Running With Allergies Tips

Do you suffer from allergies? I was never an allergy sufferer. However, around age 22, I started getting allergies. Imagine, I grew up in the suburbs of Connecticut surrounded by trees and woods, and I move to NYC and get allergies! This allergy season seems to have come early; I normally struggle with them at the end of April to the middle of May. Well, here I am in March with 60+ degree weather. every. day. I think I'll take the early allergies to continue enjoying an abnormally mild winter.

So, how does a runner fair in an allergy stricken body?! I have been having a pretty rough time. I have developed quite the cough (I think I've got the black lung pop...anyone know that line?!), I've been waking up at 3-4 in the morning, having coughing fits, and struggling to go back to sleep. I took off Thursday, Friday and Saturday because I was having trouble walking and not coughing. I finally did some research today and found some advice for those of us wheezing, runny nosed, coughing, groggy allergy ridden runners!

Top advice I found: (Source)

1. Check your local pollen count. Here is a site I used. Of course NYC is second to highest!

2. Shower right after getting inside. What you're allergic to could be on your clothes and continue agitating you.

3. Exercise in the middle of the day. This one intrigued me. The pollen count is lower so it is less likely to irritate you.

4. Run after it rains. It didn't seem to make a difference for me, but it is something I'll try. Oh, wait, no rain all week! Beautiful weather! Rain for next Saturday. Half marathon day. Nope. Got to pray for a great day!

5. If all else fails, run inside. It makes sense, but when it's so beautiful out, this is incredibly hard to do!

I completed my last long run before next Saturday's 13.1NYC half marathon! Congratulations to all of you who completed the NYC Half Marathon and DC Half Marathon! YOU ALL GOT PR'S! That's just crazy. Good work girls, it motivated me for a long, slow, 8 miles. I was considering cutting it down to 6 miles, when I happened to see a friend running in the park! We met through a mutual friend, and always talk running at get togethers, but never have discussed running TOGETHER! So, we joined forces and knocked out 4 comfortable miles. I'm so excited that I may, just may, have a new Astoria running partner! I ran with a cough drop in my mouth at all times and did pretty well. I'll be going to the doctor tomorrow because this cough just won't stop.

Speaking of PR's and running partners...Mrs. Gray had a birthday! I forgot to post this picture last week, and I just loved it too much to let it pass! I'm so excited to run with this lady! She is simply fantastic. She is going to PR no matter what (It's her first 1/2 marathon, after all!), but it's going to be amazing. We're already planning finish line photo poses! ;-)
This weekend, Mr. Gray had his birthday party! We had fun celebrating in the Meatpacking District. We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends, and we were so glad to celebrate them!!!
Do you run with allergies? Do you let it get you down, or do you fight back and go to cool parties?! TELL ME ABOUT IT!

6 Days until the 13.1NYC Half Marathon!!!

50 Days until the Pittsburgh Half Marathon!!!