45th time's the charm?

Take a moment. Breathe. Feel the air in your body, your whole body.  It reaches every part.  It feeds, powers even that twitch in your eyebrow.  

I went to my allergist last week.  She cured my allergies years ago. Love her for that, really. So why the visit, eh? No, my eyes haven't suddenly welled up from the neighbors mowing the lawn (we have weeds that kind of look like grass. My roommate did mow them last week.  Looks much better, but still...shabby).  No, allergies are not my problem.  The thing is that I can't breathe.  Or, at least I can't breathe when I'm running fast or up a hill, and fast up a hill? Only in my happiest dreams.

I have asthma (have I mentioned that?), and it's not responding to my old meds like it used to.  I've been running with it since I was 12 or 13.  Nothing gets it going like speedwork or hillwork.  I was on the track the other day.  Just 3x1 mile hard.  Six min pace or less.  Naturally, I wheeze a bit running at 6 min but no bad.  Got worse when I picked it up on my second mile.  Tighter in the throat.  On the third lap of my final mile, however (when I was running 5:35 pace or so), air sounded like a train going in, and my exhale was literally a scream.  The air vibrated my vocal cords and i quite literally screamed my way down the track.  Not wanting to collapse from lack of oxygen (have i mentioned the fact that you need air to run?), i slowed down and finished at 5:45. It was annoying.

Yesterday I wheezed my way through 8.5 hard.  You know, after a while, it bothers my legs.  I think they don't get quite enough oxygen to keep 'em happy. Now, i didn't have an all-out attack like the speedwork day, which is nice.  I'm on a new medication that i have to take twice daily.  i feel like an addict. So maybe this one will work better than the previous (three? four? i don't remember).  and if--in a month--i still sound like a train, i have anther drug to try.  and if that one doesn't work in the next month, don't worry, because she gave me yet another inhaler to test.  after that, who knows.

Glam

It's been a while. so sorry. i'll use the excuse that i've been too busy running (i have been. check my training at lisap.fastrunningblog.com).  anywho, i'll tell a funny tale to make amends to the millions who have been biting their nails in anticipation of my next post.

This story requires a bit of preface. Being an avid runner comes with...hazards, not all of which are injuries.  This specific, however, begins with an injury.  Just after my st. george marathon in 2007 my achilles tendons were on the verge of seceding from the union and would not hear tales of meeting "half-way" and demanded a break.  Thus, the pool running began again.  After a few months of pool running I was in and out of the gym all the time, sometimes running on land a bit, often elipticalling or biking.  I was in and out of the gym on campus often as i drop in between classes (i teach at usu). my schedule just happened to coincide with this good-looking red-head's schedule who worked there. we were there at the same time in the day and often in the evening as well and chatted every now and again. i swear i didn't go at those times because he was there. but it was certainly a perk. 

anyway, after a while we became friends or at least acquaintances and i learned he had a semi-serious girlfriend (of course) but that was ok because he was still cute and fun to chat with.  one day he came up to me while i was stretching before a run and said, "lisa, i feel like i can tell you this now that we're friends."

     Curiosity piqued, i said, "ok. go on.."

"So one of the first times i ever saw you, you were running up the hill on eighth."

        "k" i continued stretching waiting for him to tell me how i was running fast and that he was impressed with me.

"well i knew you had to be really into running..."

suspicion confirmed. compliment on running. yeah (usually i try to avoid these because i'm somewhat bashful with compliments but he was cute so i didn't care)

luckily my silent commentary lasted only a second so i didn't have to make him repeat: "...because you had the biggest snot-stache i think i've ever seen."

I must have blinked and maybe dropped my jaw (as cliche as that is) because i did not expect to hear that. you don't tell a girl you saw her with a snot-stache regardless of how hard she's running. i must have run pretty hard to mess up a snot-rocket or farmer-blow (both sound much more vulgar that i'd like them too. i hesitated at using either in this blog. oh well, i am not a dainty woman when i run. apparently).

i managed to laugh at the story and we became better friends. even when he'd introduce me to people with that story. like he later said, it's a good thing we weren't dating because he'd tell that story all the time. 

good thing indeed.

Blarg! I feel icky!

I hate it when I can't run...even when I'm sick.  I'd rather just run through a cold and sweat it out than sit in bed and watch a movie and pretend I'm enjoying the time off.

Usually I can do this. I find that I don't often get sick and when I do it's usually just for a day. I'll run easy for a day and then regain strength.  Two weeks ago, however, that didn't work out so well.  I'm not going into any details but we'll say that running was not very enjoyable.  I tried and tried and tried to run but my body decided to secede from the union of running.  I think I managed to squeak out at least a few miles each day.  And they were pathetic miles; I must admit I had a hard time pushing it even for a few days after my icky-ness passed. 

Now that I'm back and ready to run hard, the inversion has settled upon my picturesque Logan, making the view not quite so lovely. So at the moment I'm one with the treadmill. And, for at least a day or two, it's okay.  I sometimes like running on the treadmill because I have the inability to run easy (sort of addicted to the "speed up" button), and I'll confess that it generates a most excellent running high and life is better again despite the fact that I must not run in the sun.

Frosty Toes

I recently bought new running shoes. Mizunos. I like 'em alright. Haven't been able to run in them very much because I've had to run in the pool (achilles decided it wanted a vacation). But there is a slight problem with these new shoes. See, it's winter in Logan now and although the coldest of temperatures have yet to arrive, my poor toes are freezing. The shoes are mostly mesh. I contemplated putting on another pair of socks on tomorrow, but then I don't think my shoes would fit quite right.  Perhaps I'll wait until warmer weather to buy another pair of these as my toes endure enough damage simply from the running (my toenails aren't the most lovely I've ever seen, but I do love them). They don't need any torture from the weather.

Long Time Runnin'

You could say I've been running a bit lately. I put off grading papers and ran for a couple of hours every day last week (and most days this week). Excluding, of course, Sunday, as I never run on those days. Both my body and mind (probably moreso my mind) need a break.  

At any rate, my other blog (lisap.fastrunningblog.com) keeps track of my training. I met a few guys who run here in Logan who persuaded me to join them in the blog, so we keep in touch through that and run together ever now and again

. I haven't been doing tons of blogging lately (just entering my workout in late at  night). Anyway, this side track pertinent, I promise. After 16 miles of mostly trail running with the boy

s last week, I posted my workout on the blog and received a comment back from michellel (michelle ....hmmm I don't actually know her last name, though I do know it starts with and L). She recommend that I put in just a few more miles. She would at any rate. She was right, I needed to, so just before sunset I pulled my running shoes on again and did something I've never done before. 

Keep away from me!

Well it's here. Again and who knows if it will leave for a few days or settle for months. But winter is here. I haven't run in the sleet yet, but I will after my next class. And again after the next. My students, I hope, won't mind my teaching in a beanie as I refuse to do my hair that many times a day.

Many of my friends were dismayed when I claimed that I was not ready for winter yet. They love skiing (or snowboarding) and so do I. BUT IT SNOWED UNTIL JUNE! Just four snow-free months isn't enough. It's not that I don't want snow: I can accept winter in the mountains. By all means, snow snow snow, but keep it in the mtns. My dad is going to hike/ski this weekend and I'm quite jealous, but a good friend is going through the temple for the first time, so I'm going with her. There will be more time for snow. Oh, will there be more time for snow.

Okay, so I feel like I've complained enough. I am excited to ski. I started composing this posting a while ago and since then October turned into November and winter has my permission to visit, but I still think it should stay in the mtns for a while. It's hard to get out and run in the cold. I still do it, but it's rough. Here area  few things that help:

1-Layers! They keep you warm but allow for shedding in case you actually warm up

2-Hats: I never ran in hats until I moved to Logan. It's a bit nippy up here sometimes. Ear wamers or whatever they're called sometimes do cover it. Ha- they don't cover...not as much material as a hat...ha. Ok. Lame, I know. I'm just trying to avoid grading papers.

3-Music/books to listen to. I don't generally run with music for hard workouts, but a friendly voice can help lure me outside when I really don't want to go.

4-Wait. If you can, run in the middle of the day. Not everyone can do this, but it helps to see the sun. 

5-Enjoy the crunching sound of running in fresh snow. I haven't had this opportunity yet. Hasn't stuck in town yet, but I do love the sound of running in snow.