taraschiro
Me running the 5K race pictured in the header!
This blog was started because of pure frustration at not being able to “keep up” with other runners. I love to run but my lungs constantly hold me back. The information I’ve found on the web is not helpful. Generic comments such as, “run with your mouth closed to warm the air before it enters your lungs” don’t tell me how to run a 5K or half marathon, especially since the air is always warm in California.
If you are struggling with asthma, and love to run, comment on the posts or ask for information. Let’s figure this out together. Read through my progress and tell me if you relate. Judging by the number of visits I’m getting, there are many of us who want to feel the wind in our hair and the bugs in our teeth. (I had one go up my nose the other day during a 5.5 mile hike up the mountain but that is another post.)
Can’t wait to hear from you!
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I’ve been running since I was 19. I’ve ran a marathon,competed in small triathlons and even finished a half Iron man. Never ever had a problem running until this year. All my 5 k races last year were 26-28 mins. This year I’m lucky if I can finish in 35 mins. I have even lost weight since last year. This past spring a MD said he tought I had developed EIA. I use albuterol before a race but it does not always help. any suggestions
Comment by ashley October 5, 2008 @ 10:56 pmHi Ashley,
Comment by taraschiro October 7, 2008 @ 3:13 pmLet me say right off the bat that I am not a physician of any kind. Just a runner with exercise asthman. Second, I have some thoughts about what you are experiencing but I have a couple of questions first: how old are you now? how many years ago did you run the marathon, iron man, and triatholons? how much were you running on a weekly basis when the Dr. thought your condition might be EIA (exercise induced asthma) as oppossed to when you were training for the marathon and had no problems with your breathing? Let me know the answers and I’ll respond more specifically but for now, check the latest blog entry for a general answer to your question. Thanks for writing!
I’m 29. My last triathlon was sept 2006= 1/2 ironman. maintained with running the last couple of years 2-3 miles 3 x a week while studying in college. Last year 2007 I did 2 5k races. 1st race = 28 mins, 2nd race = 26 mins. I run about the same as I did last year. no major changes. The dr. thought it was EAI because I had problems with allergies this year. I have had problems with allergies from march -may where during running and even aft I’d have wheezing on expiration. I would also cough myself into a broncospasms aft running. This summer hasn’t been as bad as the spring. I have only the bronchospasms after hard sprints. after reading some on the internet I decided to breath in and out of my nose only and it has made a difference already.
Comment by ashley October 8, 2008 @ 7:43 pmI am a cross country runner at my college and my asthma is also tied in to my allergies. Last year I mostly had my asthma under control, only having to use my emergency inhaler before 5k races. I was running them at about 21 minutes but this year I am having a lot more problems. Normally an easy day would consist of a 45-60 minute run at 8:30 pace and I was able to keep up with my teammates. Now I struggle to do 30 minutes at 9:30 or even slower. And I find it difficult to breathe even quick short distances as well. If you find anything that helps or have any suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it.
Comment by Malia March 10, 2009 @ 4:10 amHi Malia,
Thanks for writing. The more I run, the more I read, the more perplexed and yet comfortable I become. Running and asthma seem to be an oxymoron much of the time and yet they must stay partners and work together for success. I was going to post an article to the effect that the more I run long distance, the quicker I become on short distance. For example, I am trying to best my last year’s PR for the 5K and I realize that just trying to be faster in a 3 mile distance doesn’t work. I have to run longer to be faster. But, now that I see your post, I’m not sure what to think. You are obviously running long distance if you are in cross country. Maybe there is some different element in the air this year that is causing more stress in your lungs. I will post an article to weed through this confusion.
Comment by taraschiro March 10, 2009 @ 2:20 pmI’m 28. I’ve been running for 10 years and do 1/2 marathons. I’ve had allergic/exercise-induced asthma for 3 years. This past year has been the worst for me! I’m training for a full marathon now and I’m struggling with the increased milage. I get sooo frustrated when I run with my boyfriend and he says, “don’t force your breaths; try to relax your breathing; try not to think about your asthma.” He doesn’t understand. Sometimes I just can’t breath! So far, what seems to help me a lot is weight training. Especially on days that I’m really wheezy. I’ll just lift weights. Even doing that gives me asthma attacks at times, but its better than taking too much time off of running. I’ve also had less shin splints and less injuries. The biggest difference I feel immediately after a 9 mile run versus a 17 mile run is in my legs. However, the 17 mile runs seem to affect my lungs more 3-4 days later. (For example: I do my long runs on Thursdays. If my long run is 9 miles, I feel fine for my Monday 4 mile run. If I run 17 miles on Thursday, I’m coughing and wheezing the whole time on Monday.) I run with my inhaler on my armstrap next to my ipod. I get a lot of strange looks from people, especially when I have to use it during a race. I was wondering: where do you carry your inhaler on long runs?
Comment by Brenda April 16, 2009 @ 7:46 pmHi Brenda,
Comment by taraschiro April 24, 2009 @ 9:44 pmYou say you’ve been affected by the asthma for three years and have been running for ten years. You’ve been fine with the 1/2 marathons but now are having trouble with the training for the full marathon. First, don’t run with your boyfriend for a while; it is really hard for non-asthma runners to understand what asthmatics go through. It is frustrating to the point of making it worse. I’m starting to be okay with running with my husband because I am much stronger than I used to be. He is still a minute per mile faster but now I don’t let it get me down because he used to be 3 minutes per mile faster; I’m catching up! Second, and you are going to hate me for saying this, because I absolutely hate it when people say it to me, but, I’m starting to realize that maybe, just maybe, there might be a slight kernal of truth to it (I’m exploring this new topic myself through my own running to see if it might actually be true): subconsciously, the prospects of running a full marathon might be freaking you out and it is showing up in the form of asthma. Or, you might be doing too much too fast. Or, subconsciously, the prospects of running a full marathon might be freaking you out. Please don’t hear me as not validating your symptoms because asthma is real, and being on the trail and not being able to breathe is real. But, the more I run (about 25 miles per week) the more I learn. For example, the sight of the Finish Line causes my lungs to swell and I can’t breathe. It doesn’t matter if it is 3 miles, 10 miles, or 13 miles. I panic everytime, at the finish, and really have to force myself to cross it. Just food for thought. Keep reading my new posts as I work this out. Thanks for sharing. P.S. Make sure your longs runs are not longer than 1/2 your weekly total. That also might be part of your problem. i.e., if you run 20 miles during the week, then on Saturday or Sunday you should run no more than 10 miles.
http://www.hubmed.org/display.cgi?uids=17111314
I found this really interesting. I too, am running with asthma, and this intervention helps me. “Recreational athletes were tested with …an interval warm-up (WU) consisting of 8 x 30-sec runs at peak treadmill speed, with 45-sec recovery between each sprint…These data indicate that repeated high-intensity warm-ups can lessen the bronchoconstrictor response to exercise. In addition, combining the interval warm-up with salbutamol prior to exercise resulted in substantial bronchodilation and conferred a greater protective effect against developing EIB than either intervention alone.”
Comment by Acaciah April 24, 2009 @ 9:37 pmHi ! I am/was a long distance runner – ultramarathoner. I’ve not had allergies/hay fever/asthma issues until this year (self diagnosed, so I could be wrong). It is truly interfering with my running. I can hardly go a mile w/o struggling to breathe. My house is clean of allergens, except a cat and dog whom I have had for years. I think there are more allergens/pollens/pollutants/pesticides, etc in the area and environment and that is causing more problems for me. I have talked to a few others who are feeling increased air quality issues this Spring. I am frustrated and feel discouraged. I have shortened my runs and am running MUCH slower with a lot of walking. Maybe this is an age factor too. Your thoughts ?
Comment by Beth May 3, 2009 @ 2:00 amHi Beth,
Comment by taraschiro May 4, 2009 @ 8:02 pmThe air quality is one of the most frustrating elements of running. In regards to asthma, we just never know which part of the air is causing us stress; it could be exhaust, pollen, pesticides, or whatever. So as far as the air is concerned, I cannot answer your question. However, what I can tell you, since you say you are self diagnosing, are the signs and symptoms I have felt over the years for exercise-induced asthma. You can read through all the early posts for further explanation. When I tried to run in the beginning, the harder or faster or longer I ran all contributed to the swelling of my lungs. It wasn’t so much the air as it was the high intensity exercise. In the early days, I would run 2 or 3 miles and then I would be symptomatic for 2 days after. I would have to come home and sit in a chair for a few hours to let my lungs recouperate; which is why I run in the evening because then I can sleep it off. In other words, with asthma, there is usually a trigger: environment, exercise, stress. With allergic asthma, such as pollen, you simply need to remove yourself from the trigger and then your lungs will unswell. With exercise asthma, you need to remove yourself from exercise for the lungs to unswell. This does not mean to stay away from exercise! It means that in my case, if I run in the morning and then come home and do chores, shopping, just moving around in general, my lungs think we are still exercising and stay swollen. I have to sit down, and remove myself from all activity, so they can relax. Now, since I am a stronger runner, I don’t have to wait every other day to run. Now I can run 6 miles two days in a row and I’m fine, as long as I do it in the evening. I’ve also run two 1/2 marathons. So here are some things to check for: is it difficult to breathe after you’ve stopped exercising? Is your breathing affected by speed, terrain difficulty, or the length of the run? Have you tried to run indoors on a treadmill? Do you get the same affect? You also might try being tested for allergies to see what comes up. Be sure to read through all the posts to get a better explanation of my experiences. It might help. Thanks for writing!
hello, im 19 and have always had a problem with running. ever since i was a little kid everytime i ran for more than say 10 minutes i had problems breathing for about and hour. now im in the military and its getting worse, today i ran a 5K to support our fallen soliders and about 5 minutes in my throat closed up and i had problems the rest of the run, my superiors say that i am jus lazy and need to work more, but im pushing 3 hours after the run ( i finished at 36:40) i can’t breathe and i keep coughing. i read about EIA and im not sure if its possible that i may have it or if i am just very bad at running. any suggestions?
Comment by Stacey May 14, 2009 @ 11:03 pm