Well, that's discouraging...

[littl3red]

Has anyone heard of the book Born to Run? It's a really good nonfiction book about a tribe of running people called the Tarahumara. The Tarahumara can run up to 200 miles at a time... in thin sandals! It was on my AP language summer reading list and my boyfriend said "I'm related to the Tarahumara," so we decided to read it. And what a good book it is!

Reading Born to Run made me want to run. Very, very badly. My mom runs quite a lot but I have never run, ever, usually using severe asthma as my excuse. And that's what it's been. An excuse. I DO have severe asthma, but I also never had the motivation to exercise and strengthen my lungs until I read Born to Run. I stretched yesterday, got on my mom's treadmill and warmed up for a bit, then started running at a steady pace. I ran 1/4 mile... and had a severe asthma attack. I had taken my albuterol inhaler 15 minutes before exercise as I had read I should, and I still had an asthma attack so severe I had to use my nebulizer, which I have only had to use in the past when I was sick. I don't know what to do, because I want to run really badly, and I know if I could do it without suffocating I wouldn't have problems otherwise...

Anyways, I just wanted to vent and you're all so much more understanding than people I know through school and such. I just really don't know what to do. :tears2:

 

[JjGoesBounce]

I'm sorry that you have asthma! What I do when I don't feel like running is have the treadmill off and just push it with your feet. You control the pace so you can slow just by stop moving your feet.
Excersise before you run/jog, just stretches. Start off a slow walk, run faster for 5 seconds, slowly walk etc.
Good luck!

Jj

 

[littl3red]

Thanks! It really does stink, because I like the feeling of when I'm running, right up until when the asthma kicks in. Also, I don't get a whole lot of physical activity, which is bad. Swimming is supposed to be good exercise for asthmatics, and I would swim, but I'm in a very small town in Kansas, so it gets cold, and the only indoor pools I know of are the pools at the hotel two towns over. Not to mention I'm a horrendous swimmer... :baghead

 

[JjGoesBounce]

One of my friends is a severe astmatic. She would have to be hospitalized for months.
She plays field hockey.
I was never into being "fit", I was just waiting for my body to be perfect. Then I got a Wii fit board, they are just simple games, I suddenly felt better. I felt fit. I'm gonna start it up again very soon, honestly they are just very simple games but they challenge you mentally, not physically. I'd give it a shot if I were you...

Jj

 

[degrassi]

You need to build up your cardio endurance. You can't just go from not exercising to running, of course that would trigger an asthma attack. My brother is a severe asthmatic and was never able to do anything growing up without sending him into a asthma attack and to the hospital. Now that he's older his asthma has improved a bit and he started exercising to keep it under control more. He had to start off slow. Just walking and then slowly increase the speed and difficulty. After a few months he was able to go running without triggering an attack.

So don't give up, just take it easy and build up your endurance.

 

[littl3red]

Thanks! I actually have Wii Fit Plus, the only game that really kept me coming back to it was the one where your Mii is in a chicken suit and you have to flap your arms and "fly" around. That game was so much fun. :biggrin: But it's not even that much about being "fit," it's just that I really want to run. I ran again today, at the same pace, but in "bursts," instead of one long run, and I didn't have an attack. So I'll just keep doing that for a while.

 

[JjGoesBounce]

Good luck also talk to yourself alot boosting yourself up. Example: stand in fornt of a mirror and say "My legs work perfectly, I can run, hop, jump, skip. Asthma only gets in my way when I let it"
Even though it's not true, just keep pumping yourself up!! I wish you the best of luck!
With Wii Fit my favourites were thepenguin slide and juggling...
Jj

 

[SteviesMom]

Sorry about your asthma, but I'm glad you were able to run today. Running in intervals is probably the best/easiest way to get you to running longer periods.

Start off with shorter running spurts and long walking ones and gradually increase the length you run for.

Good luck!! I hope you're able to reach your goals Getting started and committed is always the hardest, so you're already a step closer!

 

[littl3red]

I power-walked tonight, I wanted to run again but my mom was like "DON'T OVERDO IT BLAH BLAH BLAH" so I was like "FINE, I won't run." I guess I get it though, I don't want to go to the emergency room for asthma... for the third time in the last 6 months. :grumpy: But I'm just kinda trying to learn to identify that feeling when I know I need to back off, and know when I can push myself. I wish I could run outside instead of on the treadmill, but my running shoes don't come in until friday and I'm not comfortable running in my mom's shoes. (Cushioned running shoes will teach me to run incorrectly. That's one pro, since I am basically starting from scratch, I have the opportunity to keep myself from learning bad running form and hurting myself later on.)

 

[cwolfec]

Best of luck with your running! It sounds like until your body gets used to running and your lungs get stronger, you should take it slow. You can start on the treadmill by walking to warm up, then run for a few minutes, then walk to bring your heart rate back down, then run again. You get the idea That is actually the best way to get a great cardio workout, so you'll be strengthening your heart too.

My husband has asthma and is allergic to anything with fur, including our bunnies. He's managed it quite well and works out daily.

:run:

 

[littl3red]

Ugh, I am allergic to everything too. Dogs, cats, rats, everything. The only animals I know I'm not allergic to are horses, and rabbits. I guess I'm pretty lucky considering those happen to be my two favorite animals.

 

[JjGoesBounce]

Good luck with your running!!!

Jj

 

[Nancy McClelland]

You just have to work at it. I also have asthma, yet I was able to play soccer and run marathons in college. You need to identify your triggers and avoid them. Good luck.