Running; my arch nemesis

 
So for as long as I can remember I've had asthma. When I was younger it put me in the hospital a few times. It kept me home from school and often out of sports and other activities. In my adult life it will seemingly go away, and then come back with a vengeance.

Recently I made a decision to get healthy. I started eating better (again), and started exercising with purpose. I started with an elliptical, a stationary bike... anything but that dreaded treadmill. For some reason running has always been my serious nemesis (in that it has always been an asthma trigger). But ya know what? I don't think that I'm going to let asthma beat me. My body is getting in better shape, and I don't want to be left out of all the fun anymore! 5k's and fun runs and (gulp!) half marathons!

I've started running on the treadmill. It really slows me down with my cardio workout, and it's a little embarrassing how little I can run before I have to stop (about 3 minutes) ... But every journey starts with a single step, right? Actually this journey has started with several steps. I've got some new asthma medication. And I've done a bunch of research on running WITH asthma.

I've found some encouraging stuff in my research. People always say running is majorly mental, and there was always a secret little whisper in the back of my mind that told me I just wasn't trying hard enough - that I was probably just a big wimp. But it turns out running really is a  major trigger for asthma. It's related to the temperature and moisture in the air that you suck down when you run. So I'm not just a wimp - I've actually been battling REAL problems when I try to run. Knowing that seriously helps me with some of my mental roadblocks about running.

So here's the bottom line; IT CAN BE DONE. It's just a little tougher (which really, is just another reason to do it... and feel like a bad ass about it later).

It'll probably take me longer (and be harder) than I'd like... I still feel a little left out when my studly friends go running and I know that I'm just not there yet. But I also know that I can probably get there. And I'm pretty sure my gal pals will be happy to run with me, whenever I'm ready. Until then I head to the gym - for half an hour of elliptical warm up, and then 10-15 mins of the best treadmill action I can muster!