Managing asthma

[FenderTelecaster]

I'm having real problems (especially in damp cold) getting past a pretty slow 5k in about 37-40 minutes, either length or speed. And sometimes that includes walking for a couple of minutes in the middle.

I get a bit asthmary, and despite a few puffs of inhaler before the run, it's holding me back. I don't mind not going further or faster in itself, but I know I'll get bored if I don't improve, or if I push myself, running will get unpleasant and I'll feel less inclined to get out there.

So...

Any thoughts on the asthma problem? (I tried the treadmill gym thing, and turns out I really, really hate gyms)

I've signed up for a Stroke Association 5k in May as a way of keeping myself focussed, but any other thoughts on not getting frustrated/bored/wheezy?

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Hi FenderTelecaster. I run with asthma and my normal 5k time is around the 40 minutes mark but with a bit of easing in I have managed a few parkrun PBs under 30mins. As well as keeping on top of my inhalers I find negative splits a really useful technique. It involves really learning to listen to your breathing. Practice going super slow for the first km then gradually increase speed in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, then go for it in the 5th. I have my endomondo app on loudspeaker to hear each lap time. Typically 8:30mins for first km, as fast as 6:45 for the last. There's a real satisfaction too, seeing the breakdown of my run afterwards showing the gradual speeding up for each km. Nice to get a smooth gradated result. At parkrun (or races in general) there's the extra crowd-carrying-you-along factor, I've got close to 5min for the last km. But don't feel tempted to start too fast, like lots of folk do. It's fun to overtake people later on