6.48 miles~~cloudy and drizzly

After days of hot 85-90 degree days, today was cool in comparison.  The sun was hidden behind the clouds and for most of my run it was drizzly.  Since I had eaten breakfast several hours earlier, I ate some energy chews before suiting up.  Eating and nutrition has been one of the hardest parts to figure out for me.  Not in what I need to eat, but more in the timing of eating and running.  If I wait too long between eating and running, then I just become weak and hungry on the run.  If I run to early after eating, then I just feel bloated and full and running isn't fun.  I was hoping the eating the chews would help keep me from being hungry.

I took my inhaler and debated on wearing or not wearing sunglasses.  Luckily I decided to wear them--the sun came out in patches over the hour+ I was gone.  I ran down Slate Mills and almost to route 231 and turned around.  I was really enjoying running and was trying to just run and enjoy the day.  When I reached the 4 mile point--which of course is at the valley of the two big hills on my route--I began to have difficulty.  As I continued running, I had my first asthma attack while running in months...maybe even a year.  I was so startled, that I almost didn't know what to do.  When I finally realized why my chest was hurting and struggling, I stopped running and walked as slowly as I could.  I raised my hands above my head, and sipped water.  I was smart and had brought my hand held water bottle.  I didn't have an inhaler.  Running in the heat leaves fewer places to carry additional items, and I haven't needed one in months.  Usually, taking my inhaler before running keeps me from having an attack.  Why not today?  I really am not sure.  I didn't think I was pushing myself, but maybe in just running and enjoying, I didn't realize how hard I was running.  I did what I normally do when I need to overcome something tough--talk myself through it.  Today I quietly murmured, "Come on Barb, breathe, breathe.  Calm down."

Hopefully this incident was just that, and incident, and won't happen more often. I had forgotten how scary it can be when you can't catch your breath.  When each breath is ragged and hurts.  When just walking slowly makes your breathing more labored.  But, I kept my cool and handled it and made it home.