Asthma is the Devil

Raise your hand if you have asthma.

Me too.

Hello, my name is SoccerChica and I have asthma.

If you don't have asthma, please, allow me to explain it to you. You're running as usual, maybe chasing after a ball that went way over your head. Defender on your heels. Suddenly, you stop. Dead in your tracks. You can't move. It feels as if one person has their hands tightly clenching your throat, while another is squeezing your lungs as hard as possible. Neither lets up at any point.

Since we're all on the same page, now, we may continue.

In high school, I never played with any other asthmatics. On my college team, though, there must be at least 4 other girls with asthma. It works out well if one of us happens to forget the inhaler on a bad day.

The whole point of this rant is that asthma is the Devil. During off-season training, it's typical to run a few miles each day and work out a little. As it gets colder, though, it gets really hard to keep running outdoors. Of course, the preference is to run on similar terrain to that on which you're playing. But the cold air just gets in an asthmatic's lungs and freezes them to the point that they won't expand to take in more air. It becomes impossible to run.

So, those of us who can't run outside, end up feeling like fat tubs of lard once it gets cold enough for the first snow (which we haven't seen much of this year!!!!). It's quite depressing for an athlete to feel that way.

Thank you for listening to me. I appreciate your time and patience.

-SC