This post is authored by Renee Dale, a fellow PCDer. Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) Awareness Month (October) is a necessary part of helping the PCD community find a cure. But mid-way through the month, every single year, it hits me and hits me hard. I look around and see all this effort by families and friends…
My Chronic Disease (PCD) is a Full Time Job
I have a full time job. Two of them, actually. My first is as a program analyst; I get paid to do it. My second is as Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia (PCD) patient with bronchiectasis. It’s not the kind of job that pays well or has great benefits. In fact, maybe it should be called my anti-job….
Crossing the US – Virtually
Last year when I was entered in Runner’s World’s cover contest, the PCD Foundation was sharing and saying that I was running across the United States to raise awareness. While that was technically correct, I let them know there was a difference in language to us runners. At some point since I started doing races…
It’s a Team Event – And We Need You
The first step to solving a problem is to identify it which has been an issue for those of us with lung and rare diseases. As a means of increasing awareness, I began entering races. I need to wear a portable oxygen concentrator because of my limited lung capacity. Last year, the magazine Runner’s World…
Who Needs Sleep
In one week, I’ll be standing in a corral (most likely the last one) in a parking lot at Epcot Center getting ready to race 3.1 miles. I will have been awake for three or more hours and probably walked at least a mile already. And then I’m going to do it again (but earlier and 6.2…
Feel the Love by Running The Year 2016
My blog on January 24th was titled “Why You Should Run (or Walk) The Year 2016.” I wrote about why you should consider signing up to join Run The Edge’s online group and gave you great concreate reasons. So why I am I writing about Run The Year 2016 again so soon? Because if you…
The Importance of Exercise
There are many studies that state the benefits of regular exercise. And recently it was announced that movement throughout the day is important. Exercise helps keep our hearts strong and increases our muscle mass. It helps us think more clearly and breathe more deeply. Any kind of cardiovascular exercise can become an issue for those…
Why You Should Run (or Walk) The Year 2016
Many people make New Year’s resolutions involving exercise. Whether it’s to lose weight, get in shape, or just move more, it’s an admirable goal. As we all know, however, we aren’t always as good about following through on those resolutions—a recent study reports that only 8% of people achieve their goals each year. One reason…
2015 – Year in Review (Plus a peek at 2016)
2015 had a lot of running firsts for me. Not surprising since my first race was in September, 2014. At this age it’s nice to have so many firsts. Also not surprising that Running On Air had a lot of firsts as we celebrated its first year October 2015. My original intention was to separate…
Jeff Galloway 13.1
For my 5th new state for 2015 (8th new state so far) I had the pleasure of participating in the Jeff Galloway 13.1 in Atlanta Georgia on December 13th. Doing this race was a last minute decision. I’d known about the race since September, when I met Jeff and his wife, Barbara, at the Disneyland…
The Heart of A Runner
I struggle with calling myself a runner. When I talk about races, I prefer to say, “I’m participating” or “I’m racing.” I feel that saying “I’m running” is misleading. When other runners ask about my time in a race, they can’t quite hide their surprise at how much time I need to finish. Many people…
It’s All A Matter of Perspective
I saw my pulmonologist today and left feeling happy and excited. I’ve been struggling with my running. To the point of there isn’t much running happening. I’ve been working on my running for over a year now, and as of today, I can barely run 1.5 minutes. And it’s not because I’m taking it too fast. I’m…
Running On Air 