Grinning from Ear to Ear!

[Kathi]

Sarah, I made it to Leadville by bus! By the time I got to Aspen I knew something was wrong and was afraid to try Independence Pass. Thankfully, I wasn't at Turquoise Lake or on Fremont Pass when it happened.

Emily, what you describe is the way I've been on hills for a long time. I just thought it was normal. I could push my heart rate pretty high but had that huffing and puffing going on. How often do you use the Advair?

When I lived in Cincinnati I used to ride with a group on Tuesday nights. I'd start with the 15 mph group and struggled to keep from getting dropped. The ride started in a river valley so we climbed immediately. If the humidity was high, which it was most of the time, I had a harder time. Once we got to flatter terrain I often out rode them and joined the 16 mph group on the way in. I thought I wasn't strong enough for hills. I didn't realize that all this huffing and puffing was asthma.

Pooks, the climbs here are long but gradual so it's easy to climb slow with a low heart rate which is what I was doing to compensate. However, by doing that you end up with your riding buddies way ahead of you. What I thought was odd is that I was having as hard a time climbing as I did last year when I was still recovering from ACL surgery.

Even though I didn't get to finish RTR the mystery is solved and I'm looking forward to next year.

Kathi

[maillotpois]

Good for you for getting this figured out and under control!!!

I struggled with breathing impairment all last spring - it came on so gradually that I didn't really think much of it. Ultimately I really had a hard time filling my lungs and breathing - especially on climbs. Wheezing and super heavy breathing and just not able to push it. It was VERY discouraging. I thought I was just out of shape or not training hard enough. We initially thought it was asthma, but inhalers really didn't help. I wasn't positive for allergies. Finally, after a hospital stint, it turned out it was many blood clots in both of my lungs!

After 6 months treatment last year, and now that my "issue" is 100% resolved, I feel like I have completely new lungs. I totally get what you're saying - isn't it GREAT to be able to use your lungs??!!

[emily_in_nc]

Emily, what you describe is the way I've been on hills for a long time. I just thought it was normal. I could push my heart rate pretty high but had that huffing and puffing going on. How often do you use the Advair?

Twice a day. I believe that's the standard dosage and that you're not supposed to use it less (or even worse, more), since it's a preventative and not a rescue inhaler. I also have albuterol as a rescue inhaler but use it only VERY rarely now that I'm on Advair. I used to have to use it before every ride/hike, whatever. Now I go through one inhaler per year, if that....

Emily