I am not an expert on the subject of asthma, but since I have this condition I thought it only appropriate to at least touch on this subject somewhat.
This is not a "how to take your medicine" or, "what medicine do I try" article. This is not about the more debilitating forms of asthma. Medical advice or information about any form of asthma should be obtained from your health care professional.
Rather, this is simply my personal viewpoint of what it is like to try to run with asthma and my attitude towards it.
First and foremost, if you have this condition and are still running, then congratulations! You might put out as much effort as an elite athlete during a race, but of course your times will not reflect that. So it is good to remind yourself that it isn't just the person in first place that is the winner. You are a winner if you don't quit!
Many people mistakenly think that exercised induced asthma only occurs if you exercise. That is not true, although it does become more intense during exercise.
When you don't get enough air (oxygen) during a run then you become fatigued much sooner than the person who is getting sufficient oxygen. This means that your legs feel heavy, your breathing becomes labored and your heart pumps harder to try to get you enough air to function with. This could be a real downer if you are only a few minutes into a race!
Another comparison to running with asthma is that it would be similar to running at high altitudes where the air is thin. Although your body can adjust to a point, it will not function as well as someone who is getting sufficent oxygen.
The way I chose to look at racing with asthma is that I am putting out as much effort as the person who is in first place. By the end of a race that I've really struggled in, my heart rate is often up to 100% of my maximum after only a few minutes. My legs feel as heavy as lead and my breathing is loud gasps while I struggle for air. ( This does cause some of the other runners to stare at me. Some ask if this is the first race I've ever run, and if so, I should slow down.) A runner with asthma labors early during a race. Much the same as a healthy runner does who is at the end of running a
