A difficult winter

I have had a fairly difficult winter so far, and as a result am completely off track as far as diet and exercise go. I can feel my jeans getting tight, so I know it’s time to get moving!

In my defence, we have had some record-breaking cold temperatures. Also, I was horribly sick in December—whooping cough and shingles at the same time! Followed by noro! It’s frankly amazing that I left the house at all.

That said, the slow recovery from whooping cough has made me very aware of the sad state of my lungs, and the fact that I need to get moving to get them strong and healthy again. I’m back on an inhaler—the Symbicort Turbuhaler—and hoping that will help. I have crazy killer coughing fits that leave my body aching, and I want them to stop! Interestingly, they don’t seem to be brought on by exercise at all—mainly scents and smells. I am seeing an allergist next week who will be able to give me some answers, I hope.

Also, I learned recently that low blood pressure can make exercising difficult. And I have low blood pressure! Mostly when people hear that, they say, “Great, lucky you,” but it can cause problems, and apparently can especially cause problems with regards to exercise. So I’ve been reading up on that, and how to manage it. Some key factors include pre-hydrating (dehydration can cause a pressure drop) and an active cool down (taking it too easy after exercise can lead to blood pooling in the legs). Compression tights are also recommended, maybe that’s my next step?

This morning I went for a run for the first time in months. My lungs were fine. My big toe is a little achy—not hurting per se, but just kind of sending me a signal, saying, “Hi, remember me, your broken bone? Please be gentle!” I do love the fact that, even though I’m no athlete, I can do all right despite not having run in months. Only ran about 3km this morning, but when I think back to my first attempts at C25K, and how I struggled to get through the 60-second runs and barely recovered during the walks, I am astounded at how my body says, “I remember how to do this!” and just keeps going.

Hope the weather holds so I can keep going!