From a patient perspective, pulmonary rehabilitation is one of the most important strategies we can use to improve our quality of life. However, making that first step into a PR class can be very daunting. One thing that most respiratory diseases have in common is activity can lead to an increase in breathlessness. … Continued
The 23rd of April 2017 will be forever a fond memory in my mind, not only was it my birthday, but I was also running the London marathon with another respiratory patient. This wasn’t a first, Stephen Gaudet and Mike McBride completed the Boston marathon in 2009, both respiratory patients and veteran marathoners. These … Continued
I’ve settled into the cooler climate of London and am loving the change in conditions. After the long hot Australian summer my lungs are appreciating running in the cooler weather. I find it interesting how some patients prefer the cool while others prefer the heat. I guess this underlines the differences in lung disease. … Continued
Each year I raise funds for research into lung disease. In 2015 I raised over $10,000 usd for the America Lung Association through my New York Marathon run. This year on April 23rd ( my birthday) I will be running the London marathon for the British Lung Foundation. I need your help to raise funds for research … Continued
I love surprises Every now and then a product comes along that just says WOW! Indeed, that was my first thought when I opened a very stylish box sent to me by SKINS. My second thought was – if this product performs half as good as it looks then I’m going to be mighty impressed. … Continued
Since running in the New York marathon in 2015 it’s been amazing the amount of people with lung disease who have contacted me about their own running ambitions. From awareness walks to running full marathons. Seems like patients want to chase the dreams they previously thought were out of their reach. While it’s fantastic patients … Continued
Most people who have followed my journey know that while I’m very active I’m not very fast. So imagine my surprise when SKINS approached me about trialling some of their high tech compression clothing. Isn’t this something you’d ask a pro athlete to do? With this in mind my review is based on my experience … Continued
The Gold Coast marathon has come and gone for another year but the significance will last for many years for me. My first sub six-hour marathon, something I never thought possible when I was first diagnosed with COPD. Sub six hours to the average marathoner is nothing to become too excited about but … Continued
In just under two weeks I’ll line up for another endurance race and my second marathon in 8 months, something that I thought five years ago would not be possible. What is even more satisfying is that I’ll be running with my daughter. I’ve been lucky enough in the last five years to be joined … Continued
With only eight weeks until my first race of the year it seemed timely that I talked about this year ahead and the plans of building COPD Athlete into a comprehensive respiratory website with a emphasis on lifestyle choices. Racing. My first race of the year will be a ½ marathon Twilight run on 20th … Continued
Training Russell for New York Marathon – 2015 When I spoke with Russell about the program for the New York marathon, it was just over 6 months away which can be a long time to train for an event. I had to take into account Russell having COPD when structuring the program. This discusses some … Continued
It’s 3 days after the New York marathon and as I leave the Big Apple heading for Las Vegas for some down time, I can’t believe how quickly this event has come and gone. My hope for this adventure was that I could raise some awareness for COPD, asthma and other respiratory diseases, as … Continued