Dara Torres on ESPN 2

That's asthma? Fairly often after a hard swim during work out I feel like I just can't catch my breath. Especially sprints. Feels like there is no possible way to get in enough air. And it seems like it takes me longer to get air and recover than everyone else. Until now I thought it might just be that they're sand bagging and not swimming as hard as I was. I've also noticed, especially since the fires we had in So Cal back in the fall, that any time things are dusty my chest feels tight. Similar to how it felt back in the 70's and early 80's when the smog was bad. Am I being paranoid or should I go check this out? It's not just feeling like you can't catch your breath, it's actually feeling like no matter how hard you try, air will not get in. It's frightening when it happens, and even when you're familiar with the feeling it can induce a bit of panic. There are days when I can literally feel my chest tighten when I walk out on the pool deck, the air is that bad. If you really feel uncomfortable, talk to your doctor. Now, I'll out myself... After the "150" back incident at zones, I started using my rescue inhaler right before my races as a preventative. Did it boost my performance? Not at zones (I was feeling pretty crappy for the rest of that meet), but at nationals I was able to finish the 200 back; however, no records were set in the process. Other than that, it brought me peace of mind. I equate that to the mental effect of wearing a tech-suit. Dana

That's asthma? Fairly often after a hard swim during work out I feel like I just can't catch my breath. Especially sprints. Feels like there is no possible way to get in enough air. And it seems like it takes me longer to get air and recover than everyone else. Until now I thought it might just be that they're sand bagging and not swimming as hard as I was. I've also noticed, especially since the fires we had in So Cal back in the fall, that any time things are dusty my chest feels tight. Similar to how it felt back in the 70's and early 80's when the smog was bad. Am I being paranoid or should I go check this out? It's not just feeling like you can't catch your breath, it's actually feeling like no matter how hard you try, air will not get in. It's frightening when it happens, and even when you're familiar with the feeling it can induce a bit of panic. There are days when I can literally feel my chest tighten when I walk out on the pool deck, the air is that bad. If you really feel uncomfortable, talk to your doctor. Now, I'll out myself... After the "150" back incident at zones, I started using my rescue inhaler right before my races as a preventative. Did it boost my performance? Not at zones (I was feeling pretty crappy for the rest of that meet), but at nationals I was able to finish the 200 back; however, no records were set in the process. Other than that, it brought me peace of mind. I equate that to the mental effect of wearing a tech-suit. Dana