Running at elevation

Some things you may or may not know about me.

1. I hate running.
2. I especially hate running indoors.
3. I am allergic to pretty much the entire state of Colorado.

As the weather has been warming up and spring has started to spring, I try to head outside every afternoon for a brisk walk or run. Running at over 6000 feet poses some challenges. Obviously, the air up here is much thinner than everywhere else I’ve lived, so breathing can be difficult. In addition to my wide range of allergies, I also have asthma. Allergies + asthma + low-oxygen air = very painful running. With all the running I did last year for two half-marathons, I needed my asthma inhaler once. In the three months we’ve been here, I’ve had to modify most of my runs to not need it (I don’t take the inhaler on short runs). Part of my motivation to run every day that the weather is nice is to build up my lung capacity. Unfortunately, it hasn’t been easy. But each run is progress, so I’ll keep running as long as I’m able.

How do y’all adjust to working out when you move?