ASTHMA
sprint. Only the runner with asthma has done it for miles! At full throttle! When you look at it that way it says something for the mental toughness of that particular runner, doesn't it.
What should a runner do that has asthma?
Well, it would be nice if you could find short races once in a while. Quarter milers would be wonderful for runners with asthma, because you could compete and the asthma would not have time to affect you. By the time it would hit, you would be finished. I must admit that I would get bored with going to running events that were over in a few moments if that was my only source of competition. It would be fine once in a while, but not on a regular basis. I still love the challenge a long race provides.
If you have asthma and want to compete, it is important to continue training on a consistent basis and it is important to follow your doctor's advice for using an inhaler if that is what it takes to get you the air you need during a race. Even with inhalers, an asthmatic runner is not going to get a normal oxygen supply. In other words, medication can open up the lungs somewhat but your body is producing too much mucus to get the same air as someone that has healthy lungs.
The good news is that every so often a runner with asthma has a day when the lungs just seem to open up and it is almost effortless to race. It's like having a burst of energy and the miles fly by. Those are great races. However, the most important thing to remember is to never give up on the bad days.
It is also important to watch what you eat. Being overweight just adds to the stress when you run. Milk products can often cause a reaction in the lungs by creating excessive fluids that block oxygen absorption.
One reason I'm always hopeful when I'm at the starting line of any race is the possibility that I'll not have the extreme reaction that asthma causes and that the race might be run with few symptoms of asthma. Those are races where my legs don't get tired and I run like the wind! I have quite a collection of hard won medals and trophies for the races where I've placed. I'm proud of them because of the effort it took. Yet I believe I win every time I
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