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Most of the marathon attire that Ive accumulated over the last 3 years usually ends up in a duffel bag crammed in the corner of my closet , never to be seen again. This jacket is gonna get worn a few days before I retire it.
Now if only I can get the post-race bling to match! septilin
I don’t want to jinx myself , so I’ll try to keep this post short and to the point. Today makes 6 full months that Ive been hospital free!
May not sound like a big deal to some, but believe me, for me…it is! By comparison, last year I was hospitalized 5 times, (or appx once every 2.5 months) …a record even for me. The year before that wasn’t much better at 4 admissions.
Even during a so called “good breathing” year, I usually end up in the pokey at least once or twice, so wouldn’t it be something if I could go an entire year with NO ADMISSIONS!!! Oh my god…..UCSFs Respiratory Dept would go out of business.
I really don’t know what to attribute this success to. My disease hasn’t gotten any better, on the contrary…my PFTs are actually worse, but I think I’m getting a little better at quashing the minor flare-ups before they turn into big ones. It could also be that I’m doing a better of job of avoiding some of the environmental triggers , which probably aggravate my symptoms. A few months ago I totally re-did my sleeping space. I now keep that area of the house pet free, dust free and I think for the most part, allergen free . I even have one of those Ionic breeze things to filter the air.
Even more than just reducing my exposure to certain triggers, I think it’s the methods I use to cope with my disease that have changed. Subconsciously I think Ive raised the bar as to what I consider to be a ” hospital worthy” exacerbation. Severe breathing flare-ups that would have landed me in the ER just a year ago, Ive now somehow managed to tough out at home without all the hospital intervention and drama. Probably not the smartest thing to do for a high risk asthmatic, but I suppose its a way for me to maintain some kind of control over my own life.
Whatever the reason, I’m certainly grateful for the reprieve. One less day spent in the hospital, is one more day I can spend living like a normal person….whatever the heck that is.
With less than 2 weeks to go before the big day, the reality that I’m actually going to be doing the Boston marathon is finally starting to sink in and I’m starting to get jazzed about it. I know this has always been a very popular and respected race among serious runners, but I had [...]
I’m referring of course to the most dreaded of all training walks( or runs)…The dreaded 20 Miler! Basically the marathon before the marathon. You marathon walkers and runners know what Im talking about. It’s all about conditioning yourself for the long haul. A one last practice run before the big event if you will. This [...]
Boy, I’ve been home for a couple of days now and I’m still jet-lagged. This always affects me more on the return flight for some reason. Anyways, Rome out did herself this year. The 15th edition of Maratona di Roma was by far the best one yet, and in my opinion, is now one of [...]
More about the trip and race in a few days after I return home. Ciao!
The bags are packed, the legs are ready, and the lungs… well who knows, but in just a few hours, I’ll be on a plane to Italy! For the next 2 weeks I’ll be calling the medieval town of Zagarolo (located in the foothills about 30 minutes southeast from Rome), my home. I have wonderful [...]
One week from tomorrow, I’m supposed to be on a plane heading to Italy, but as luck would have it, looks like my lungs might have the final say as to whether that actually happens. As is usually the case when it comes to me and marathons or travel…. it’s gonna get down to the [...]
To give folks an idea of just how much walking I do to prepare for a single 26.2 mile event, I thought I’d post the actual training schedule I’m following for the upcoming Boston marathon. Because I’m semi- training pretty much continuously throughout the year, I usually stop at the 14th week mark on this [...]
Whenever the weather is bad, so is my asthma. My lungs are extremely sensitive to humidity in the air and/or the slightest changes in barometric changes. Changes in the climate, changes in the seasons, you name it…. my lungs will react to it. I’m a walking weather station! Well, it’s been raining on and off [...]
OK…If I get sick, it’s all your fault! ……… just kidding. Thanks everyone for your
Think I have it bad? Meet my friend and fellow lung challenged athlete….Mike McBride. Michael has really bad emphysema and has to be connected to supplemental oxygen 24 hours a day just to stay alive. He actually has a tiny hole in his neck , which allows the oxygen to be delivered directly to his [...]
Now that the pipe dream of becoming one of the first lung challenged athletes ever granted a mobility impaired slot in the Boston marathon has become reality, I have to make some tough decisions about the other marathon that I love so much. I’m referring of course, to the
whole days
Wanna learn to racewalk?
Wanna learn from the best?
Learn from my coach!
Dave Mc Govern
Official Coach for the 2008
United States
Olympic Racewalking Team
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