No Really, I’m Allergic to Running.

Yesterday, was Mother’s day and we went to a park together. After a walk through the tall pines the girls wanted to sit around the lake, so I thought it would be perfect chance to do a short interval run back to the car. Then it happened … I had an allergic reaction to running.

Allergic to Running

My throat started to feel dry. Then I started to wheeze. Not good. By the time I made it back to the car it was getting serious. Gladly there was a water bottle in the car, but it didn’t have much affect.

While it is true that I don’t really care to run, this was a new experience for me. I couldn’t figure out what was happening. Was it really just dry air? Was this how asthma starts? What’s going on? Although I might long to truly be allergic to running, I don’t think that’s the explanation.

Where Did I Have an Allergic Reaction to Running?

  by  FiveAcres 

We were at Fox Run Park in Black Forest, CO. The park is a beautiful place to get away. The park has this cool little pond area in the middle, surrounded by open space or heavily treed walking paths. We parked then walked through the trees to get to the pond. That’s where the girls decided they wanted to stay; can’t blame them with the view, it really is beautiful.

So I took off running through the woods. Running intervals alternating between walking and running. The path has lots of hills and valleys so the terrain added to the intervals. But there was something else that we found, in abundance, at this park … horse poo.

It seemed like every step was avoiding horse poo. It made us wonder why we pick up the tiny turds from our cairn terrier, Toby, when these horse bombs are everywhere. Doesn’t seem right to me.

But as I settled down on the way home eager for my Benedryl I kept thinking about what could have cause my reaction. Then, it clicked …. horses!

I’m allergic to horses. Last time we went riding I had the same reaction. Could it be that while running I stirred up enough dust to inhale horse hair (or dander) to cause a reaction?

Horses or Running – Which One?

So my fellow trail runners … which one is it?

Have you ever heard of someone stirring up enough dust and hair to cause an allergic reaction?

Or … maybe, just maybe, I am allergic to running after all. (A guy can dream, right?)

About Troy Pesola

Troy is the founder of Cube.Dweller.Fitness. He's an innovation catalyst in several areas of life including business, marketing, and process improvement. Outside of work he's actively involved in fitness, health, and living vibrantly in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.