New to the group!!

jessiekanga

Hi Group! I am new (again) doing day 3 of week one tomorrow. I am combining this with Jillian Michael's 30 day shred and hoping to get a boost in my energy and stamina over all. I tried c25k once before (got to week 3) and also c25k treadmill (got to week 3). I failed both ways because I was unable to regulate my breathing and I had bad shoes....or at least that is what I am telling myself. The last 2 sets I have run until I felt I would hyperventilate and that was just the short bursts of day 1 and 2. This may be the stupidest question ever but do you have any tips on breathing?

I don't know if I can help, but I am an EPIC "hyperventilator". Seriously, since I was a kid, downright paralyzing. There are a couple things that may or may not be useful for you, but helped me. First, please, please trust that you WILL find enough air. You will breathe again, freely. Hyperventilating is only made worse by anxiety about it, which for me is what made me stop, over and over and over again, for years, until I just stopped trying. So believe that your body will take care of itself, trust yourself, so the panic doesn't add to the problem.

Also, I looked up so much about breathing, and everyone in the world recommended even in/outs, whether every 2 steps, 3 steps, 4 steps... it was all even. Then I found a site that recommended a longer inhale (through your mouth), and quicker exhale. TOTAL GAME CHANGER! For me, it's what allowed me to actually complete the program. I still struggle to breathe comfortably, and I assure you I'm not going to fast (Just broke 4.5 MPH), but the panic is gone and the hyperventilating is so much less. I can actually jog right through it (painfully, but through it) until I find my breath again. I can now run 3.6 hilly miles... it's so freakin' amazing to me, the girl who'd have to drop out of basketball practice to breathe into a paper bag.

Good luck! Let us know how you do!

Amy106Days

[/quote]

I don't know if I can help, but I am an EPIC "hyperventilator". Seriously, since I was a kid, downright paralyzing. There are a couple things that may or may not be useful for you, but helped me. First, please, please trust that you WILL find enough air. You will breathe again, freely. Hyperventilating is only made worse by anxiety about it, which for me is what made me stop, over and over and over again, for years, until I just stopped trying. So believe that your body will take care of itself, trust yourself, so the panic doesn't add to the problem.


Also, I looked up so much about breathing, and everyone in the world recommended even in/outs, whether every 2 steps, 3 steps, 4 steps... it was all even. Then I found a site that recommended a longer inhale (through your mouth), and quicker exhale. TOTAL GAME CHANGER! For me, it's what allowed me to actually complete the program. I still struggle to breathe comfortably, and I assure you I'm not going to fast (Just broke 4.5 MPH), but the panic is gone and the hyperventilating is so much less. I can actually jog right through it (painfully, but through it) until I find my breath again. I can now run 3.6 hilly miles... it's so freakin' amazing to me, the girl who'd have to drop out of basketball practice to breathe into a paper bag.

Good luck! Let us know how you do!
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I am running tonight and I can't wait to try out your advice. Last "run" I set my pandora on shuffle and it somehow (read user error) ended up playing Carly Simon, show tunes and Sinatra during my "run". It was funny because each song was more terrible than the last to run to but with each new random song start my mood lightened. I was sucking all the fun out of running before. I was afraid I would lose my breath, nervous that my form was bad or my shoes too cheap or I would get shin splints and have to start all over again and that is a lot of noise to push past. I need to breathe in deeper and just breathe easier over all. Thanks for the advice and support. I will let you know.