Just starting to run

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rewardinglife
rewardinglife Posts: 5
in Introduce Yourself
I have recently started to walk/run. I am learning by trial and error as to what works for me. At first realized needed a better bra. Then it was the shoes and then the shorts. I now have that all figure out. What I need advice on is the breathing. I could run longer each time that I go out however, I can't seem to get my inhaling and exhaling to work for me. I start out with a nice routine in and out, but then I start feeling like I am not getting enough air.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

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  • lice714
    lice714 Posts: 8
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    my advice, when you start to feel like you cant get enough breath, consciously slow your pace and take deep breaths. you will gradually return to the original speed, or a comfortable speed, but breathing relates to the pace. the harder the pace, the harder you breath. it takes a while for new runners to figure out how to set a pace and keep it, unless you are on a treadmill or course.

    good luck!!
  • SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage
    SarcasmIsMyLoveLanguage Posts: 2,668 Member
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    Good for you for trying something new.

    You may be running too fast or not pacing yourself properly. Do you have a Garmin or an app on your phone that can tell you your pace? It will take you a while to find a pace or a zone you're comfortable in. There are plenty of free/ cheap apps you can put on your phone for this purpose, and you can have your running app and music running at the same time, with your app set up and predetermined intervals to tell you what your pace is.

    Sometimes while I'm in the midst of a run, I need to be more aware of myself and pay attention to what's out of whack, whether it's my breathing, my pace, or whatever. Sometimes we just get preoccupied by our music and our body does its own thing.

    Are you following a program of any kind? Doing it on your own is perfectly fine, but you may benefit from a program that will help you increase your endurance over time. Do a Google search for "couch to 5km" (sorry, I'm Canadian :) I know a lot of people who have followed it with great results.

    Happy trails!
  • rewardinglife
    rewardinglife Posts: 5
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    I am not following a program. I do use runkeeper to track the distance. Music does help me. I am really enjoying growing and doing a little bit more each time that I getout there. Thanks for responding.
  • FancyPantsFran
    FancyPantsFran Posts: 3,687 Member
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    It takes me a few minutes to get into a breathing rhythm. The longer time I run the better my breathing gets. In the beginning I do breath thru my mouth a lot.
  • melissafortin146
    melissafortin146 Posts: 11 Member
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    I too use runkeeper, it is an awesome app that is free. I enjoy jogging too. When you first start doing it though, it does take some to to adapt your breathing and pace. Sometimes the humid air can change things a lot. Another app you may want to try as well is the C25K this allows you to have intervals of walk and run and slowly gets you where you run non stop. Feel free to add me as friend ..
    I love to make small challenges for myself, such as beat my last time or beat my distance .. even if only for a grunt more..
  • Kelven23
    Kelven23 Posts: 51
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    I have never found bras helped my running much. However for breathing, I extend my abdomen, breath as deep as I can through an open mouth, and blow about as quickly as I took air in, through pursed lips. I would say about 4 seconds in and 4ish. if I can't hold that I am going to fast. I worked with a running couch for a while, I do find my breathing stays very controlled. I am not winning any races so there may be a better way, this just works for me.
  • levicrouch
    levicrouch Posts: 99
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    I have heard some folks that focus on breathing while running to optimize their run. I would imagine though, what you are experiencing is that your heart is trying to keep pace with what your brain and body want.

    You may need to slow down a bit, to make your running more comfortable. Or, you can embrace the pain of pushing yourself to the max, just don't push for too long.

    There are benefits to running 'slow' ('slow' here refers to keeping your heart rate low, while running a greater distance) as well as benefits to running fast ('fast' refers to a higher heart rate, shorter distance).

    Over time your heart will get stronger, you will be able to travel faster through the atmosphere, and your breathing will be easier.

    You are on your way, it just takes time.
  • Kelven23
    Kelven23 Posts: 51
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    oh and I love having fellow runners as friends, so any runners please add me

    thanks

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