W5R1 & Breathing

[WendyS25]

I redid run 1 of week 5 today as have missed over a week of the plan & worried about stepping up to next run....I’m still struggling a bit with breathing (slow jog), although felt a bit better today... and wanted to ask about belly breathing. I think I used this a bit more today, which is mibe why it felt not as bad. Do most runners use belly breathing i.e., I’m pushing belly out when breathing in so taking as much air in as possible?

[Bluebirdrunner Graduate]

Hi Wendy, not sure...my breathing just got better as I progressed with the plan. Probably during Week 5😊..

I found that if I was getting a bit tight and puffed, just by blowing out a few long breaths, it would ease things..

It really will start coming together in the next few runs, don't worry about it, its perfectly normal.

Go for Week 5 R2 next.....you can do it😊x

[Fionn42]

I try and breathe from lower down, using my stomach so that I expand my diaphragm more ad I can feel my chest relax a bit as I do it but then I forget again! I spent a long time worrying about being a mouth breather as lots of running advice articles tell you to use nose in and mouth out but I never could and now, I just breathe naturally using my mouth all the time.

The best advice I found is to slow down and try and relax into your running. That way, your body will naturally do what it needs to get enough air down into your lungs.

Good luck!

[WendyS25]

Thank you! Feeling better about it already and looking forward to next run 🤗

[IannodaTruffe Mentor]

I agree with the above, especially just relaxing and blowing out hard every third or fourth exhalation, just to make sure that all the CO2 is cleared from your lungs.

[Tbae]

I am using Mj's tips not so much on breathing, but on posture,

head up etc, shoulder down, etc, everything relaxed etc.,

this stuff together with not leaning forward,

Opens up your chest and airways and allows no restriction to breathing whatever you need through your nose,or mouth, whatever your comfortable with.Keep it simple.

I do not know anything about lower down yet. Appreciate a link.

I live by the yoga body scanning and oxygen charging method before and after a run and in a different way during my run.Depends whose around. ha, ha.

I have stuck with MJ, just because I selected him.

I fully intend to follow Laura later.

Un prompted and when I am running,

I do count the number of steps per breath in 5 minute phases.

Or if it is easier and you want to try it, you can take some small amount of steps and then a large breadth.Either way you soon find your rthym.Your brain is smart.

Be careful it is about breathing ,not depleting yourself and your muscles of oxygen.

Keep it simple and just relax everything , if that is more natural.

Do not overthink any of this, enjoy your running.

Think I am going from initially 4 to 10 at finish.Got a long way to go before there is anything to conclude for me there.It keeps me focused on all the tips and the time just flies by.

I even get time to hum Auld Lang Syne a little bit on the way round.

Hope this helps.Very interesting and simple about the CO2 exhale.Never thought of that, but it is a gem.

Thank you for posting this , continuous learning.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

Apparently this is supposed to be very good, however much like Bluebirdrunner i found it improved as I went on. I’m an asthmatic so I take extra care of my breathing and it can be done. The best approach if it’s bad is to slow down, relax your shoulders and get through it...