It's that Time Again
by Caroline Hellman

I hate to say this, but my wheezing is back. Just when I thought I was really doing better and warding off the evil asthma demons, my wheezing returned.

It was 8 am this past Saturday, and I was briskly walking towards the New York Road Runners' office on the Upper East Side to pick up my race number and paraphenalia. I was running a 4 mile race that morning and I needed to pick up the necessities first. It was cold, and that usually provokes my asthma, but it didn't seem that cold...and afterall, I was only walking a couple of blocks from the cab I had taken there from across town.

Well, those couple of blocks induced major wheezing, whereupon I realized I didn't have my albuterol with me (stupid!) and that I was going to have to go back to my apartment before returning to the race. Luckily I had left myself plenty of time, but otherwise it would have been a depressing nuisance. I ran (ok, took a fast cab) back to my apartment, took 2 puffs, put my puffer in my fleece pocket, and left once more.

The actual race was ok, although my lungs were definitely tight and I had to take it relatively easy the first mile. Once I warm up there isn't so much of a risk of ashtma attack. In the end, I was really glad I participated.

Moral of the story: Don't leave home without your puffer, even if you're trying to be tough. Because not breathing properly is not tough.