Outdoor runners, help?

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missbrendalynn
missbrendalynn Posts: 74 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Is there a formula that you adapt to to maintain steady, consistent breathing and pacing throughout your run? I am absolutely terrible at maintaining a pace to ensure a long run & I end up full on sprinting unintentionally and exhaust myself too early on. I have been running on the treadmill because the conditions are constant but it's spring/summer now in Australia and I'd love to fit in a couple of outdoor runs.

Any tips would be lovely :flowerforyou:

Replies

  • Nmt100
    Nmt100 Posts: 36 Member
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    Start off at a pace you can easily hold a conversation at then you can gradually increase your speed if you want to once you are nice and warm and have good control of your breathing.
  • KeithAngilly
    KeithAngilly Posts: 575 Member
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    Slow down...really, that's it. One technique I use is to make sure I run a negative split for every run, especially the long run. That means I start out the first half with intention of having enough energy to run the second half a little quicker. A gps watch helps with this, but it isn't necessary. Monitor your breath and what the effort feels like. If you are huffing and puffing, then obviously you are going to fast. The usual instruction is to run at a pace where you can have conversation with someone without straining.
  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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  • mycatgidget
    mycatgidget Posts: 3 Member
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    When I am trying to regulate my pace early in a run, I'll only allow myself to breathe through my nose for the first 15 minutes. If I need more air than that, I know I should slow down. Once I find my groove then I will allow mouth breathing - and I always hope this happens before I start blowing snot bubbles ;)
  • Tomhoffman84
    Tomhoffman84 Posts: 99
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    Shooting snot rockets are fun part of runnning...especially during crowded races with spectators.
  • Pinkranger626
    Pinkranger626 Posts: 460 Member
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    are you listening to music when you run outside? I know when I listen to certain songs I speed up because the tempo is much faster. You can try not running with any musci, or if that seems absolutely horrifying try making a playlist with a slower steady cadence.

    Check out www.jog.fm

    you can type in the pace per mile you're looking to hold and it'll pull up songs with the right BPM to keep that pace. If you use an app to track your running pay attention to your normal pace and make it a bit slower, or choose the pace that you use on the treadmill.
  • mreeves261
    mreeves261 Posts: 728 Member
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    For me I go by my heart rate. I split my time between treadmill and outdoors. I monitor my heart rate while on the treadmill so I know where it should be during my outdoor runs. It's not necessary to wear a HRM as far as I know. I just do it to monitor where I "should" be in my run.
  • rayleecanuck
    rayleecanuck Posts: 3 Member
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    The book 'Running on Air' is very helpful. It has increased my speed and endurance on a run as it makes me focus on my breathing, which puts you in tune with your body. It has eliminated painful 'stiches' as well. It takes some practice, but works well. Basically, you breathe in for 3 steps and exhale for 2 foot strikes. Because it is an odd number, you end up landing on opposite feet every time you exhale. The premise in the book is that alternating which foot you exhale on will reduce your injuries on one side. I don't know about all that, but it has helped me with speed, endurance and pacing. Good luck!!
  • alikonda
    alikonda Posts: 2,358 Member
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    I've had running buddies make fun of me for doing "pregnancy breathing" during runs, but it really does help to regulate your breathing (and sometimes focusing on something like your breath takes your mind off your legs being tired, etc!). Something similar to what Raylee has described is what I usually do, but I can't say I know exactly how many footfalls per breath I prefer!

    I've always run with "motivational" music but recently started filling my running playlist with 180 bpm (or 90 bpm with a driving beat) to keep my turnover at 90 rpm. I've found that it helps slow and regulate my footfall - and IMPROVES my overall speed! I always have a hard time running on treadmills because I tend to be an irregular runner - always speeding up and slowing down - but running to the beat of a song is REALLY helpful. It kind of blew my mind that Karma Chameleon or some other laid-back song was more helpful to me than my traditional Bon Jovi hits!
  • asp415
    asp415 Posts: 1,492 Member
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    When I first transitioned from a treadmill to outdoors, I had this same problem.

    I had to really focus on my breathing, the music (keeping pace w/it) & my HRM. I used the HRM to help me gage when I was pushing myself more than I should. If I maintained a steady pace, my HR would stay steady if I started running too fast my HR would go up. I did this for a few runs & adjusted. Now I know how to listen to my body, my breathing, etc. w/out having to really concentrate on it & w/out having to look @ my HRM every few minutes.
  • sullus
    sullus Posts: 2,839 Member
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    As a newer runner, I've actually had to learn how to breathe. I try to synch footsteps/breaths.

    At the start of a run, I'm like 4 steps inhale/4 steps exhale. In tougher sections, that can get to 2 steps per inhale and exhale. Sometimes before a Hill or tough section, I will increase my breathing (deeper or faster) to kind of store up some blood oxygen before the hill strips away all that I have ..
  • lilawolf
    lilawolf Posts: 1,690 Member
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    I breathe in for two steps and breathe out for two steps. I'll have to try the 3:2 thing suggested above! This keeps me from gasping, breathing too fast, or holding my breath. I also use the MapMyRun, and I have it set to tell me when I hit each half mile increment and what speed I did it at. It lowers the volume on my music or ZombieRun! app to tell me so I don't have to change anything or dig out my phone.
  • blgerig
    blgerig Posts: 174 Member
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    I used to be the same way and have gotten MUCH better.

    Here is some of what has helped me:

    Running with a partner
    Starting out slow
    Using RunKeeper app that tells me my pace every 5 minutes (can use a watch to estimate, many other apps do this too)
    Listening to slower music mixed in. When I listen soley to fast tempo stuff I start out sprinting.
    Running on some hills if they are around - a little harder to sprint those without realizing what you are doing ;)
  • brandiuntz
    brandiuntz Posts: 2,717 Member
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    When I am trying to regulate my pace early in a run, I'll only allow myself to breathe through my nose for the first 15 minutes. If I need more air than that, I know I should slow down. Once I find my groove then I will allow mouth breathing - and I always hope this happens before I start blowing snot bubbles ;)

    ^^This for me. I make myself breathe through my nose to keep the pace manageable for long runs. When I have a running partner with me, we have short conversations.
  • _Zardoz_
    _Zardoz_ Posts: 3,987 Member
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    Just run slow and try not to over complicate it. Every now and the speak a sentence if it's comfortable you're slow enough
  • brunotolosa
    brunotolosa Posts: 18
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    It's a matter of concentration in my opinion. That is why I dislike running with other people.

    Running, to me, is my intimate time and I hate when people come to talk to me.. I know it sounds a bit odd, but when anything disturbs my concentration I would tend to find myself out of pace, breathing badly, overstriding and feeling tired.

    I agree with everyone who told you that you should slow down (especially in the early part of the race/run). When your body is warmed up and when you're letting yourself go, then I would try to speed up gradually.
  • workout_ninja
    workout_ninja Posts: 524 Member
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    slow down to where you feel you are going too slow and you will naturally speed up as you go along. Control your breathing by your steps, in...two...three...out...two...three. Thats how i started and it worked a treat!
  • missbrendalynn
    missbrendalynn Posts: 74 Member
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    Thanks for all the advice you guys!

    I took them on board for the first time running outdoors today and my quads & hammies are properly destroyed. It's so much easier running on the treadmill from the little bit of momentum you get but the views from nature - incomparable. I did stop and start many many times though :embarassed:

    I found that breathing through my nose for the first 15 minutes helped a lot as with matching pace with breaths - a little bit tedious with keeping count but consistency is key, I suppose.

    Thanks again ya'll. First of many outdoor runs, I'm sure :flowerforyou:
  • MG_Fit
    MG_Fit Posts: 1,143 Member
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    Using an HRM helped me a ton when I was training for 1/2 marathons. It helped me keep pace with where I knew I should be.
  • jeepyj93
    jeepyj93 Posts: 392 Member
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    I run with a Garmin and use it to keep my pace, for me it really as I have no sense of time at all.

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