Week 4 run 3

[GemW]

I am still struggling with my breathing. On this run I felt extremely emotional that it wasn’t getting easier and really wondered why I was even bothering with it all seeing as I wasn’t getting any better. I will persevere as I want to get healthy but it feels like it is a really long road and as if it is never ending.

[AnnieW55]

Keep going! You are doing really well.

The breathing thing can take a few weeks to settle please don't build it up to put you off. Generally around now, or even up to w6, it does settle and you get into your rhythm. The trick is to go slowly and let your mind wander if you can. If you start slowly, and continue slowly, you limit the effect of the toxic 10 (look for it under FAQs in the Pinned Posts). There is lots of advice some even on the podcast about counting breaths etc but really just breathe as you normally do - it will settle. The less you think about it the better. I have seen advice to forcefully expel your breath every now and again to stop co2(?) build up in the body and I confess to doing that when I remember - that does seem to help. Sorry this is a bit rambling but hope there is something of help here.

[Jay66UK Graduate]

Many of us always struggle with our breathing. Mine is awful until about 8 or 9 minutes in and not fully settled until around 20 minutes.

All through the early weeks my breathing was constantly difficult. The answer is to slow down however much you need to so that you can keep going to the end of the run.

Believe that your heart, lungs and legs are improving constantly, but you are being asked to do more constantly as well.

Keep going, keep smiling, keep breathing!

[AnnieW55 in reply to Jay66UK]

Actually GemW Jay's last line about smiling makes sense. By going slowly and smiling the breathing should ease into its own pattern. When you smile you relax a bit which all helps. Being tense definitely makes things more difficult.

[telford_mike Graduate]

But you are getting better! You ran for 5 minutes today - twice! Bet you couldn’t have done that in week 1. Breathing is my biggest weakness too and I'm also in week 4, I have to tell myself to breathe deeply or I just seem to forget. To be honest though I'd rather have this problem than some of the others people suffer with like shin splints/stitch/blisters etc.

[GemW]

Lots of great stuff for me to take on board and fantastic support. Thank you everyone. Will definitely smile more during the run, will let my mind wander and look up toxic 10, slow down as well if my breathing is bad and consider how lucky I am that breathing is my main issue. Thanks again people!!