Determined to run

[Nicciola]

Hi ! I am a 50 year old who has always found it difficult to run even as a child ! I am here to prove myself wrong and hopefully get fitter ! My problems when I run -only able to breath through mouth ! Get a runny nose and ...always go beetroot red and very hot afterwards ! I have just completed my first run today and feel invigorated but have all of the same problems- does anyone else have the same and is there anything I can do ?

[Carolinemcd Graduate]

I'm not sure there is anything you can do about the beetroot face. I worked with a girl who was super fit and still went bright red in the face during exercise. I also breathe through my mouth and found that it took a while to get into a good breathing rhythm. The nose, well I've not experienced that yet but advise on here is to wear a sweat band on your wrist and just wipe away.

Best of luck and remember, slow and steady

[SC1472 Graduate]

Welcome to my world! I too go very red in the face and don't seem to be able to breathe through my nose hence swallowing a fly last week! I am 48 and have never run like you - even at school and am now on week 8 and (weirdly) looking forward to my run tonight. Let's face it - if I can do it anyone can do it! Just take each week at a time and you will achieve your aim and get fitter. Good Luck.

[agedsnailspace Graduate]

Give it time! When I first started I would go so beetroot I would have strangers in the street asking if I was ok!! Your body will adapt and the red face will go down a little (but be warned, as you get fitter you will discover you can sweat from places you never imagined you could sweat from...). The breathing will get easier, too. This is something you will need to practice. Try timing your breathing to match your footfall (so many steps to breath in, so many to breath out). You will find that running in the evening during the summer is a great way to learn to breath through your nose... the alternative is that you start eating a lot of bugs!

Keep it up, you have already notched up the hardest run!

[davelinks Graduate]

Well done! A lot of us get a runny nose, I get it a bit, but just leave it and put up with it until the runs finished, so carry tissues or use a sleeve if you're wearing one!😫

A lot get the colourful face and hot, and mouth breathing, we all do that, it's the best way to get a high volume of oxygen in to the lungs while running, but also good to take a deep breath through the nose occasionally as the oxygen will go deeper into the lungs, just watch out for flies this time of the year with the mouth wide open!👄 I swallowed one just the other day!😝 Think I managed to spit it out, but probably good protein there!😁 In time you will learn to manage things better, like closing the mouth just a tad..😊

[Ange1825]

Hi, I'm the same just finished wk 1 r2 and feel like my face is on fire and forgot to take a tissue. I am trying to train myself to breath through my nose whilst running but it's difficult. I'm hoping the more I run the less it happens.😬

[marbz]

I'm the same! Started at aged 51 in January. Could never do cross country at school I was a 100 metre sprinter! Can't believe I can now run for 30 mins. I'm probably around 1.5 stones overweight. Face goes beetroot and sweating has increased! You will prove yourself wrong. If I can do it anyone can. Believe in yourself! X

[Nicciola]

Thankyou all for you motivation I am not going to give up - looking forward to run number 2 already 🙃