Home› General running
Sign up to the Runner’s World newsletter to get the latest news, reviews and features sent straight to your inbox.

Breathing

nikki green 2nikki green 2
in General running

Can any one help with any ways to control breathing. I run 4 - 5 times a week 1 @ 5k, 3 @ 10k, 1 @ 15 - 18k

My breathing is always really hard. I eat healthy have between 7 t o 8 hiurs sleep. Even though I'm eating healthy could it be I'm not eating enough or too much!!. I am try to loose a 1 stone in weight as well.

 I run the evening with the exception of my long run on a sunday morning 8.30am.

I did a 10k back in September took me 1hr 2mins, i did it again yesterday and was the same time but me breathing was really bad try ti run at racepace for the whole 10k!!!.

I'm bothered cause I'm doing a half marathon in March wont be able to get round cause my breathing?

Can any1 one help at all.

I'm female 45 yrs young. Office job, married with two grown up children. I work 07.30 - 16.00 so up at 5.30. 

· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] ✭✭✭
    I count my breathing in my head, I find it gives me something to focus on other than the feeling of my legs falling off and ensures that I breathe deeply.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] ✭✭✭
    Nikki - the reason your breathing is difficult is probably simply that you are trying to run too fast. It's a fact that about 70% of your running should be at an "easy" pace. If you try to run every run at your "race" pace your body will become fatigued and you will not actually become any fitter. Take a week and slow your runs down by at least a minute per mile then the following week do your 5K run at race pace but the rest at a slower pace. It's a mistake to do everything at the same pace - you need to mix it up a bit to get more benefit. Run one of your 10K's as a tempo run IE: start out with 2 miles slow then ease up into 10K pace for 3 miles then slow back down again for the final mile.

    By "easy" I mean relaxed and able to hold a conversation... if you can't - you're running too quick! This probably has nothing to do with your lifestyle, eating patterns, weight... or it could just be that you had an "off" day. But I suspect you are just trying too hard and suffering the effects of "overtraining".

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chris Gardner 4Chris Gardner 4

    Hmmm that's a strange one, I think we all have bad days (I certainly do) when i wonder if I've ever ran before!! But if you're running 4-5 times a week your fitness levels must be pretty good. As Squeaks says, maybe try and focus on the breathing and nothing else next time. Whenever I take note of my breathing I'm around 1 breath to every 3 strides. Maybe check how many strides you're doing to 1 breath and maybe try and settle into that. Eventually I hope you can get out of over-thinking the breathing as that maybe making things worse, IE anxiety creeping in about it etc.

     Let us know how you get on.

    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Chris Gardner 4Chris Gardner 4
    Even bettter reasoning from tigerlily image
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • YoungPupYoungPup ✭✭✭
    I also sometimes count my steps per breath when I'm running,, and find that I take less steps per breath the faster I run.

    As an example, if I'm running at my easy pace, I breathe in and out over 8 steps (8 in, 8 out), but if I'm trying hard, I tend to even out at 2 steps per breath... This actually means that sometimes I use my breathing pattern as a way of gauging how hard I'm running, and that I can make a certain pace feel a bit easier (not forever, but for a couple of miles) just by trying to extend my steps per breath pattern...

    Is this just me, or do others do this?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Sign In or Register to comment.