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.