Need help with my breathing

[KarinB]

I've just finished W3 and it's going great however the thing I'm struggling with is my breathing, I just can't manage to count to 4 like Laura suggests, 3 is a push! How do I slow my breathing down whilst running, it the inward breath that I struggle with?

[plodalong Graduate]

I have never been able to do" Lauras breathing techniques" as it takes all my focus just to put one foot in front of the other. I just couldn't and STILL CANT coordinate that breathing in and out with my stride pattern .So my advice to you is.....dont worry about it ,slow down your pace till your breathing gets easier and just enjoy the run. X

[joyc]

I was told to take a big breath in and do two puffs out. Still struggling with it. I do it in the warm ups before just to get me used to doing it. Couldn't do Laura's technique at all

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to joyc]

It's a bit like dancing . When dancing, our feet are placed on the floor in time to the beat of the music . When running, we breathe in and out in time to the beat of our feet on the pavement. No need to count anything - just breathe in-in out-out , or in-in-in out-out-out or even in-in-in-in out-out-out-out . Obviously then your breathing rate will change depending which breathing pattern you feel comfortable with and how many beats per minute that your feet hit the pavement.

I will breathe 4in and 4out when I am running easily -- 3in and 3out for a faster pace and 2in-2out when I am going uphills or a fast pace on the flats..

[spoonierunning Graduate]

I can't do 'Laura's breathing' either.

You kind of find your own breathing rythum, and don't worry about matching it to what your feet are doing. Slow down your pace and just practice

[Bonniesingh Graduate]

I hate to disagree with Laura, but I think most of us when we begin have little hope of breathing as she suggests. I certainly can't. Your body will tell you when to breathe. As the others have said, don't worry about it! You are doing fab!!!

This article is quite interesting

runnersworld.com/running-ti...

[Slookie Graduate]

I tried Laura's breathing and thought I might go up like a helium balloon. I did find that at half her rate (2 steps breathe in, 2 steps to breathe out) it worked absolutely fine. But ... differs depending on how slow/fast (I use the term 'fast' very, very loosely) I am going. Bazza's advice looks sound.

[mossy1 Graduate]

Hi Karin

I could never do Laura's breathing either - just find your own rhythm. If I try to think about breathing it all goes to pot!

[poppypug Graduate in reply to mossy1]

Yes, agree mine too, I think you have just got to find the rhythm that is comfortable for you xx

[Hidden]

Yes, same here, I just do what feels natural although I think swimming might have helped with my timing, get that wrong and you end up taking in water instead of air!

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

As Bazza says, the key is not how many steps you breathe in or out for, the key is to get your breathing in time with your steps. This is the most efficient way of delivering oxygen to the right working muscles. When I first started, I was struggling to do more than a quick 2 steps air sucking in and then 2 steps panting it out (I made such a noise, my marathon running sister would not run with me!) I struggled too, breathing through my nose (running through midges soon cures you of too much breathing through your mouth!). Don't worry if only one breath in 3 is through your nose or if you can only breath in for a count of 2, just get into the habit of matching your breathing to your feet hitting the floor and of keeping your breaths in and out matched (and as regular as you can). As you get fitter, you will naturally find that you don't need to breathe so often - that's the time to start rebasing and taking 3 or 4 steps for each breath. It will eventually become natural.

[Rignold]

I'm not sure the breathe/footfall thing is the answer at all tbh. at a high cadence - 180 footfals per minute, which is ideal, that's still a stretch and artificial way of doing it. The thing that resolved my breathing issues, which plagued me for weeks when I started running was simply to slow down. Aim to run at about 65% of maximum effort. Even if it is walking pace or even slower. You can increase speed after when you have more stamina. I did not discover this until W9 and it was a revelation. Run really really slowly, so you can just about continue a conversation while running. It works.

[Bazza1234 Graduate in reply to Rignold]

What you say is true - at a slow "conversational" pace, it hardly matters what kind of breathing your do . Take it one step slower whereby you are walking and your breathing can be anything you like - sing an opera as you go along

BUT, it is once you up your pace that you need to get your breathing practice right. I do believe that beginners here who have problems with their breathing are indeed running too fast for their current level of fitness - ( haven't we all done it??) -and this is what brings on the "huffing and puffing" . But there are then 2 options - either slow down or learn to breath properly. Even if in the early stages of C25k , if people slow down - they are eventually still going to have to learn correct breathing technique.

[KarinB Graduate]

Thanks everyone, my 19 yr old son came with me today, he stayed with me for the warm up and then sped away in to the distance once the first run started, his stride is so much longer than mine and he's so much fitter, it was quite disheartening to see him stride away though but I knew it would happen. W4 starts on Wednesday!