Going a bit further - W9R2, and breathing

I'm one run away from graduation, one week short of a year since I started. I have a 5K race at the end of November, so as I cover about 3.6k in 30' I have decided to add a little bit to each run through November, until I can get to 5k (today was 3.78k in 30:51), and my breathing was hard and noisy towards the end. I have a one mile riverside route, which I am now doing two and a quarter times, and I know that to get to 5k that I need to do it three times.

I had a lot of trouble regulating my breathing at the start of the programme, and when C25Kers here ask how to regulate this I have no idea what to say because mine sort of fell into place with time and a good asthma medication regimen. So today I decided to be aware of how I was breathing. I start in through my nose, and out through my mouth, but it's only 200m until I need to also breath in through my mouth every third breath or so. I concentrate on pushing the out breath out, and the in breath then happens automatically. Towards the end of the run I was back to noisy out breathing, but I think this will quieten with improved fitness. I was also trying to sprint a bit in the last 60 seconds, sprint being a loose term in my case! My average pace in 8:10 (mins/km) and in the last minute I reached 5:18 for about 20m.

For any other London based runners this is the race <5kredrun.co.uk/> It's free to enter with a minimum fund raise of 50GBP and soup at the end.

[virtualrunner Graduate]

thanks v much for this informative post - I just did wk9r1 - 3.4km in 30 mins - have been concerned about my pace and breathing for sometime - I am just not going to make that target. I also use an inhaler. But after reading this am thinking a) its not just me (itnever is!) and b) after wk9r3 I will do as you suggest - just a little further every time to build up. And will try to think about breathing!

thanks

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Something that helped me was watching a very fit friend playing football (he can do run 5k in 18 minutes). Within minutes he was red faced and puffing. Exercise is supposed to make us breath hard, but as asthmatics we have to work out the difference between breathing hard, and the panic that comes from not being able to breath out.

On one of my early runs I took 12 puffs of Ventolin, which I now realise was completely unnecessary. However, when I started out I did have times when I felt like I couldn't breath out completely before it was time to take another breath, which is asthma, and is why I push my out breath out, and try to slow it slightly, but I don't need to do this until I hit about 1.5k. My breathing now only concerns me if I start to cough a lot, and I never take Ventolin before a run.

[SBG356 Graduate]

Well done Delores on persevering through this and now so near to graduation! What a star!I am not asthmatic but still struggle with my breathing at times during the run. I have tried working on the belly breathing technique but it takes all my concentration just to put one foot in front of the other let alone think about that too so will work on it more once graduated, which, like you will be this week! Cant wait for the green badge and it sounds like there will be plenty being awarded this week......

good luck for your final run! Sue x

[Hidden]

I read your bio Sue - we have a very similar profile.

[Hidden]

And you're not far away. After graduation we should meet half way and run together.

[SBG356 Graduate in reply to Hidden]

Sounds like a plan sister!!