Hey! I’m asthmatic as well. Not to overplug here, but NROL has a couple of great fat-loss programs in it which are worth checking out.

That said, I wouldn’t worry about dropping enormous amounts of weight in the short time you have till FB season starts. Instead I’d try to mimic practice/play drills in your own workouts so that when the season starts your body is ready. Olympic lifts-if you know them-are fantastic—but ONLY if you’re familiar with them or have a one-on-one coach. They’re very easy to screw up.

Don’t get me started on the inanity of doing long runs to build skill in football. It may be a great way for the coaches to get a break but it’s an awful way to prep the players for a start-stop game like football. Still, if that’s what’s expected, do your best to build your wind, but at your weight, I’d stick with cycling for now; your joints will be getting plenty of pounding after the 12th.

Good luck and let us know how it goes for you!

Hey Benji,
I’m not asthmatic, and I’m relatively new to distance (distance to me, anyway. I don’t aspire to any more than a 5k) running, so please take this with a grain of salt (and adjust it to meet your needs/ability), but I started out running with this “couch to 5K” training plan:

http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml

I modified it mid-way because I was running on a sometimes crowded indoor track and it was annoying to the run-walk switches, but this plan got me up to 2 miles and I went from someone who hadn’t run a mile in years to running 5Ks.

Please check w/your Dr, though, because I really don’t know anything about asthma, and I’m far from a running expert. Just something that worked well for me.

I really appreciate the help. I have a question tho. Insted of running, couldnt i swim insted? I like swimming and it will take pressure off my joints.

...and it’s also terrific for asthmatics: the moist air can be therapeutic on the old lungs. That said, remember SAID: Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands. Swimming may trim you up a bit but it won’t directly make you a better runner, which is what you’re aiming for with FB. Let us know how it all goes—Andrew