Evil Evil Oak Pollen vs. Runner with Antihistamines

This week has had so many ups, and no real downs, I must say! That is, until I ran this morning!

First off, let me just say that my Team Fox donations have doubled since the start of the week thanks to so many caring and beautiful people, but I'm still so very far away from my goal before the New York Marathon. So please pass along this link, and be my hero by encouraging others to donate to my campaign to help Team Fox!

The perfect running path!

Even though I am from the South, the only two things typically southern that suite me are sweet tea and long oak-lined streets to run through. That being said, oak pollen in evil, so very evil!

No doubt if you live anywhere experiencing spring right now, this week has torn up your allergies! The oak pollen count is the highest it has been in years, so no doubt your car is now yellow, and your lungs have a similar coating.

For me it is extra difficult. I have allergy-induced asthma. This just means that my little bronchioles get super-inflamed and produce extra mucous which diminishes the efficiency of my lungs. That is usually not too big a problem anymore because, with running, we train our lungs to work more efficiently, so it normally evens out. However, this last week has been like chewing burlap.

Oak pollen

Most pollen I have seen is small, round, and has little spikes, so it scrapes and sticks a little, and that's it. However, I found out what oak pollen looks like. It's roughly the shape of bell peppers, and covered in layers of fine net-like scales. This results in them being able to pack in very tightly and just shift and scratch in my lungs. Think of it kind of like wrapping up tight in a wool blanket, and feeling every little shift and tug against your skin all the time.

However, I am not alone in this fight, and neither are you. I have antihistamines galore. Originally I was prescribed Singulair. It is a once-a-day tablet and it worked very well for quite awhile. I did get a little more 'jumpy' though, so I was switched to prescription Zyrtec. It worked so fantastically, but left a weird coppery taste in my mouth all the time. Finally I landed on Allegra, and I'm fairly certain if there is a Goddes of antihistamines, her name is Allegra!

So, for a few weeks I have to change my routine and run in the afternoon once I've been active for a bit and my once-a-day has kicked in. That appears to me a small price for healthy lungs, and not collapsing on the side of the road.