Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Today...Two Things Tuesday!

Life is a process. We are a process. The universe is a process.
Anne Wilson Schaef

Running: I have run 300Ks so far this year...I'm way on track to complete my 1000Ks in 2010! Also, I decided that it was probably a good idea to complete a race before my first ever half-marathon (considering I have never raced before in my life). What's it like to be in a race? So, I am now officially registered for a 10K on May 9th (check out the countdown  widgets on my sidebar)...Woohoo! I'm very excited to have two upcoming races in May.

Asthma update: Today was 5 hills and I was wondering how it would go. You see, prednisone is an immunosuppressant (that's why it works so well on auto-immune symptoms). What that means is that while I'm on prednisone, I am more susceptible to infection. So, now that I am about to stop taking prednisone, I find myself fighting non-asthma cold symptoms. This is actually quite common. When I used to be dependent on prednisone, I would get pneumonia every fall. Anyways, the point is that I wondered how my lungs would do with hills. Plus, I had done my weight training in the morning and it was raining lightly and humidity does not help. Well...truth be told, it went very well. Heartrate did not exceed 154 and my warm-up and cool down runs were at a very decent pace. I felt good when I was done. No coughing. The reason I'm telling you all this is that sometimes, when we have asthma, it is easy to hold back and use it as an excuse. Not that we are looking for an excuse, but we get used to being more cautious. More and more, I'm realizing that taking charge of my health has lead me to push my limits and taught me that I have no idea what the actual limit is! Perhaps, the sky :) 

Cheers!

29 comments:

Miglena said...

yes, there are no limits for you, Anne! Good job on the hills and the 300k so far!

Heather said...

Congrats on registering for the 10k - that will be a great preview race for your half!

MomRunningFromCancer said...

Way to go - great to hear your asthma didn't cause you any problems on your hill run today. We push limits our whole life - you are clearly doing things you probably never thought you would be doing a few years ago. Who knows what you will be doing in 2 years????

MCM Mama said...

Great job on the mileage and glad to hear your run went well!

Julie said...

Nice work on your runs Anne! How exciting to have signed up for a 10k:) You are going to do great!

Meg said...

Wow, what a great ending to your post, there are NO limits and I'm thrilled to hear that you're in control of it all, especially your health! You can do anything :) !

Char said...

You're doing so well balancing the training with you asthma. Must get frustrating at times but the rewards are so worth it. Good luck with that race.

Johann said...

It's great that you entered the 10k! 9 May will be here before you know it. You are so positive! Well done!

Laura said...

I've just realised we're at really similar points in our running! I've only just run my first race and I'm training for a half marathon too :) Mine's a little further away in June. I'm looking forward to hearing about your first race.

Did you notice I'm holding a core challenge competition on my blog? Would love to have you involved if it's something you're interested in!

Lulah said...

No limits! I like that...
Good for you for registering for the 10k...

TMB @ RACING WITH BABES said...

Remember that you have no limits ... everyday, even when things get rough. You are amazing!

Teamarcia said...

Let's hear it for no limits! You are awesome!
Congrats on the upcoming races too!

Marlene said...

Good idea signing up for that 10K. It will be nice to have some race experience.

Glad to hear that hills went well! You would never strike me as someone to make excuses.

Suzy said...

Good luck with your 10K! Races can be so much fun and it is good to get a feel for how races work.

Laura said...

Hi Anne, doing the core stuff as part of your strength and yoga routines definately counts :)

I love the logo idea, I'm going to sort one out today, thanks for the suggestion!

kristen said...

Nice work on that 14k. It so awesome meeting new distances! and I love the picnic idea.

That was a good idea signing up for a 10k. Plus it'll be a great training run since endorphins and adrenalin will force you to run faster :)!

Robin said...

Hey Anne!

Wow! Two races coming up in May? You will be a busy runner! I think the 10K will be a good 'race rehearsal' for you and your 9-miler last weekend is getting you ready to go the distance for your upcoming half. I'm very excited for you!! (And interesting how you went from jacket to sleeveless in a week...wow! Here, too) Love the pics in the last post.

I really liked this post. Thanks for sharing your asthma update w/ us... it helps to understand what people are dealing with, and I agree: our condition can become our crutch or our push to be even healthier.

Bravo, friend!!

HUGS from Orlando...
r.

Sherri said...

I am so excited about your first race...you are going to love it. There is a special energy there, that I can't get enough of! I love it!

I agree with your asthma as an excuse....not the asthma part, because I had asthma as a kid and it is NO joke...but about using things in our lives as an excuse. I am the PRO at that...and i am working really hard at getting past it! Thanks for the great post...as always! =)

jenn w/ 2 n's said...

Good idea to schedule a race before your 1/2. I don't know if anyone or anything can prepare you for that 1/2 marathon and the emotions you feel after all the hard work and training and knowing you're actually out there doing it. It's the best feeling ever.

Judi said...

You'll love being at a race - great idea to schedule one before your first half. There is so much energy in the air at races. I love to people watch - everyone there is an inspiration to me. My last race I watched a girl with leg braces "speed walk" and I've also seen blind runners with a friend leading them a long the way. Inspirations for me . . . I love when people just smile at me and give encouraging words.

What a great attitude you have . . .

Psyche said...

Hi, Anne! Not a truer word was ever spoken: Our only limits are self imposed.
May 9th is just around the corner. Woo Hoo!

Cinthia said...

Hi Anne!
I'm an Alaskan runner with a mild case of asthma (Hey, we are almost neighbors!!). I rarely have to use my inhaler but do carry it with me at all times. It's kind of my security.
Love you blog, just discovered it today through a link from Age Groups Rock. Think I'm gonna start posting my times in kilometers too--it sounds so much faster, hee, hee.
Cheers and happy running,
Cinthia

Beth said...

That's great that you signed up for a 10k. It will give you so much more confidence going into your half marathon. Great job on your hill workout and realizing that you can take charge and there is no stopping you!

Amy said...

Good idea to sign up for a 10K before your half marathon - it is good to have some race experience under your belt before the big day. And I love the idea of NO LIMITS!! Rock on, Anne!

Lily on the Road said...

You are doing so well! Use your 10k as a training run...and remember

There are NO limits...

kilax said...

Yay for getting out there and not using the excuse ;) What a great reminder! :)

Sarah said...

2 races in May is awesome! You can do it!

Ulyana said...

I love your blog!

I find asthma "funny". My asthma is not nearly as bad as yours... I have exercise induced asthma, and the only time I feel like I'm really suffocating is when it's humid outside. Anyway, the reason I find it "funny" is that the way to deal with it is - like you say - to not be afraid to push your limits. For example, for a long time all I could do was hot yoga (due to injury, haha, as you know, since that's all I write about on my blog). When I went back to swimming after three months of no running/biking/swimming, I was SHOCKED at how well I could breathe and how good my lung capacity was. And it's all because I pushed my limits for those three months, without making any excuses, learning to breathe in an extremely hot room for 1.5 hrs/ a day.

Very happy for you!

inspiREDtorun13 said...

Yeah, it's probably a good idea to run a smaller race before the half. Races are basically like training runs except a lot more fun because people are cheering for you! :)