Training for a 5K with asthma

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tgabmac
tgabmac Posts: 46 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So I have sports induced asthma, but I really want to try to run a 5K for myself and overall fitness. I got the C25K, but I feel it's not really working. I would be starting week 3 tomorrow. I really want to push myself, but I don't know how without tumbling over and dying. Are there any suggestions? Cross training ideas, maybe?

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  • hill8570
    hill8570 Posts: 1,466 Member
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    Have you talked to a sports doc about this? Most runners with asthma that I know just hit the inhaler before a run, but I'm not sure if that's the answer for everybody. Since you're in Indiana, you'll also want to wear something over your face and nose to keep the air warm -- cold air is often a trigger.
  • Johnnyjr2
    Johnnyjr2 Posts: 1
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    I deal with the same issue hope some people can answer this!!!!
  • nerfherder83
    nerfherder83 Posts: 23 Member
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    I'll just copy/paste what I just posted in another thread :)

    I have exercise-induced asthma, and when I first started running I couldn't go more than 30 seconds without being completely out of breath. Here's how I got to a point where I could jog 50 minutes non-stop:

    1. Slow down. Like, even if people are walking faster than you're jogging don't worry about it. You've gotta build up your stamina. When I started out I was at 16 minute pace. So yeah, really, really slow.

    2. Breathe in and out of your mouth. The minute I tossed that whole "in-through-your-nose-out-through-your-mouth" logic out the window my stamina improved drastically. But like others said, if you're running outdoors be sure to cover your mouth with a scarf or otherwise protect yourself (I'm in Southern California so I'm not versed in cold weather running :( )

    3. Watch your cadence. When I first started I matched my inhales and exhales to each footstep. I didn't run with music for the first 3-4 months because I was so focused on my breathing. A typical jogging session went something like this for me:
    - 5 minute walk warm up
    - begin jog:
    breathe in 8 steps, breathe out 8 steps... did this for about a minute/until it got too hard to breathe that slow, then changed to...
    breathe in 7 steps, breathe out 7 steps... did this for about a minute/until it got too hard to breathe that slow, then changed to...
    breathe in 6 steps, breathe out 6 steps...
    Kept dropping my count until I got down to a 4-in, 4-out count, then stopped and walked for a couple minutes to catch my breath, then started all over again at the 8 count.

    By doing that, over the next couple of months I saw SO MUCH improvement. Then one day I jogged 2 miles and realized I didn't need to count my cadence any more. That's when I started listening to music :)

    Good luck!
  • tgabmac
    tgabmac Posts: 46 Member
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    Thanks! This is great!
  • scottburger104
    scottburger104 Posts: 90 Member
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    another way to practice air management is to breathe through a straw, you can tape a 2nd and 3rd straw together to make it harder.
  • ThisCanadian
    ThisCanadian Posts: 1,086 Member
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    another way to practice air management is to breathe through a straw, you can tape a 2nd and 3rd straw together to make it harder.

    I've only heard of this used as a method for people to simulate an asthma attack so I can't see this being effective in preventing asthma attacks. Do you have any sources which support your claims? I'm not trying to attack you so I hope I don't come across as such. I'm curious about this method but couldn't find anything online.

    My only advice to the Op is to suggest that you meet with your doctor and discuss you preventative medication. I personally went through a few different persciptions before I found what works best. Now I rarely get exercise-induced attacks.

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