Another Marathon?

     I wanted to run the Colfax Marathon again. I wanted to do it under 5 hours. Then I started thinking of the last marathon and how something happened, be it pneumonia or an asthma attack (it was really hard to breath, probably why it took so long) and I don't know if it is healthy to run a marathon. I like to boast that nothing happened to me and my knees and back are all in good shape. I strength train and I do yoga, so I think I have a very balanced exercise regimen. However, that is so much stress to put on your body. Okay, but the Olympics is coming up and they train longer and harder than I ever have for anything and they're healthy, right?
     When I searched to find what are the common health problems among Olympians and other athletes I came across this article The Biggest Health Problems Among Olympians. Guess what it is? Asthma! It apparently is common in endurance athletes such as marathon runners. The theory is that they cause damage to their lungs with the deep, intense breathing. Also, the article says the cold air among winter Olympians is damaging and then there is the pollutants from the ice rink chemicals and polluted air in general. Maybe, I'm not imagining it and I didn't just have some freak 4 week cold when running my marathon. The breathing problems started during my training when I started running the long  runs at like 16 miles. After 20 miles, I actually took some time off of running and went of schedule for 10 days hoping to feel better before the marathon. I thought I was and then marathon day, I could not breath after the first 5 miles.
       I am running the Colfax Marathon Relay this year. I will be doing a leg that is 6.something miles. I wanted to do it fast. While getting back into running I decided to start with 2 miles and run as fast as I could. You can guess it, my lungs burned and I started wheezing! I do not have asthma, so what the heck is that? Maybe, I should go to the doctor. But I think if something really is wrong they will just give me an inhaler and I'm not big on steroids (they make me fat,dare I say it? Yes they do. And I rather have asthma then get fat)
A friend of mine also wants to run a marathon this year. She asked me to do it with her and I remember asking everyone I know to train with me and them refusing, so I told her I would run the half with her. So, I need to get this breathing thing figured out before May 4th. #1, I supposedly ran a marathon before, right? I'm supposed to be an athlete (lol). So, she cannot out-perform me. The competitive streak that I didn't think I had is rising to the surface. #2, for the Colfax Relay May 18th, I have made a big stink about how we are only as fast as our slowest runner. One of those team members is my 55 year old mother and then people who are just starting to run. I cannot be the slowest runner.
     Came across this article: Former asthma sufferer runs 356 marathons in a year. For real? I don't even know how that is possible. He did it in different countries and that means he was flying across the ocean the day he completed a marathon and then ran a marathon the day he landed. After flying from Denver to Cancun I need an entire day to recover before I can start my vacation of relaxing by the pool and getting massages.
     I guess I am self-diagnosing myself. I don't think I really have exercise induced asthma. I don't know what qualifies as asthma. Don't out of shape people huff and puff if they start to run all of the sudden? I was reading this blog: Running With Asthma, and one, it convinced me that I don't have asthma (I'm not on 4 medications) and two, she said something that made sense. She was talking about running with asthma and said the lungs need to be worked consistently like any muscle. You need to train them to get them ready. Maybe, during the marathon I did too much too fast? Maybe there is a little exercise induced inflammation happening as well. And since I really haven't done any distant running since last May, now I need to slowly add miles and speed and train my lungs.We'll see if I am wheezing and unable to breath this year.