Running With Allergies

-
For the past month I’ve developed a new routine to try and overcome a major weakness in my running: overall fitness. So I’ve been running less and hitting the machines more to provide more balance and to prevent burnout. Ideally, I’d like to hit a new masters PR in the 10k this summer but a recent visit to the doctor’s office has me reconsidering.

I’ve developed severe allergies that have dramatically restricted my running (and breathing) capabilities. Here are a few things I’ve learned about running with allergies:

Pollen counts are highest between 5 and 10 a.m. So, if you can, avoid running during those hours.

Wind is your worst enemy; sunglasses, your best friend. The wind factor is obvious, but if you are caught in a windstorm or just hit a pollen pocket being blown around, those sunglasses help protect your eyes so they itch less.

It’s easier to develop allergies as you age. I rarely suffered from nasal allergies until last year, and then the case was rather mild. But as we age, we become more susceptible to airborne allergies. That’s partly because over more time you’re exposed to even more allergens.

Not all allergies are alike. I had been self-medicating with an over-the-counter, popular allergy relief pill. Only it brought very little relief. That’s because my kind of allergy doesn’t respond to pills. It needs to be inhaled. Also, if symptoms last less than two weeks, you likely had a cold, not allergies.

When you eat is as important as what you eat. In the course of researching allergies, I discovered that one of the best ways to stave off a cold is to eat 300-500 calories within 20 minutes of finishing a workout since your immune system is otherwise weakened during this time. The nutritional boost helps elevate those allergen fighters.

Shower immediately after an outdoor run. This helps get all the allergens, like pollen, off your skin and clothing.

Soon as you feel sick, cut back. Way back. A lot of people wait until a cold hits the chest, but if you cut back your mileage by 50% at the first symptoms of a cold, you stand a better chance of returning to full training sooner than if you continue to run as if you’re well. Again, your immune system will remain suppressed for longer if you don’t let it go to work sooner.

Popular posts from this blog

I Leave You With This

-
Image
There's this social media post some guy put up on Instagram. I almost scrolled past it, but I'm glad I didn't. It asked what question we should ask ourselves when we die. In retrospect, ChatGPT's response was basically pulling from Eastern philosophy, but, still, I couldn't stop thinking about it in the hours and days since I first heard it. Here's a partial transcript I cribbed using -- what else? -- AI. Some guy set up the prompt, which was long and convoluted. The following picks it up from there.  Some guy : I'm assuming most people would ask, 'Where am I going? What's next?' Something like that. Is that a good question?  ChatGPT : No, because they don't matter. Some guy : W hy don't they matter?  ChatGPT : If there's a heaven or hell or some next phase, you're likely already heading there. Asking won't change your destination. It's a wasted question.  Some guy : That's a good point. Um, what about 'Did I do en...
Read more

What's Your Slavery Footprint?

-
I just came across an app that immediately intrigued me because it brings awareness to something way too often overlooked in this country. It's called The Slavery Footprint , and I found out about it this morning courtesy of this post . Living in California, and traveling regularly through the Central Valley where a bulk of everyone's U.S.-bred fruits and nuts are produced, I became keenly aware of how poorly farmhands are treated in this country. I even blogged about it several years ago . Some of us tend to feel morally superior because of the foods and lifestyle choices we make. After taking this "test," perhaps that piety will recede a bit. After you take it, you can share your score if you wish. Personally, I'm embarrassed by mine.
Read more

Do Mom and Dad Make You Run?

-
I know of a lot of middle-aged running friends who are motivated by their parents to run. Their mother or father was in poor health for many years and it ultimately cost them their lives (or at least a higher quality of it), and so one reason they initially put on a pair of running shoes was to avoid the same fate. However, that's not the sort of parental connection outlined in a provacative post about the link between exercise and genetics in this morning's Daily Beast. It reflects a couple of scientific studies that show we may be genetically encoded to favor workouts. That means some of us will never enjoy exercising like others, nor will our children. If this is true, then those of us modeling good behaviors by eating well and exercising in moderation may merely be passing along the endorphin baton to those with our "exercise gene." And that might also explain why some parents who push their kids into sports end up disappointed that their child never "takes...
Read more