running

Running Update: No Hemoptysis

February 29, 2012

Lone runner Like anyone with CF who is “advanced in years” or “late-stage,” my biggest fear regarding running is hemoptysis. No one wants to feel that gurgle followed by an unknown period of red splatter (or worse). It happened the last time I took up running, so that thought is never far from me.

So far, I’ve slowly jogged one townhome building length. Then two lengths. For a week at a time before progressing. Saturday, I slowly ran 200yds and was really feeling it. Not so much my lungs as my heart. It was really pounding and I briefly wondered if it was possible for a 33yr old CFer to have a heart attack. I slowed my walk to a crawl until my pulse and respiration rate were under control again and then resumed a normal “mall rat” pace back home.

I did the same thing Monday, only I ran like a normal person that time. I made it about 2/3 as far as Saturday – only my heart wasn’t about to explode and I continued walking normally without a major slowdown. Monday afternoon was weightlifting (yes, my arms are really sore now) so I didn’t run yesterday. Instead, I took a very slow walk with my camera and took photos all along the way, 1.3 miles in all. We had to go out in the evening, but my car was in the driveway (we drive the Sorento together) so I drove it down to the parking spaces in the cul de sac two townhomes down.

Thinking we were behind schedule, I casually jogged back home and… I didn’t even cough! I think I’m going into this running thing the right way after all.

The hardest part

Maybe this is just me, but the hardest part for me is remembering my days in track and in PE in high school when we had to meet certain physical feats to pass or get a certain grade. [Read more…]

The Strangest Thing, Exercising Is

November 7, 2010

The strangest thing is happening because of my hardcore exercising now. Just to be clear, before March, if there was something physical to do to help someone, I had breathing problems or back pain. Both were true, but not truly keeping me from lifting a finger. Since being compliant, that has changed, but being labeled as “active” has not. Here’s what I look/sound like after our 4th session:

Two things happened after starting walk/runs:

I felt great!
I felt like crap!!

[Read more…]

Some Days You Feel Like a Troll with Hemoptysis

November 5, 2010

I felt like a troll with hemoptysis yesterday during my run – big, thick legs and all. My third day running can be described with one word: brutal. That, however makes for a very short and very lame update for a subject matter expert, so I best elaborate with my language skills exactly what that word consisted of yesterday.

To bring you back up to speed, Beautiful and I both ran Tuesday and Thursday last week, but due to the physical strain on our unprepared bodies there was going to be none of that over the weekend, so we opted to heal and start fresh on Tuesday this week. Then Tuesday was still not a good day. I don’t mean “not good” as in “lazy” or “unwilling,” but precisely as in knowing that if I ran, my body would reject any sort of physical activity for a few more days and that I’d risk getting sick over an effort to get healthier.

Thursday rolled around and Beautiful was just plain wiped from work and it had been raining for hours. I decided it was a day to determine whether or not I am serious about training for the 5K in February or not, so I went out alone (big news about the 5K coming with my next post).

Run I did. Hemoptysis I had.

I haven’t had any hemoptysis since late March, so I was not happy about this turn at all! Here’s what happened: [Read more…]

Big, Big Day: Running Plus a Bonus

October 28, 2010

Yesterday was a huge day that really put wind in my sails like I haven’t had for a very long time. I’ll start with the bonus, because it’s just too exciting to keep quiet, even though most of you saw on Twitter and Facebook…

Becoming famous

Fatboy now has a Manhattan-based PR firm representing him for media engagements, pharma and equipment company relations, and for things going on with this site (such as more product reviews). “Excited” doesn’t come close to encompassing my elation about this big step. I am being booked for two video shoots coming up in the next few weeks and this is the time of year that companies are looking at their budget for next year, so my people are going to be pimping me hard to get things rolling for 2011 – especially trade conferences and endorsements of products that I can fully endorse and stand behind because I’ve used and benefited from them.
[Read more…]