Running has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember... My only hang-up? Sports-Induced asthma....it is the kryptonite to my fantasy of running the Leadville 100. There is no known cure for my adversary, only supposed "treatments" which include aerosol inhalers. Unfortunately, those medications never diminished the effects of my asthma. The only real treatment that I (along with my brother) have discovered is continual exposure to the source. That's right- when I couldn't breathe, I would keep running. The more I pushed myself, the easier I could breathe the next time.
I became serious about running last fall (lose the baby weight, breathe easier). I started doing about a quarter of a mile near my house. I know that doesn't seem like much of a distance compared to "real" runners, but I couldn't get far with my asthma. During this time I read a book entitled "Born To Run" by a man named Christopher McDougall. It is an inspiring read for those who love to, or want to love to run (I did interpose the word "creation" with "evolution" as I read). This fueled my continuation of running in my cheap sneakers and my confidence that I was running "the correct way". Unfortunately, I lost sight of my goal (plus it was freezing cold at 5 am) and went on a holiday "sugar binge". When January rolled around, I hit the ground running, again. Unfortunately, my desire was again curbed by the news of a mountain lion lurking in the area, and our of fear, I took a hiatus. April came and my neighbor had a moving sale...she also had a pretty nice treadmill which I scored for a great price ;) Since then, my running has been limited to my living room, but now I am able to keep track of my distance and time as I run.
My running goals include: 1. being able to run 3 miles at least 3 times a week (that's what it takes to train for a marathon) 2. entering and finishing the Hill Climb 2011, 3. entering and finishing the Leadville 100. Yes, that last one may seem a bit lofty, but I have no time limit, so we'll see what happens! As of today, I can run 1.6 miles, most of which is at 6mph (another reason I love my Tready...it tells me my speed!) and I can actually run up or down the stairs and then talk, without sounding winded. My asthma may slow me down, but it cannot stop me!
I became serious about running last fall (lose the baby weight, breathe easier). I started doing about a quarter of a mile near my house. I know that doesn't seem like much of a distance compared to "real" runners, but I couldn't get far with my asthma. During this time I read a book entitled "Born To Run" by a man named Christopher McDougall. It is an inspiring read for those who love to, or want to love to run (I did interpose the word "creation" with "evolution" as I read). This fueled my continuation of running in my cheap sneakers and my confidence that I was running "the correct way". Unfortunately, I lost sight of my goal (plus it was freezing cold at 5 am) and went on a holiday "sugar binge". When January rolled around, I hit the ground running, again. Unfortunately, my desire was again curbed by the news of a mountain lion lurking in the area, and our of fear, I took a hiatus. April came and my neighbor had a moving sale...she also had a pretty nice treadmill which I scored for a great price ;) Since then, my running has been limited to my living room, but now I am able to keep track of my distance and time as I run.
My running goals include: 1. being able to run 3 miles at least 3 times a week (that's what it takes to train for a marathon) 2. entering and finishing the Hill Climb 2011, 3. entering and finishing the Leadville 100. Yes, that last one may seem a bit lofty, but I have no time limit, so we'll see what happens! As of today, I can run 1.6 miles, most of which is at 6mph (another reason I love my Tready...it tells me my speed!) and I can actually run up or down the stairs and then talk, without sounding winded. My asthma may slow me down, but it cannot stop me!
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