Why can't I run??

Hi everyone.
First off a big thank you to everyones advice.
I took two main things on board today. I reduced my pace and REALLY focused on taking deep long breaths for the whole run.
I am pleased to say it worked beautifully and I blitzed week 4 of C25K.
Week 4 is 2X3min and 2X5min runs.
Well of course today the program shut down on me halfway through so I lost a bit of focus.
I didn't give up though.
I managed to do 1X3min, 2X5min and 1X7min runs!!! I couldn't believe it!
This is after not being able to get past 4 mins and even then I was gasping for breath and flopping about all over the place
Thanks again everyone, you are awesome
Bec

Not sure if any of you are having the same problem I used to have. But all through high school I could walk seemingly forever, however when it came to running I could barely go a block before I was winded and had sharp pains towards the bottom of my ribcage. It wasn't until after high school and a lot of determination of wanting to run more that I started doing my research. The pain hurt so bad at times I started assuming that maybe it was a hernia or something, however it was never always on the same side. I had tried to "run through the pain" one night only to end up laying on the side of the road curled up in the fetal position near passing out. Mind you I don't think i was out of shape or anything, I was 6' 1" 160lbs, a person that looked prime for running really. So anyways doing some research I came across the term "Runners Stitch". After reading into this it seamed to describe exactly what I was experiencing.

What I discovered was this. Before I never paid much attention to my breathing and often the faster I tried running the faster and shorter my breaths became trying to "keep up". As it turns out this bad breathing leads to straining the lung diaphragm located at the bottom of your lungs.

With this new knowledge I started experimenting with my breathing after just a few weeks I was actually able to run until my legs felt like rubber! Talk about one very happy nite, I could barely stand but was grinning from ear to ear.

My tips would include the following. Take quality breaths, not necessarily a lot of breaths. Instead of breathing faster, focus on breathing deeper. And probably the most important, be sure to COMPLETELY EXHALE every breath. Start with a super slow jog to practice your breathing and slowly work up your jogging speed day by day or week by week. Everyone progresses differently, no need to rush it. Hopefully this will help someone out there. I remember how frustrated I was when I'd be winded or "in lung pain" long before ever feeling a burn in my legs.

Thanks for this advice, I would have that same problem in MS & HS, I could do the sprint running but not the long distance. Of course it did not help that I use to smoke and as result I now have athletic asthma and chronic bronchitis.... I have been off of asthma meds since I was 17 and have not had any problems, I can do brisk walks (more like speed walking) w/out a problem... however the last two years I have gotten out of shape again and so I am back to square one... I love to bike ride but last summer could not go far before I had to stop and felt like I had been jogging back in MS/HS... I do not jog for other reasons as I have had two dislocated knees and have had to go into physical therapy once in my late teens and then again in my early twenties. They adviced me to stick to low impact excercise for my knees... no jogging, not even sprint running. So I hike and walk, and ride bike... now I just have to retrain myself to breath correctly why I am bike riding. Those side pains are the worst, sometimes it felt like I had a broken/cracked rib... which unfortanely have had before, ouch!

I managed to do 1X3min, 2X5min and 1X7min runs!!! I couldn't believe it!
This is after not being able to get past 4 mins and even then I was gasping for breath and flopping about all over the place