Not understanding - need help

[littlejan]

Hi everyone I graduated late last year, just before xmas I was managing to do 5k, even though I was puffing and panting and never found it get any easier, but the run up to xmas I stopped, since xmas I find I cant run so far so I decied to start the prog again with my daughter shes 18, trying to get her fit, but we are only on week 2 and I am now finding just the 90min runs a struggle. I have no idea why I have gone back quite so far, I cant imagine how I ever did what I did before. Any ideas???/

[lucyconnuk Graduate]

Maybe your daughter is setting a quicker pace than you used to do? Perhaps you could try doing it once on your own and going really, really slowly?

Also, do you know which bit of you is finding it hardest - hurty feet? out of breath? etc?

Take heart though. You did it once, I'm sure you can do it again. (It took me 6 months to graduate... I went slowly...!)

[greenlegs Graduate]

I bet Lucy's right. There were several posts recently about the difficulties of running with a partner - the slower one almost always ends up pushing themselves harder than their body is ready for. Good idea to try doing one on your own and taking it as slowly as you want.

Anyway, I'm not surprised you're finding 90 minute runs a struggle!

[littlejan Graduate]

No sorry I should have said, im the faster one out the two of us, even when I run on my own like tonight I was still struggling, im struggling with being out of breath.

[greenlegs Graduate]

That sounds very frustrating. All I can think of is that you'd got to a faster pace by the end of the programme, and your legs are remembering that, but your heart and lungs want to go slower again for a bit. Or maybe you're brewing up a cold or something? How slow/fast are you going - do you know whether it's different to what you did before?

[sfb350 Graduate]

There isn't always an obvious answer - sometimes you can go out feeling really reluctant to bother and then have a great run, other times you really feel ready for a run and it turns out to be a struggle.

Probably best to just try not to worry about it and slow right down for a while. As you are running in company you should be able to make sure your running intervals are at a pace where you can hold a conversation - that way you know you're not pushing too hard. You'll get back up to your previous speed eventually and hopefully your daughter will be right next to you.

[littlejan Graduate]

Thanks for all your replies, but can I just say that even before when I completed the prog and even doing the 5k i was puffing and panting all the way round and would never have been able to hold a conversation, I am thinking I might haveto think of ways to improve my stamina, whatever that will be.

[mcc65 Graduate]

I'm having the same problem. I graduated a while ago but was running so slowly I was nowhere near the 5k. I wanted to improve my pace so I tried some of the bridging programmes but couldn't handle them. I decided the only way I was going to improve would be to go back to the beginning and start again at a faster pace. However, I'm finding that as far as my breathing goes it is just like starting again. My breathing is rubbish, but I do know that it improved so I'm just going to believe that it will get even better by the time I get to the end again.... Then I'm going to forget about getting to the 5k straight away and work up to it by lengthening my runs.

While I say that my breathing is still rubbish, I do know that my recovery rate is Soooooo much better than it was when I started

[notbad Graduate]

Hmmm, for those who are having problems with the breathing are you perhaps taking lots of shallow breaths? Your body needs more oxygen when you run so long steady deep breathing using all of the lungs will get more in there. Perhaps it would be useful to practice this when you are not running, when sitting or walking, keeping your out breath slightly longer than the in. Yoga might also be useful.

Best of luck, if breathing practice doesn't help then perhaps a check up with the GP, to make sure you don't have asthma?

[littlejan Graduate]

Thanks again, I have thought about going to the docs, because I do seem to wheeze afterwards too.