Friday 5.0 miles/42:29/8:30 average pace
I got in to see the doctor yesterday afternoon and got some info on my breathing situation. First, he had me take a breathing test where I blow into this machine thingy and it measures stuff, then I took a breathing treatment which was this mister machine that I breathed through for 5-10 minutes, then repeated the test. The results of that were that I have super good lung function and no asthma. Sweet! He said I was at "over 100%" of where I should be, so that's gotta be good. He also said I have a "lung age" of 20. Ok!
So he ruled out that I have asthma, but that doesn't mean I don't ever have asthma... I probably have exercise-induced asthma which wouldn't show up on that test. There are exercise tests they can do, but for now he just gave me a prescription for an albuterol inhaler which I can use before hard workouts. If it doesn't work I'm supposed to go back and see him.
Well, I think it worked!! I was excited to try this out so I got up for my regular Friday morning run but today I took two puffs on the inhaler before I headed out. I wanted to push hard to "trigger" the wheezing, but at the same time, ugh, I'm tired!! So I think I found a good in-between effort. I will put the inhaler to another test sometime soon when I have more energy. I don't run a lot of intervals, so I don't know if that's a major trigger, but I do know a sustained tempo-type pace (especially on hills) is a major trigger, but that test will have to wait.
Today I ran hard for short bursts and had NO wheezing! It was awesome. Toward the end of the later intervals my legs felt heavy and my form was sloppy, but I was not wheezing! It was an interesting feeling to not have my lungs be my limiter. Here's the results of today's "just for fun" intervals:
.25 mile 1:52 (7:28 pace)
.50 mile 3:40 (7:20 pace)
.25 mile 1:46 (7:04 pace)
.50 mile 3:34 (7:08 pace)
.25 mile 1:47 (7:08 pace)
Last night after the doctor appt I made it to the pool for a total of 850 meters. I swam 750 m in 15:03 (nice!) then kicked for two more laps. I alternated kicking while on my back with no float, and then regular kicking using a kickboard.
6 comments:
Glad you got good news.
I could really use some of the speed, can you send me some before tomorrow?
Your swimming is doing great.
Hey, that sounds like progress to me!
hmm seems like that inhaler worked... I know after a couple of hard workouts I am not really wheezing but I do lose my voice a little bit, dang tire--lol
Glad ur feeling better, Have a great weekend!
Great news, Jen! No asthma. Excellent workout, too... keep plugging away. And MORE SWIMMING!! Woo- hoo! You are an inspiration.
20 year old lungs huh? :-) You really kicked some ass on that run and you say that you were tired. Sha right. Nice job!!
All this doctor talk is confusing me Jen!! "I blow into this machine thingy", "it measures stuff", "I took a breathing treatment which was this mister machine"!
Loved the results tho. And look at it this way.. if you have exercise-induced asthma, you have something in common with our buddy, Steve Runner! You are SO lucky!! ;-)
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