Couch to 5 K

angelicscars

I am not a runner. I love the idea of running but I have not been able to do it since school. I have always blamed this on my knee with in all fairness is bulls*&t!

I have decided I am going to start couch to 5 k on Monday and have twisted a friends arm to join me.

I am relatively fit (overweight but still fit) but when it comes to running/jogging I cant seem to breath right and get out of breath so quickly. I can comfortably do 30 mins on a cross trainer up hill with a pace ranging from 100 rpm (resistance 14) up to 180 rpm (resistance 5) and I can do a 45 min spin class without dying.

So my question, what can I do to help me breath properly when running? Are they any tips anyone can offer me?

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thank you

Kocher81

Hello. I have been doing the C25K for a while now. I am up to week 5 day 2, I have read as well as applied this to my running and think that it helps. They say that you should "belly breathe" meaning your stomach will go up and down and not breathe in from your chest which is what we typically do. Here is an article that I think will help.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/lung-power?page=single

The key to preventing lung-and leg-fatigue is breathing more fully. "When you take deeper breaths, you use more air sacs in your lungs, which allows you to take in more oxygen to feed your muscles," says David Ross, M.D., a pulmonologist at UCLA Medical Center. "When I'm running, I concentrate on taking slow and deep breaths to strengthen my diaphragm."

Most runners, says Solkin, are "chest breathers"-not "belly breathers." To help her clients see the difference, she has them run a mile at a pace that gets them huffing a bit. Then she has them stop and place one hand on their abdomen and one hand on their chest and watch. The lower hand should move with each breath, while the upper hand should remain relatively still (usually the opposite occurs). "Every time you breathe in, your belly should fill up like a balloon," says Solkin (see "Breathe Right"). "And every time you breathe out, that balloon should deflate. When you chest breathe, your shoulders get tense and move up and down. That's wasted energy-energy you should conserve for running."

thebuz

Run slower...... Most people start this program and run too fast for their fitness level. This was the hardest thing for me to grasp when I did this program. Your walk portions should be brisk and your run portions slightly faster than your brisk walk. Speed will come later. Breathing for me was a much more important skill to learn for me to accomplish the 30 minute straight runs.

Runs4Wine

As far as the breathing thing here are tips that work for me

1) Slow Down
2) Breathe in/out through your mouth, you won't get enough air through your nose
3) Count to three breathing in, and exhale counting to three - all through your mouth
4) Slow Down, when I started I was barely a fast walk, but it worked to get the breathing thing down
5) Don't slouch, keep your head up. I typically look at the treeline or horizon (I run outdoors)
6) Did I mention slow down?