Please advise on running training for breathless old dear

[KristinaM]

im a beginner runner training for my first 10k in 4 weeks. When i try to improve my speed i get too out of breath but my legs feel ok. How do i address this in my training? Do i need to run further at a slower pace or more short fast intervals?

Ive been running 5-7k four times a week plus the gym and this doesnt seem to have improved it at all

Sorry if this is a stupid question or im not explaining it properly.everything ive read talks about " heavy legs" but i cant find advice for croaky old lungs

To improve your speed you need to do speed intervals (1 training session) and to increase your endurance do longer runs at a steady pace - separate training session. So you could do one each of these a week then do your usual 5-7km runs once or twice a week.

HTH

Thanks sleep. Does getting out of breath so easily mean i need to work on my speed or endurnace? I cant work out whats wrong, i did a parkrun today and was 2mins behind my usual time, i was so breathless. And ive run 5k twice and 7.5k twice this week. I feel like im goijg backwards

Normally I would say that you are just trying to go too fast and if you want to run faster work on speed, but if you can normally run at that pace without problems that sounds strange. Anything else going on? Could you be coming down with something? Or possibly just getting yourself stressed about this race?

I can normally work at that pace ok. I dont mean i am strolling along but i dint feel like im dying!!

Last month I couod run 5k fairly consistently in just under 24 mins,. Yesterday it took me 26 as i had to stop and walk several times. 2weeks ago a marshall at the park run asked me if i was ok to go on ,so i must have looked /sounded pretty bad .

Dont think i am stressed about the 10k, id like to gett a resaosnable time ( for my age!!) but its just for the experinece really, to say ive done it IYWSIM

I think i will go to GP to have it checked out. I ddint know if i was just traning wrong. Thanks for your advice sleep

are you having a rest day between runs?

Kind of. I do body pump at the gym, which is active rest i think?

Hi Kristina . I'd second a visit to the GP. Could it be asthma, triggered by a pollen allergy? No idea if spring has sprung in your neck of the woods yet, but here we are well into allergy season with all the blossom coming out.

26 mins is still very fast!

Hi shredded, thats an idea , it might be hayfever related as its much worse at the parkrun ( surriunded by trees) than when i run at home ( farmland). I just assumed it was becase i make more of an effort at parkrun. My hayfever doesnt usually start this early in the season but the weather has been weird here too

I have asthma anyway and am on meds but its not normally exercise induced. I mnow it sounds mad but even when its bad itsok when imrunning. But will defo see dr asap. Dont really want to start the oral steroids again due to side effects . Feel like old crock

Thanks everyone

Went to gp today . She checked for silent pneumonia and somethijg to do with a heart valvve -all clear. She Thinks its alllery related ( well doen shredded!!) so shes upped my steroids and told me to start now on hayfever meds ( normally dont need them til may). And ive to get blood taken tomorow to test for soem allergy related marker.

Dh is relieved as he was worried it was Something Serious. And im very pleased to have been taken seriously and not told " well just stop running then" or even worse " what do you excpect at your age?"

Glad you got checked out Kristina!

thNks for your advice shredded. Hope these meds work or no 10k for me in 3weeks

Glad to be of help. I hope they are working. Did you do the Parkrun this morning? How did it go?