Running With Allergies

Who doesn’t love springtime?

 It stays lighter longer, it’s nice and warm, and everything is in bloom.

 

Obviously, everyone wants to spend as much time as they can outside in the sunshine, right? Who doesn’t want to be surrounded by nature and spend their evenings running on picturesque  trails?

For those of us who suffer from seasonal allergies, springtime can be…annoying.

 

I want to do all the fun outdoor activities with the rest of my friends and family, but when the pollen count is high, it’s hard not to hide inside.

Since I just can’t force myself to always run on the treadmill when the weather is gorgeous, I’m trying to find ways to control my hay fever in ways that allow me to get outside at least a few times a week during spring.

But there are things you can do that will keep you semi-comfortable during and after a springtime run.

Plan:

• Run during the afternoon or evening, as pollen counts are usually higher in the morning. (source). Avoid running on extra windy days.

 Prevention:

• Wear a hat and/or sunglasses glasses. This will keep pollen out of your hair and eyes.

• Don’t touch your eyes! Everything you’re touching has pollen on it – the water fountain, your shoelaces, etc. If you’re rubbing your eyes, you’re putting more pollen in them.

 Post Run:

• Take care to clean out your eyes and nose when you come inside. I use antihistamine eyedrops and my favorite, the NetiPot, to get all of the pollen that I just breathed in out of my nasal cavity.

• This may seem like a no-brainer, but after your run outside, immediately shower and change your clothes. It’s best to get the pollen off of you asap (source).

• Wipe off your running gear (Garmin, running pouch) with a wet towel.

I hope these tips help you brave running in the the pollen and let you enjoy spring – as much as you can with the sniffles!

 About the Author: Kate is a former picky eater discovering healthy living through eating clean and running. She lives in the DC Metropolitan area and recently completed her first half marathon. She blogs at Chicken Nugget Girl. You can also follow Chicken Nugget Girl on Twitter and Pinterest.

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