It was my race and I honked ’cause I had to

/ Tracy Abell

I just got home after running a three-mile race. I haven’t run in a month because every time I ran I got a horrific headache from sinuses plugged with pollen (my medical diagnosis). I even stopped running the trails out in the open space to avoid getting coated in yellow pollen and just ran the streets but still felt mighty shitty when I finished. And where’s the fun in that?! So for the past month I’ve focused on hooping and feeling groovy in my living room every morning.  Pollen-free!

Well, Zippy and Wildebeest ran this same race last year and planned to do it this year but then got free tickets to the Broncos game so they opted out. I didn’t think I wanted to run but yesterday my neighbor called to say she wanted to sponsor me.  Wow!  A sponsorship!  I felt very NASCAR (or something).

So I went down and signed up the race which is for  a really good cause. The Second Wind Fund was established to prevent teen suicide after four local high school students committed suicide in a nine-month period during 2001-2002.  This is serious stuff and now that I have my own hormonally-challenged teen, I figured I could stagger around a three-mile loop to support those efforts.

Oh my.

My exercise-induced asthma was so bad today that people ran alongside me asking if I was okay.  I was practically honking.  One man asked if I was all right and I gasped that I was fine, thanks, and he nodded and ran ahead.  After a few more steps, though, he stopped and turned and asked me again if I was all right.  Very kind of him, I know.  But then when the teenage girl asked and the older man asked and all those other runners ran past staring at me, I started to feel like a freak show.   With a really annoying soundtrack.

So I walked.  In a three-mile race.  I didn’t just walk once, I think I walked four different times (I can’t figure out how to get the splits off my watch and Zebu isn’t here to help).  Honking away the entire time.

When I crossed the finish line, I got a bottle of water and found an out-of-the-way place to cool down and stretch.  And I had myself a good cleansing cry.  Truly, it felt good and productive to get that frustration and embarrassment and disappointment out of my system.

HONK!

    
                                              
 

39 thoughts on “It was my race and I honked ’cause I had to”

  1. Wish you lived nearby; I’d jog with you!
    I use some sort of RX nasal spray for my allergies. Maybe you might look into getting some. I’m sorry you had a difficult run. 😦

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  2. Honk if you admire Tracy
    Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk! Honk!
    Okay, I’d bleat more than that, but I think I’d end up with honking-induced asthma. heh.
    Congratulations for crossing the finish line, Tracy. Doesn’t matter how you did it or how long it took — all that counts is that you followed through on your commitment, and that you did it with heart.
    HONK!

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  3. Yup, I’m honking because I totally admire Tracy!
    It’s always what’s in the heart that counts, and you certainly gave it your all. That’s all anyone could ask for. Yay, Tracy!

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  5. Oh, I’m impressed! Not just anyone would honk their way through a race like that…I just drove past those signs, wondering what the ‘Second wind’ meant. Very cool — is it sponsored by the church there or were they just offering their parking lot for the recovery zone? I hope you’re feeling much better!!

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    • I believe the church is responsible for getting the program going. I’m not a big fan of organized religion but I think this is a shining example of what religion/spirituality is really supposed to be about.
      Thanks for the kind words, Robin.

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  6. Congrats on finishing!!! Walking is fine.
    Sorry about your asthma–not fun.
    I also run and bike and swim. But I have never entered a race, not yet. I would if there was a good cause I could help out. I ran 6K on Saturday and also swam 800 meters. I am excited because it has been years since I’ve swam that far.
    The pollen will diminish soon, won’t it? I hope so.
    Have a good writing week.

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    • Ran a 6k and then swam a half-mile? You’re awesome!
      I hope the pollen is gone soon. I’ve never had this much trouble and only developed this asthma stuff in the past several years. I didn’t know how good I had it all those other years.
      You have a good writing week, too.

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      • I am sore. 🙂
        You are running at a high altitude!!! That is more challenging than sea level.
        I rested several times during my swim. And I did walk a little bit of my run. I tend to run versus jog, and can’t keep up my pace. Also, 20 mph headwinds are wicked to run against.

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        • I’m sore, too! Two sore writers, we are.
          I run rather than jog, too, and that’s where I really got myself in trouble yesterday. The first part of the course was mostly downhill and I decided to really take advantage of that but ended up hurting my time because I was having so much trouble breathing by the time the uphill started.
          And may I just say that I very much dislike headwinds?! Aargh! We had a bit of that yesterday, too, although not 20mph.

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  8. Dude, you know how far I can run?
    About half a block.
    So your 3-mile walk/run combo sounds highly accomplished to me!
    I’m sorry you had asthma and disappointment, however.
    😦

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    • Re: HONK!
      Thanks, Dot.
      Crossing the finish line was certainly a relief. (I just remembered, the woman in the chute who tore off the bottom portion of my bib asked if I was okay, too. Probably thought I was going to hork up a lung on her or something).

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  13. I believe the church is responsible for getting the program going. I’m not a big fan of organized religion but I think this is a shining example of what religion/spirituality is really supposed to be about.
    Thanks for the kind words, Robin.

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  14. Ran a 6k and then swam a half-mile? You’re awesome!

    I hope the pollen is gone soon. I’ve never had this much trouble and only developed this asthma stuff in the past several years. I didn’t know how good I had it all those other years.

    You have a good writing week, too.

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  15. You’ll have to check with Linda on the t-shirts but it was an image that got me through the 10k this spring.
    Do you run? When I was feeling nervous before the race I told Zippy I remembered why I don’t like races. They’re usually quease-inducing beforehand but fun once I get going. Not so much today.
    Thanks for thinking I’m brave!

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  17. Wow, Tracy. You are amazing! Not many people would have finished the race. It doesn’t matter if you ran or walked the entire way…you’re a winner for sticking it out, and helping such a worthy cause. 🙂
    I hope your asthma is doing better now! (((hugs)))

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    • Thank you for your kind words, Mindy. Now that I think about it, there were plenty of people taking walking breaks since there was lots of uphill. The only difference was none of them seemed to be honking!
      My breathing is fine now that I’m not running. 🙂

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  18. Congrats on crossing the finish line despite your suffering lungs!
    Having spent *lots* of time inside since Ragweed season started I can sympathize. I’ve been taking my inhaler and prescription strength Reactine daily and I’m still not quite back to business at usual.
    So I have to give you made props Tracy – doesn’t matter whether you were walking or running – you got there. Sounds like a great cause to support.

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    • Thanks, C.K. Yeah, this season must be pure hell for you. I guess I shouldn’t feel so bad since my lungs only struggle when I’m running and yours give you trouble just breathing in that stuff. I’ve got to figure out something that will help because I’m not ready to give up my running.

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