This is from the ESPN 5k sponsored by Champion and Dick’s Sporting Goods that was held in Disney. I think it may have actually been the Champion 5K during the ESPN Weekend – not positive. Anyway, it was the morning I was set to leave Florida. I’d been on a two week trip and had to catch a train later that day. I woke early, had time to do the race and rush back to grab a shower and head for the train. It was a rushed morning for sure.
While I’ve got the medal and completed the 5k, it didn’t go nearly as planned. I was excited to push myself a little and see if I could push out a better pace than I’d done in the past. I started with a 16min mile, because I knew I had to get a quick start out of the gate so I wouldn’t get swept, but what I didn’t expect was to not be able to catch my breath — for all three miles.
I’ve been having some problems with my blood pressure meds giving me some respiratory issues. I have been on them for 4 months, so it’s not like I wasn’t aware, but the problems seemed to be increasing quickly during this past month. If I pushed myself, it was getting harder and harder – and my lungs didn’t want to cooperate. I’d been coughing at night, and now I was coughing more and more. Something was off as soon as I started. The walk from my car to the start was fine – at a leisurely pace – but the moment I moved faster I was in trouble. I felt it straight on and knew that even 3 miles was going to feel like a struggle the way my lungs were being.
I wanted to cry. I was so frustrated. I was doing half marathons last year, and now I was having trouble pushing out a 5k. The previous week I didn’t have problems, but this week I started out of the gate at a trot to make time. Big mistake, because my lungs just couldn’t keep up and I started to wheeze and cough…it wasn’t going to be pretty, but I refused to let myself stop. No way, no how was I going to let a 5k knock me out.
What a triumphant feeling to hang in until the end knowing how much I’d been struggling on the course. At the end, another girl was by my side, so we held hands as we crossed, finishing together. It was a nice moment. I walked 2 of those 3 miles — and even walking at that point was becoming a big struggle.
I coughed and wheezed way too hard for a good 30 mins after the race trying to clear out my lungs. No fun…
I came home and spoke to my doctor. I’m now off the meds and I’m letting my body heal from the respiratory issues I picked up from the medicine. I hope when this stuff clears out of my body I can start to run again. I’m on “no running” orders for about a month as we monitor my BP and progress, and hopefully in about a month I’ll be back to it.
I couldn’t understand why I just couldn’t pick up any endurance this go round, and realized the timing of the meds I started – along with the coughing, and put it all together. If I need to go back on meds in a month’s time, we’ll try another brand so I don’t pick up another resp. problem. Frustrating to say the least…
I had to cancel out of my Bucks County Half Marathon – really bummed about that. That’s home to me – I grew up going to Tyler State Park. They were wonderful when I wrote to them to tell them I’d be a DNS (did not start), and be certain I’ll be back next year – it’s a great little race and growing.
Here’s hoping when it’s all said and done – I’ll be back at it with my turtle pace and some grand endurance again!
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