I set off on my usual loop as the first gust of a summer storm hit, just to beat the heat: twenty minutes later my chest shut down on a road I’ve run for years
A routine summer run turned dangerous when a runner’s chest tightened twenty minutes in—not from fitness, but from a perfect storm of exercise physiology and thunderstorm chemistry. Thunderstorm asthma can strike anyone, affects 63% of people with seasonal allergies, and has sent thousands to emergency rooms. Here’s what you need to know before your next run.