An epiphany but not a good one :(

As you may or may not know, I have struggled with running my whole life.  No matter how fit I seem to be through other activities, I have said for years that for some reason I just cannot run.  My breathing is unbelievably bad and within 5 minutes I cannot get breath, and understandably soon after I completely run out of energy.

I don't know how many people over the years have said to me 'Everyone can run', 'You just have to focus', 'Its all in your head' etc etc and I have tried and tried, but it just doesn't get any better.

Then I went out today running with my sister (I ran, she walked behind).  She's a nurse.  So I ran 14 minutes, had to stop at that point (thats about the furthest I can get), spend about 5 minutes coughing my lungs up (I don't smoke) and then gasp my way back to meet her.  I explained to her that I seem to continue to get more breathless after I stop running, for about 5 or 10 mins and my chest has a certain tightness for maybe an hour or two after a run,  and I seem to get loads of phlegm after a run. 

She said they are all absolutely classic signs of exercise induced asthma and if I have it, it will not get better by itself :(

It would be a fair assumption.  I had asthma as a child, but not severely, and stopped taking any meds from I was a teenager as I wasn't really doing any sports so it wasn't really affecting me.  But I have had this issue anytime I have tried to run any distance.  I also have eczema, and asthma and eczema are closely linked.

Now, this has big implications for me.  I am trying to get into the police and have been for years and always seem to come up against bloody obstacles.  I am going running to try to get to the level of fitness required for the police.  So I am in a vicious circle here as going to the doctor at this stage for what potentially may be asthma is going to be another opportunity for the police to give me a big, fat 'NO' when it comes to my medical (which I am currently waiting for).

But looks like this could explain my difficulties in running, it makes perfect sense.

I don't know what to do.

*whispers* Hello......?

I am thoroughly ashamed of myself that it has been almost 3 weeks since my last blog post *hangs head*

I thought once I had finished work I would have lots of free time, apparently not! Between being away the last 2 weekends (and the next 3 weekends coming up), I have been dogsitting for my parents, minding my niece etc etc etc and it has all not been tantamount to a good exercise and food routine. I have only been managing to do my weights routine 1-2 times per week although I have been going for 2 hours of yoga as well as 2 runs a week (only 1.5 miles but better than nowt).

Thankfully, someone up there has been looking out for me, and I have remained at my best weight of 8 stone 12 lb which is my full 1.5 stone loss :D so I am hugely chuffed. However, I am not intending to test the patience of the big man upstairs for too long and am now trying to sort myself out. Its hard though with 3 weekends away coming up....

Anyway, all I can do is be as good as I can as often as I can. It seems to be working ok for now and hopefully as my weeks calm a little my routine will start to form itself.

I shall try, try, try to post here more often too although it seems that every time I post here about posting more often, I end up hardly posting at all!!!

Off to catch up with you all now x