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That means… I did it!! I ran 10 km, I ran the whole way!! That in itself is enough to make me feel GREAT, but of course there were bumps along the way. I woke up this morning excited and breathing better than I had all week. Excellent!
The first 5 km were comfortable, I was battling with my own mind more than anything. I should have just taken the time to appreciate the beautiful day but instead I let myself get bored. The trees were gorgeous, the whole neighbourhood was a glowing gold colour.
At about 6 km, the wind picked up and we got out onto a main road. At this point I felt my breathing change and it got harder and harder to blow my air out. I really had to concentrate and focus hard to breathe properly, which, on the plus side, occupied my brain. The 6-8 km stretch was the worst, dyspnea-wise.
At about 7km I developed blisters and my shins got crampy. It seemed agonizing at the time, but now that I’m sitting here I can hardly remember what it felt like! I bet THAT is why people keep registering for races over and over again.
At 8km I felt sure I could do it. 2 more kilometers felt entirely do-able and I knew I could just bear down and run to the end. Then at 9km, I started to feel GREAT, I was flying! As I got to see the finish, with under half a km to go, I started running strong. I wouldn’t say I sprinted to the finish, but it was a pretty rockin’ pace! As soon as we got to the finish line, they fed us bagels and vegetarian beans!! Yummmm.
The only thing that really hurts right now is the arches of my feet, but I’m sure they will loosen up soon. My chest has gotten tighter since finishing the race, but I still feel pretty good! I’m perched on the couch at my aunt’s house right now, and I’m going to settle down with some studying soon. If I don’t move for the next few hours, that is fine with me!!
YAAAHOOOOOOOO!!!
I just completed my last training run for Sunday’s race. Seeing as deciding to run the 10k distance was a rushed deal, I haven’t put in the amount of training as I might have if I had had 6 weeks notice. Nevertheless, I’ve been running solidly for over a month and I hope it will be enough. Thanks to all for your encouragement! Here’s a brief look at this week’s training:
Saturday: 6 km
Sunday: 6 km
Monday: 15 minute swim (was cut short due to SOB)
Tuesday: rest day, too SOB for running
Wednesday: 7.5 km
Thursday: 3 km at tempo pace
Friday: 7.5 km
Now it’s rest time until Sunday morning!!
To be completely honest with you (as I try to always be) this week has not been optimal breathing-wise. I had 2 days where I felt too short of breath to exert myself too much and I’ve been pretty tight all week. To say I’m approaching this race with a little trepidation would be accurate. But, today I’m finally feeling better and I’m hoping that this will hold until after the race (and beyond!!). Also, the fact that I was able to train through most of it has given me a huge confidence boost.
I will of course give you a full race report sometime on Sunday. Wish me luck!! 
Phew, it was one of those long days!
This first bit may be too much information for you, if you don’t wanna know about what comes out of my lungs, do not read on. So I was standing around in the kitchen at breakfast, eating an orange while talking to my roommate, when suddenly I inhale some of the juice and start to choke. After the startling bit is over, I continue to cough a little bit. And then. Then I had this sudden massive rumbling cough, and I coughed up like a whole mouthful of thick but sort of fluffly white phlegm. Taken aback, it took me a moment to realize how freaking good that felt. So I encouraged the coughing for a few minutes and was able to clear some more. And for the next few hours I was on a cloud.
It’s a good thing I was on a cloud because I had a class, then a midterm. The cellular physiology midterm went super well. It was a bit on the easy side but whatever I could use a bit of easy amid my courses!! Next I had my massive Monday lab, which didn’t turn out to be too bad. By the end of it I was starting to feel tight and I could really feel it on my walk home. I was kind of grumpy about that because I thought I had fixed my lungy problem with this morning’s phlegm fiasco. I got home and made dinner and sucked on some ventolin.
I went back to school because there was an info session for next year’s honours projects. Even though I was feeling tight still, I brought my pool stuff for after because I had planned on a swim today. Of course the fact that I brought my swim stuff meant that I absolutely had to go to the pool, so I did. I love being in the pool, but I had to get out after 8 laps because I just wasn’t feeling it, I was too tight. Sooooo I came home, which is where I am now.
The lungs are being not very nice this evening, and I don’t know why. I wish they would get over themselves. Grr. It’s not a huge deal, and I’m not concerned about it, but it’s a little much for running or swimming.
The 5 km vs. 10 km debate is still not settled. People have not been very warm on the 10 km idea at all. And now I don’t feel so good so it’s harder to think a 10 km is realistic. I guess I really do have until Sunday to decide.
Monday is my worst day scedule-wise, so now the rest of the week is looking pretty peachy!
I did it!!!!! I ran a 5k race without stopping and it was the best feeling in the whole entire world!!!
So I guess prednisone and proper medications + adrenaline = Danielle the running beast
I will admit, I didn’t run this fast of my own accord. The thing was, I had my aunt’s car key in my bra (um, yeah) and she was my ride home and with thousands of people at the run there was no way we could get split up. I told her I was taking this at a slow jog and she said that was fine. Her idea of a slow jog is not the same as mine. She is 56 and probably the fittest person I know. We started off way faster that I have ever run and I remember thinking I was not going to last. But I’m stubborn and not the kind of person to ask others to slow down, so I kept up to her and before I knew it we were at the halfway point. About half a km later I could feel my breathing change, I was starting to trap air. I was using so much energy to blow out my air in quick sharp blasts, to the point of making my abs and ribs sore. I stayed very focused on breathing properly and keeping my upper body relaxed but was still running hard as ever. Pretty soon, I could see the finish line. After that, it was all over, I was just going for it. When I could finally see the numbers on the clock, I was absolutely in shock that there was we were still in the 20 minutes and not in the 40s. I was actually convinced they had set up the clock wrong. I finished strong and fast, and when I crossed the finish line, I walked it out, waiting for the grip on my lungs to tighten, waiting to start gasping.
BUT IT DIDN’T HAPPEN. For the first time in my life after a run I did not feel like my lungs were collapsing upon themselves. I felt just normal. I talked to my aunt all the way back to the car. Can you say adrenaline?? Now I’m showered, I’ve had a massive snack, and I still feel fine. IT’S WEIRD BUT TOTALLY AWESOME.
Is it even possible that yesterday morning I was out of breath from making my breakfast?? How does that even *happen*??????? I called my mom and she doesn’t even believe me, she told me to get out of town.
I know the asthma beast likes to be sneaky and strike hours later sometimes so I’ll take it easy and be vigilant.
The atmosphere at the pre-race was emotional and inspiring and very optimistic. As I said before this is a Canada-wide event raising money for breast cancer. Every time I looked at people’s “I’m running for…” bibs I almost cried. People were decked out in pink cowboy hats, feather boas, neon pink lycra tights, you name it. It was amazing.
GUYS, I am hooked. Can I call myself a runner yet?? I’ve got my eye on the next race…..
I picked up my race t-shirt and bib!! The race is tomorrow and I’m really excited.
Hélène is my grandmother, by the way. She died of breast cancer when my dad was 18, at age 51. When I picked up my race pack, I looked at the t-shirt and bibs and had an unexpected wave of weepiness (maybe prednisone induced, I’ll get to this in a sec). Leading up to this run, I was thinking of it as a run, as a way to assess how I’m coming along with my running and how my lungs are holding up to it. Then I realized that this is a community event too, actually a damned big national community event, and that we’re all running for one reason. So many people have been touched by breast cancer, and everybody’s running for someone.
And while I hesitate to call the loss of my grandmother *my* loss, since I never met her, it kills me to think that if she had gotten sick 20 years later, she may have been a survivor. Then, my dad would have had his mother through his young adulthood, my grandpa probably wouldn’t have gotten so f-ing messed up, and I would have had the chance at a relationship with a very special (so I’m told) woman. So now that I am holding my “hope” t-shirt in my hands, I’m finding it a little overwhelming. I know that tomorrow, with everybody in their goofy pink race attire, will be even more overwhelming, but I’m sure that it will be in a good way.
Kerri is doing the Run for the Cure too, in her own city. Go Kerri! Steve of BreathinStephen is doing a half marathon in San Jose tomorrow. You rock Steve! I can’t wait to hear about how your guys’ day goes.
OK, so now on to my health, which has taken a turn for the worse in the past 24 hours. I got worse and worse from about 2:30 on yesterday afternoon, peaking at about 10 PM. I had a very hard time sleeping but fortunately I was able to sleep in some this morning. I was having trouble functioning this morning and feeling really really tight, so I cracked open a bottle of prednisone. I’m obviously in a hurry to feel better so I didn’t hesitate too much with it; I could hardly walk to the bathroom when I woke up. I told myself if there was no improvement by mid-morning I would go to urgent care and get some nebs into me. But I’ve been feeling much less tight for the past hour or so. I ran this plan by my friend XE, which helped tremendously. Thanks girl!
I’m still planning to do the run, as long as I feel well enough to run in the morning. If not, I’ll walk it. If I feel really bad, I’ll skip it and probably go to the doctor seeing as it will be 24 after starting pred. BUT, I’m still planning on running!!! I’m just really trying to get those lungs open today so that tomorrow will be fantabulous. Wish me luck! I AM being smart so please don’t worry.
I’ve gotten into the habit (is it called a habit if it’s only been three weeks?) of taking Friday as a rest day between Thursday’s dance class and my longer runs on Saturday and Sunday. However, I’m taking tomorrow off to rest properly before the race, and I was giving blood at noon today so I knew that this morning was my last chance for a run before Sunday’s race. So I went at 7:00 AM. Upon returning, I made myself the most powerhouse breakfast known to woman. I had to also raise my blood sugar enough so that it wouldn’t be a big deal for me to lose a litre of blood through donation today. Here’s what I had:
Danielle’s morning cous-cous
1/3 cup cooked cous-cous. Use interchangeably with oats (for normal people, ie not me), quinoa (mucho protein for the vegetarians) or bulgur.
1 chopped banana
handful of almonds
handful of raisins
splash of milk, or soymilk
a drizzle of honey
Mix it all up well and consume. It will fill you up for hours and it tastes delicious.
The run went well though I was wheezy after. I’m totally ready for Sunday!!
The blood donation also went well, I’m an old hand at it by now. Of course the RN and I chatted about my asthma. It was funny because there were three male university students with me in the bloodmobile today. And ALL THREE of them told the nurse they felt like they were going to pass out, all three of them had to go lie down. Not me though, I skipped off on my merry way to class. Me Tough Womannnn. This also happened to my dad the first (and only) time he tried to go give blood. But good on all of them for going in.
Right now my lungs are absolutely craptastic, and they have been for like 5 hours. I wanna shake that offff! I’m just getting lots of studying in though so it’s all good. Hopefully the pfs go back up before beddy-bye. Happy Friday all!
Lol, I still get the newsletter from the pediatric asthma service. At least someone still thinks I’m a kid! Do you think if I showed up for an appointment, they would give it to me?
The newsletter brought to my attention a Run for Asthma event in October. It’s the 16th annual but I had no idea it was even a thing. Of course I’ll be gone to school but I’m going to see if I can get my dad to participate. He’s one of those crazy avid runners so I think he’ll do it. I would walk it if I were here, that would be so fun! All proceeds support the asthma clinic I grew up in so it’s a worthy cause.
