So at the beginning of summer I started a thread about how much I love running in the summer because of the "heat." Another chickie suggested that it was probably the humid air. I think that's definitely the case. Today, for the first time in a very looong time, it was dry and cool outside. I was looking forward to my run because the leaves are starting to change a little and it smells like fall (yum!), but wow! It did NOT happen. My lungs CANNOT handle it. I was out there for maybe 15 minutes and I felt like my lungs were on fire/being stabbed by 20 billion needles. I was literally coughing and wheezing after only 15 minutes!

Does anyone else have this issue?! Is there anything I can do? I think the problem is exasperated by the fact that I have enlarged adenoids so I can't really breath through my nose that well. What if I wore a ski mask type thing so that the air was "filtered" before going into my lungs?

Any experience?

You could always move to Virginia - HOT and HUMID from early spring through late fall.

I'm SOOO jealous. I love the changing of the seasons (leaves, snow, etc), but I wish it could all happen and still be about 95 degrees out all of the time!

Oh, this is so funny, I just went though the whole archive of the Beginners section on the Runner's World web page last week. And there was an article about breathing through your nose and mouth that I remembered because I have terrible hay fever right now. Maybe this could help you.
Runner's World Beginner's Blog

And here's one that just came up while I was searching for that one about exercise-induced asthma. Does this sound like you?
Breathe Easy