On a trip to the western US this past September and October, I decided to try a skydive from Boulder City, NV. It felt great, though I did not have to breathe long at 15 thousand feet, and on the fall the air rushing through my nasal passages at 120 mph felt pretty good. Adrenaline is a good bronchodialator. My lung specialist later told me that he never would have approved; I suppose it will be my last jump.I had 3 soaks in this amazing spring at Pah Tempe near Hurricane, UT and felt better afterward; my peak flow improved. However, this trip wasn't without its health costs; the chilling weather and the altitude in some places was a real challenge. I believe that my adherence to the ALCAT recommendations made me more stable and able to do pretty well (though most of the time not well enough to run); I only needed prednisone on one day. I hope to make it back to this spring in the next few months.
I ran a very small 5K race in Miami Springs in early November and placed 2nd in my age group.
I am probably world class for runners with COPD, because there appears to be virtually none.
On a visit to my specialist a month ago, I performed better than last year on my pulmonary function test; FEV1 52% of predicted pre-medication and 61% post. I do not believe my scarred lungs are necessarily permanently so.
