Wheezing when running...

superfringe

Hi all,

I'm working through C25K (just done W6D1) and starting to really enjoy running, which I never thought I would say.

I'm 25 and female, moderately fit (working on it) and about 28lbs over where I would like to be if that makes any difference to the below...

I completed the dreaded 20 minute run for Week 5, Day 3, a few days ago. In the last 5 minutes or so I started to wheeze quite loudly. I didn't feel any more breathless than I had during the rest of the run, although I was getting quite tired pretty quickly. As soon as I stopped running and my breathing slowed, the wheezing stopped. The first run of week 6 was in shorter intervals and I did not wheeze.

My question is - is this possibly some sort of exercise induced asthma and should I pay a visit to my GP?

I don't know if you can have a non-asthma wheeze? I am not asthmatic as far as I know and haven't had this problem before with other exercise (30DS, exercise bike, swimming etc). The reason I have never enjoyed running before is that I never feel like I'm getting enough air, so I don't know whether this is something that will go the more I improve. This is also the only exercise I do outdoors, so whether it is to do with dry air?

I really want to continue but I don't want to cause myself any damage...

I'm a very inexperienced runner just finding my feet, so any advice would be great!

Thanks

superfringe

...bump!

mwyvr

Do you have any idea what pace you are running? Do you happen to have a heart rate monitor of any sort?

It may be you are running a little too fast and as your runs get longer you are bumping into your current upper limit of endurance; your heart rate is probably elevated at this point and you've already noticed the breath. If you can't carry on a verbal conversation without finding yourself uncomfortably short of breath (at the start or end of your run) then you are running too fast for your training runs.

If you have no medical history of breathing issues it is highly unlikely you are hurting yourself and you'll find your aerobic capacity only continues to increase with time.

It seems counter-intuitive but running slower, but longer, is how you build aerobic capacity. You will naturally get faster over time. Running slower reduces the risk of injury and allows for shorter recovery time between runs.

Something you could try: A long long time ago, long before Google, I used to do deep breathing exercises because a mountaineer I respected suggested I could build some additional intake capacity. When I started running last fall again, 105 pounds overweight at the time, and having had pneumonia earlier that year, my lungs ached. I remembered to try deep breathing... and believe it helped over time. Maybe Dr. Google has something on that now.

Deep breathing exercise or not I went from being unable to run 5 or 20 minutes to now doing 2 hour runs and my lungs never hurt.

Good luck and let us know how you make out!

Mike

superfringe

Hi Mike,

Thanks for your reply, it makes a lot of sense.

I don't have a heart rate monitor at the moment, I am planning on getting something but thought I would wait until I knew it was something I would be doing several times a week... my exercise bike reckons I reach around 130 bpm at my peak but I'm not sure how accurate the sensors are. My heart feels like it's working harder than that when I've been running for 15 mins or so, so I probably am towards my limit then...

I will try to mind my pace a bit more as I have noticed I speed up when going up hill! My partner has been running with me for moral support and I could barely talk to him, so I think it is likely I just pushed myself a bit too hard.

I will slow down and see how I go!

Thank you
Rachael

mwyvr

^^ your last probably explains it all, you are running too fast for your training runs. A reasonable rule of thumb is most of your training runs (like 80%) should be slower runs, allowing you to put in more time running. Use the 20% to do speed work of some sort when you are ready for it.

Many people won't find they push their heart + aerobic system as hard while cycling as they do while running, so that would explain why you feel different on and off the exercise bike. A reasonable upper limit for aerobic maximum heart rate for your 80% training would be 180 - age = 155, meaning you'd want to keep your running (or cycling) within a range of 145-155 for the bulk of your training.

But there's no need to rush out and buy a HRM / running watch right away; if you find down the road you really love running and are looking at ramping up your activity and start training for events, that'd be a good time to invest in one. Running watches offer more features than just pace and heart rate, but some are very specific to running and some are more multi-sport or general purpose, so it will pay to chose based on your needs when the time comes.

For now using the "can I hold a conversation of some sort" while running is a tried and true means of approximating where you are at.

Another benefit of dropping the pace a bit: you might find you end up taking shorter strides and often this is exactly what new runners need to do as many run at too low a cadence. Higher cadence, shorter strides tends to work well for our bodies and can help reduce injury as well.

PS: On running faster up-hill, go for it from time to time! But not *all* the time. If you want to stay at that comfortable aerobic range, just take smaller steps. Note that picking up your cadence might feel like you are running faster.

Most of all continue having fun out there! Great that you have a partner to share your runs with!

superfringe

I'm happy to report that I've just done W6D2 (10 min run, 3 min walk, 10 min run) and there was no wheezing

I paid attention to my speed, kept slower throughout but managed to sprint the last 30 seconds as I had a bit of energy left, which felt better than gradually slowing the more tired I get.

Thanks for the advice!