Relearning How to Run. Advise Please.

TeslaJoule

I just started running again. I haven't done it in about 6 years because of the pain of re-training my lungs due to asthma. Any tips for re-starting? Good stretches? Things to eat pre and post? My goal is to run the Bolder Boulder, a 10k at the end of May, in under an hour. I've done the race about ten times and know I can get to the finish line, but I've never broken an hour. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

jenn26point2

I don't know much about running with asthma, but I found some great stretches on another site and I do them every time I run. Here's a link: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=13_yoga_poses_to_help_runners_and_other_athletes

There's also this: http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=12_hamstring_stretches_for_greater_flexibility

My nutrition sucks right now, so I'm not going to give nutrition advice. I hope the stretches help.

MelissaGraham7

practice, practice, practice Run 3 days a week, control your breathing, do a fast day and a "long day." For me, it worked to go beyond the 10K, though I did not break an hour. Depends on what your starting pace it...
My advice is not to worry about how fast you do it, train gradually and carefully so you don't get hurt and can keep on running and have fun with it. THat matters much more than doing it under an hour.

jskaggs1971

Hey! Another CO asthmatic here.

A few things that help me:

Albuterol, albuterol, albuterol. I pretreat with my inhaler before exercise every single time. It makes a world of difference. If you're a diagnosed asthmatic, you either already have an inhaler, or you need to get one for exercise.

Even with the inhaler, my breathing still sometimes gets tight during a run, especially on cold days. For me, the problem isn't getting enough air in, but getting enough OUT. What seems to help me is exhaling through pursed lips, almost like you're trying to whistle, but without quite so much restriction. Anecdotally, this helps get my breathing under control.

Forget what anybody tells you about breathing through your nose. Breathe through your nose and mouth, hell, even your eyelids if you have to. Air = energy to run, especially at our altitude.

Good Luck on the Bolder Boulder. I'm not committed on running it yet. I've been kicking the idea around, but that's also getting into biking season, and I might rather be hauling my bike around the local trails instead of dealing with the crowds in Boulder.

TeslaJoule

Thanks Jenn! Those stretches will definitely come in handy!!!

TeslaJoule

I like the idea of a fast day and a long day! That makes a lot of sense. It's things like this that are so natural to some people, but that was exactly the type of advice I was looking for! Thanks! I will absolutely be practicing. I already have 2 runs for this week with 2 more planned, and about 12 weeks to go. I will have fun even if I don't make an hour, I just need a goal to focus on so I don't give up!

TeslaJoule

Thanks for the advice on the breathing. I religiously use my inhaler and for most things-rock climbing, road biking, elliptical-it works perfectly! For whatever reason, running is a whole other animal. I can't seem to get enough air IN. I had never heard the air in your nose thing! Thanks for the warning. I'm going to use some of my cardio days to get back on my road bike instead of running. I figure muscle endurance of any kind will help and it will be a welcome break 6 weeks from now.

I love the Bolder Boulder. Yeah, it's a lot of people, but it's a tradition in my family. My dad's college track team and their families used to come, some still do. (I ask my dad about training schedules, but he doesn't have asthma, and he's never stopped running, so he really doesn't understand those struggles.) I'm just always the last one in, and it'd be nice for a change to be a little more competitive.