Another week, another Monday gone onto another Tuesday and another day to tackle our to do lists! I hope y’all had a wonderful weekend! Mine was spent up in Dallas with my girl Kristin and my sister, mother and father-in-law! Aggie football was watched, good food was consumed and long runs were conquered. Now it’s time to take on a long, busy week! Instead of skipping ahead, let’s rewind to review last week’s workouts!
Monday: Total Body cardio workout
Tuesday: 45 minute spin class
Wednesday: 3 mile tempo run {8:35 pace}
Thursday: 2 miles speed work + 1 easy mile + Upper Body workout
Friday: 45 minute spin class
Saturday: OFF
Sunday: 9 mile easy, long run {1:24:35}
My long run was on Sunday this week. I really needed Saturday to sleep in and we wanted to run in Dallas along the Katy Trail, so we did. And by we, I mean JP and I. He’s running the Houston Half with Chandra, Melanie and me next month, so I convinced him that he did indeed need to run all nine miles. Much to his dismay of course. As always he did a great job and helped me through my little rough patch when my lungs and I weren’t getting along too well.
Speaking of not being able to breathe well…most of you may not know, but I have asthma. For the most part it is exercise and allergy induced. For someone who works out often, runs long distance and has crazy bad allergies, this can cause some issues. I meet a lot of people that say they don’t run because they have asthma. I try not to let asthma control me and what I choose to do. As a competitive cheerleader in high school, I had quite a few issues, but learned how to push through. My cheer coach was really awesome and he taught me how to control my breathing, calm myself and continue pushing through. Believe it or not, the 2 1/2 minute competition routines were really intense and left me gasping for air. I’d compare it to intense sprints. Over time, I learned to control my asthma and not let it control me. That being said, here are a few tips for running with asthma!
1. Carry your inhaler with you when you run. I keep mine in my handheld water bottle pouch. Don’t have one? Nathan and Ultimate Direction make really great lightweight bottles. I love both of mine and don’t go running outside without it! Carrying my inhaler makes me feel more secure and should I start to have difficulty breathing, I can use it.
2. If you get worked up, slow down and walk. Sometimes I start breathing hard and get worked up while I’m running. This causes my breathing to become worse and sometimes I even start wheezing. I usually take this as a clue to slow down. Sometimes I don’t and JP makes me. What would I do without him? Once I’m able to regain composure, I can start up again. I usually get a second wind and feel much stronger.
3. Pay attention to the pollen count. Allergies are usually huge triggers for people with asthma. When the pollen count in high maybe consider sticking to the treadmill or indoor track. You can also postpone your run to the next day, but as a runner, I know that won’t happen. Instead, slow down your pace a bit and make sure you have an inhaler. **FYI: Pollen counts are usually lowest in the early morning!
4. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. Sometimes easier said than done, but I promise it helps! Breathing in through your nose allows you to take deeper, more controlled breaths. In cold weather, it also keeps the cold air from cooling your chest so quickly!
5. Don’t skip your warm up. Start your run with a slow, easy mile. Warm up your body and your lunges. This will help you breathe easier throughout your entire run. You may think that you want to save your lungs for speed work or tempo work or even the race, but warming up with help with optimal performance!
Those are just a few tips from me! Now, I’m not a doctor by any means. Just your average runner suffering from running with breathing problems. If you have severe asthma, be sure to contact your doctor before starting a running routine. Always be safe and it can’t hurt to have a medical tag stating you have asthma just in case!
Hope y’all have a wonderful Monday!
Do you have any medical issues that interfere with your workouts?
How do you cope?
