I might have exited the clinic with a loud "gotdammit" once the door was shut behind me.

No, not proud of my outburst. But it came from a place of supreme frustration.

So I let myself feel the feelings and cried it out in my car.

Allergy season is annoying. (Whoohoo, move on.)

But it hit me hard in a way I couldn't ignore.

What was just difficulty sleeping overnight became a tight chest, constricted airways, wheezy breathing, uncontrollable coughing that felt like I was going to expel my own lunge tissue, and enough mucus for a remake of the movie Flubber.

I wasn't having a full blown asthma attack, but I was firmly having an aggressive asthma flair. And I felt like I was breathing through a boba straw for 8 days.

Hence the appointment made at the primary care physician clinic. Where they cancelled my appointment I had been waiting and suffering 6 days for and rescheduled it for the following week. (obviously the reason for the very human outburst.)

Why even bother with all this? Because in the United States, depending on your insurance and the doctor's contract (or lack of contract) with a specific insurance, you need what's called a referral: a fancy piece of paper from one M.D. to another saying "hey, fix this patient because I can't and it's your specialty."

Without said fancy piece of paper, I am left poop-out-of-luck, managing my own asthma flair. Without the appropriate oversight of an allergy & asthma physician. Without proper medication. As a Doctor of Physical Therapy. (The irony abounds.)

All of this amounted to: I can't run

...because I can't breathe.

And there's not much I can do to manage it.

And I can't get medical care in a reasonable amount of time.

THE POINT OF ALL THIS:

(you've probably figured out by now there's no blog post this week and that's why you're getting a more personal running update...)

This lack of answers...

This being bounced around by the system (even as a healthcare provider myself),

This feeling of helplessness and having running unexpectedly ripped away from me by my own body being an over-achieving-mucus-and-inflammation producer...

is the WHY behind Dr.Whitt.Fit.

Because I know exactly what it's like to have to sit in pain (or minimally, mental discomfort) and just wait.

I HATE not having a next-step, a way to get unstuck, a way to make progress and move out of pain and back to doing what I love which is running.

I understand the frustration of knowing the answers are on the other side of the door, but being told "no, I can't do anything about that" because that's part of the script.

So I took this opportunity in my IG stories to show you all how I kept running-well, by severally adapting it-and explaining what small signs of progress I saw day by day.

All of that to SHOW YOU:

When you have a running injury, it's the small signs of progress that matter. And they can be really, freaking, hard to see when you don't know what you're looking for.

So I PT'd my asthmatic-self and MADE myself look for little signs of improvement during and after every run:

• being able to run 10mins before a spicy coughing fit
• being able to start running again after 2 minutes instead of 5
• being able to run a full 20mins without chest tightness burning and aching
• and finally being able to run 40 minutes with little strides mixed in (despite needing to stop and cough. But it got done!)

So I get it when you're frustrated. When you think your body has ghosted you. When you think you'll never toe the starting line again (ok, maybe my brain is the only one that dramatic.)

I never want you to feel like there's "nothing left to try". I never want you to be left without answers.

Because we love running. And giving up isn't an option.

And I realize a torn calf muscle, a hamstring strain, or just plain weak glutes and core are different from an asthma flair.

But they both require patience, the right progression of exercises, load, and the appropriate amount of recovery (which for me, has been sauna time to open up my mega-tight airways).

So don't forget:

• you deserve answers
• you can do this.
• your body can get stronger and you can run better.

You just may need the right starting point, the right progression of exercises and load, and someone in your corner cheering you on.

If you made it this far into the email without deleting it-hit reply! Are you currently struggle-busing, coming back from an injury or is your body *finally* cooperating and you have a big race coming up that you're psyched for?

And as always...

Dare to Train Differently,

Marie Whitt, PT, DPT //@dr.whitt.fit

P.S. TL;DR: Yup, no blog this week. Instead, you get a running and personal update email about how I cried in my car for 2 minutes and thought about producing a Flubber remake.

Looking for MORE ways to work together?

• NEW! RUNNING RESCUE CALL: Save your run and your race at the first sign of an ache, niggle, or repeat running injury. Let's work together 1-on-1 with these coaching calls to create a personalized exercise program that gets you out of pain, keeps you running, and helps prepare you for your next race day!
• Grab one of my FREE Strength resources for runners: FREE STRONGER RUNNER 14 DAY Strength Challenge: done-for-you FREE 14 days of programmed strength exercises specifically for runners! (all in one, easy-access app!) or my FREE Strength Guide for Runners (a low tech, pdf download you can get started with immediately!)
• ​STRONGER FEET WORKSHOP: Losing the battle to plantar fasciitis, posterior tib pain, or reoccurring Achilles tendonitis? Not with this workshop ;)

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© 2020- 2024 All Rights Reserved. You are receiving this message because you purchased a product from @dr.whitt.fit and/or signed up to receive content. This message is for informational purposes only and does not create a health care provider-patient relationship between you and Marie Whitt, and nothing you receive or view from Marie Whitt or @dr.whitt.fit, should be construed as medical advice.