

If 60 is the new 40 then I still have time :)

I always thought I should run a marathon by the time I was 40. Oops. I turned 40 a few months back, and ran my first 1/2 the next month. So, I guess I missed that goal.

But now I read that 60 is the new 40. Procrastinators of the world - unite tomorrow! I have 19 more years to train and complete that first marathon. Phew!

13.1 (December) + 13.1 (May) = 26.2 (in Less Than 12 Months)

Well, I decided to train for my second 1/2 marathon. I trained and successfully finished my first 1/2 marathon in December - The Blue and Gray 1/2 in Fredericksburg, VA.

This was after injuring myself training the year before for a 1/2 in Anchorage Alaska - Humpy's (love the name) Marathon. There's a restaurant in downtown Anchorage named Humpy's (it's a kind of salmon) and they sponsor the yearly race. Well I pulled my hamstring pretty goog - couldn't even crawl out of bed one day! So, the hills - Oh MY God are they big - in Alaska got to me. I took the rest of '07 off - moved across the country and started again once we got settled in Olde Virginny. There's some nice running clubs and I found the Blue and Gray 1/2 which seemed like a good time away (December 14) to get my training on. This time I learned to listen to my body and avoid lots of hill training early on. I do enjoy the hills, which is a good thing since there's lots where I live. Not like Alaska hills though!

So, I talked my neighbor into running that Blue and Gray with me. It was her first 1/2 as well. Now, she's trying to shame me into running the marine Corps Historic 1/2 in May. (I'm cheap - it's $60 to register!) But, she's just about got me convinced. I figure at this point if I run a 1/2 every 6 months that sort of counts for a whole marathon in one year. That's my story and I'm sticking to it - at least till my daughter enters Kindergarten and I have time to really train for a whole marathon at once.