Describe how I should be breathing in my couch to 5k runs please!!!

[Inkspellme]

Hi,

I'm in week two of the couch to 5 k program. My legs are fine but I am running out of puff! I feel like I could run for longer if I could get my breathing right. Am I doing something wrong or is this just me being unfit and will improve in time?

Thanks for any help....

I'm better if I have music on and don't think about it. It's my legs that get heavy. It does improve as your fitness improves.

It will improve in time. i could barely run the length of myself when i started couch to 5k and am now well on my way to 10k.

try to breathe by sucking your tummy in and out and not heaving from your shoulders, make sure your posture is right- bending over from tiredness is tempting but will restrict your breathing.

personally i breathe in for around three strides and then out again for the same, and distracting yourself with music or someone to talk to while you go helps take your mind off it a bit.

Well done for starting, it's frustrating to begin with but when you start doing the longer runs it is really satisfying!

If you're doing the NHS podcasts Laura gives breathing tips quite early on w2 or 3? I cannot follow it though. From experience it's been improving my fitness that helps but almost every activity relies on technique so hopefully someone will be along to help. What are you finding difficult? Is your breathing fairly regular? Are you getting that lung burning feeling or is it more raggedy breathing that's causing problems?

I used to struggle with breathing to and found music made it worse! I try to breath in for 2 steps, then put for 3; apparently you are more likely to get a stitch if you always breath in on one particular foot if that makes sense! If I speed up I breathe in and out for 2 steps. I listen to podcasts to distract from thinking too much about what I'm doing.
Well done for starting and good luck!

also, don't be tempted to sprint for your runs, take it easy and keep your pace comfortable, it will pay off when your runs get longer.

Yes good advice Wullie. I kind of do that naturally from playing large brass instruments. And also well done. I'm maintaining at w9 currently. It's really worth it!!

thanks for all the instant help!

Will try and breathe more rthmically is that makes sense. it's more a having a very quick breathing that as the breaks happen I am not fully recovered before the next run. I am running with a friend who is about the same level as me. so I amn't listening to music but have the prompts being said out loud from her phone. I think we will try it with music. She is away on hols soon so I will have two weeks on my own.

thanks again...

Couch to 5K is great. I did it last year and now run 5k 2/3 times a week no probs :)

If you find you're getting out of breath, shorten your stride length on your runs. You should still do the same number of steps per second (approx 3) but they should be shorter steps IYSWIM. So your overall speed is slower but your pace rate remains the same (I think of is as like changing down a gear in the car, you keep the revs the same but actually move slower).

I tend to breathe in on the same foot each time (like emummy says) but if I feel a stitch coming on I alter my breathing to the other foot, which works.