Sometimes it’s the unexpected things in life that take the wind out of our sails and today’s long run did just that for the wombat… scared the shit out of me actually.The following events are a timely reminder for all asthmatics to ensure they are following their Astham plan.
Met up with a small group at the bottom of the Helena road where the bitumen ends. Ingraham, Carter, Mackay, De Cruz (this was impressive a 400m runner out in the hills for a long run) and myself. The mood was jovial and the usual banter that accompanies any long run was soon entered into. The pace was steady but not taxing. I was feeling fantastic at this stage. At the 35 minute point of the run De Cruz turned for home (damn I was impressed by the fact he was out here).
At 42 minutes we reached the section where we leave the lower pipe and head up a 14 minute climb (12 minutes if you’re in very good shape) to join with the rail trail and come back down through mahogany creek , Glen Forrest, Darlington then through the quarry to get back to the start of the initial run.
Feeling the urge of the wombat I moved up with Mackay then onto Carter and past Ingraham. The climb was not taxing on the legs and I nutted it up over the sharpest and most taxing section before Ingraham came past me and we all settled into our own rhythms. Mackay was back from me. It was 4 minutes into this that the shit hit the fan….
Going up another stage of the climb I noticed that my breathing was labored and I was not getting enough in, it felt like my chest was restricting, I had felt this before and instantly realized that I could be in trouble… I am an asthmatic and certain condition cause me a few concerns however only once before had I felt this and it was also at a time when I was exerting myself and really needing to draw in the air. I became light headed as I tried to get more air in but I could not get enough out and certainly was not getting enough in…
At this point Mackay drew past me as I slowed to a walk and asked if I was OK to which I replied.. “I could be in trouble” he slowed to help as I went down on one knee and said “ Na I’m in trouble” I got up and walked a little, very conscious of not panicking and making things worse for myself… I went down on one knee again as my throat felt like it was tightening also. It felt like I was drawing air through a bloody straw…
Standing up right I put my arms out to really try and open my chest area and slowly walked …(Felt like that poignant scene in Platoon) Mackay, who had gone on a little , turned again to check on me, at this point I had controlled my breathing and was drawing enough to stop myself from falling over, although I was very light headed and my lips were tingling as were my fingers… I continued to walk up the climb slowly, while getting bloody angry at myself for not following my asthma plan more religiously. ( the word ‘Dickhead’ ran through my mind several times and I was not sure if I was more pissed for letting this happen or because Carter and Ingraham had pulled away from me on the climb) I realised at this point that I am not 6 foot and bullet proof and that oxygen really is a vital element to life. (maybe the dinosaurs were asthmatic and a lack of oxygen and not a meteor wiped them out?)
The fogginess cleared a little and I started a very slow and deliberate shuffle. MacKay turned again and I gave him the double thumbs up… I slowly made my way to the top… eventually cresting the hill I went over the top and regrouped with the others who were waiting at the muster point of this run. (The rule for this climb is you run the hill as hard as you want but we regroup after that to continue). Told Macca as he waited for me that I was in trouble to which he replied “You didn’t look good” and gave me that dry smile before the laugh that is the Aussi way of saying ‘glad it was you and not me’
We then continued on to finish the run… Total time for me for the 15 miles, 1hour 45 minutes 48 seconds.
In all seriousness I think I was lucky today because I believe things could have gone severely paired shaped even further had I not realized what was occurring before it got to a stage where I was unable to control and settle myself. As Macca said on the run down the trail, ‘You could not have picked a much worse place for that to happen, in the middle of nowhere and a long way from help’
PS: All those people who say that your life flashes before you are pulling our chain, I was too busy trying to breathe and not panic to even take the briefest interest in my life flashing before me.
Saturday 28th March
Easy run from my burrow along undualting trails of bitument and gravel. Steady firn pace but very controlled. 5 miles in 35 minutes
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