My story in Lansing City Pulse

Lansing City Pulse ran a piece I wrote about preparing for the Capital City River Run, which happens THIS SUNDAY at 8:30 a.m.!!!

They cut a lot out of it, and as an editor, I understand...buuut here's the piece they ran: "http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/lansing/article-4853-what-makes-her-run.html"

And here's the original:

Why I run
From an asthmatic childhood to the Capital City River Run, one jogger shares her journey
By Jessica Carreras

Every runner has their own story about why they picked up they picked up the sport:
"I wanted to lose weight."
"I heard it was great for relieving stress."
"My husband/wife/boyfriend/girlfriend got me into it."
"I just wanted to see if I could do it."
For me, becoming a runner was about survival.
I was diagnosed with asthma after a bout with bronchitis when I was six months old. Visits to the doctor, breathing treatments and an overprotective mother quickly became a part of my life. I was a tomboy who wanted to be active, but would inevitably end up on the sidelines, wheezing and taking puffs from my bright blue inhaler. While most other kids were playing soccer or tag, I was using doctor's notes to get out of running a mile or swimming a few laps in gym class. It's not that I didn't want to participate; it's that I knew I couldn't possibly do it.
But I grew tired of telling myself those four words: “I can’t do this.” So instead, I tried, not knowing whether I would succeed or fail. And on Sept. 26, I will join some 3,000 other runners at the Capital City River Run in downtown Lansing.
The River Run, now in its 18th year, includes both a 5K and half-marathon run, or 13.1 miles. I’ll be running the latter - yes, running. The whole thing. I hope.
Running is an unpredictable pastime. The weather, your mood, muscle soreness, not enough sleep or a balanced meal – all of these things can make a run good or bad. Add to that equation the fact that asthma symptoms can flare up at any time – often without warning – and there’s no telling whether I’ll run 10 miles or just walk two when I head out the door.
That’s part of the reason why I choose to do the Capital City River Run. It’s fall, it’s our state’s capitol and the scenery promises to be compelling enough to take my mind off of the blister forming on my right heel, or the fatigue setting in as I round Mile Eight.
The truth is that I have never run in Lansing. I’ve walked the riverfront, I’ve played in Adado Park, I’ve marched on the Capitol and I’ve lobbied in representatives’ offices. But never have I laced up my Asics and hit the streets of Lansing, and as any runner knows, though a new course always has its special obstacles, the excitement of new sights, new trails and, of course, the thrill of running an event is enough to keep one foot moving in front of the other.
Apparently I’m not alone in this thinking. Race Co-Director Dick Miles says the route itself is much of what draws runners to the River Run. “The No. 1 attraction is the courses,” Miles insists. “This is particularly true for the half marathon, which incorporates Michigan State University, the Lansing River Trail, Scott Woods, Hawk Island Park and Potter Park. In my opinion, we have as good an urban half marathon course as can be found anywhere.”
As someone who doesn’t live in Lansing – and I’m not alone there either, with participating runners hailing from as far as Ohio, Illinois and even California – half of the fun of the race will come from seeing the city in a whole new way.
And that’s really why I run: to experience life. I spent my entire childhood telling myself that I couldn’t run, couldn’t play sports, couldn’t live life without my asthma quick-rescue inhaler.
Now, I run without it, and I notice things that other people miss while driving by in their cars. A run around the neighborhood might mean I get a glimpse of a new restaurant that I want to try. A jog around the track at Kensington Metropark promises swan, crane, snake and deer sightings. And 13.1 miles throughout the streets of Lansing will give new perspective to a city I have worked and played in, but never really seen.
I want to see the world – not on TV or through a car window, but by the power of my own two feet. That’s why I run.

The Capital City River Run takes place at 8:30 a.m. Sept 26, beginning in front of Lansing Center. Registration fees vary, and proceeds will benefit the Impression 5 Science Center. To learn more, or to register for the 5K or half marathon, visit HYPERLINK "http://www.ccriverrun.org" www.ccriverrun.org.

Jessica Carreras is a freelance writer from Westland, Mich. She has used her own two feet to run the Toronto Waterfront Marathon, as well as numerous walks to raise funds and awareness about HIV/AIDS and autism. You can reach her at jess.carreras@gmail.com.

Awesome news for asthmatics

I was just reading an article about something I had heard of before that has now been approved as a method of treating asthma. It's a procedure called Bronchial Thermoplasty, where they use thermal energy to help reduce airway restriction.

This is the best news I, as an asthmatic, have heard in a long time. It could mean that I could run without worrying about the weather (in humidity, in heat, in the cold), and that I could stop relying on expensive steroids with sketchy side effects to control my asthma.

I know this blog post is long-overdue and totally self serving, but I'm JUST SO EXCITED! Asking my doctor about this ASAP: http://www.btforasthma.com/