Heart Rate, Breathing too Quick, and Running Nose!

[LostInTheSystem101]

Hello!

I used to run quite a bit. I'm not a natural by any means, and I started late in life (mid-30s). I'm now 40. In the last 5 years I've joined Park Run and completed a Half Marathon (go me!).

Anyway, I've not run in a while, mostly because I got so fed up with the following:

• My heart rate: it goes way up, I mean over 220bpm, within a few minutes of starting. If I keep going and pace it out, it usually settles a bit, but I have to try and not keel over for a good 30 minutes until it sort of settles. Resting heartrate is around 80. GP unconcerned.
• Related to the above, my breathing becomes deep and quick. I try and pace - three steps each breath in, three for each breath out. Sometimes that drops to two, and often I have to do a stint at one! I breathe so deeply that it burns the back of my throat if the air is even slightly chilly. It's like I almost hyperventilate.
• My nose runs. And runs and runs - more than I do! It happens with any and all exercise, I can't even walk anywhere without a tissue.

Has anybody had the same/similar, and/or have any advice?

I don't run fast, I'm not looking to set any records (FWIW my half took 3 hrs 10mins, so certainly not lightning, and my average Park Run is 34 minutes).

Thank you!

Nose - I am just the same! No idea why [helpful].

Otherwise, I would slow down, take your time, learn to run more slowly and comfortably with steady, even breathing and an elevated but lower HR. Then you can build up from there, and practice sprints etc separately as well? [NB I am older - 58 - and a much slower runner than you but enjoy it and feel fine - works for me as my main thing is strength training].

My nose runs every time!
Learn to snot rocket and wipe on a sweatband or your gloves

Breathing should improve as you get fitter

HR - maybe take more time warming up? On a club night we take 15-20 mins to warm up before the effort section - you don't want to "jump start" into exercise

Thank you both! I'm pleased I'm not the only one with the forever running nose! Not sure I can bring myself to snot rocket yet, but better than carrying three packs of tissues each time!

Great advice re running more slowly/steadily - I think I'm too keen to go too quickly, and then I just ruin it! And yes, I don't warm up, ever.. I will have to look up some training videos and take some guidance, seems I am my own worst enemy!

Re: heart rate, could there be a chance that you aren't tracking it correctly? A lot of wrist trackers like watches don't track HR data accurately, so I wouldn't rely on those numbers. Maybe get a HR chest monitor or a Coros HR arm band? Those numbers might give you a clearer idea if you're doing HR training.

Oooh another thought - are you definitely not anaemic? When I started running I found it so hard with high HR, discovered 6 months later I was pretty anaemic (probably for years, heavy periods, crept up on me), once that was sorted down came my HR and effort.

Thanks @ploshbug I did have a PT for a while who monitored my heartrate. We stopped doing cardio when it just kept shooting up!

@MsMartini actually yes, I do have anaemia, I've had several iron infusions and take a supplement, plus vit d, it's related to IBD, so doesn't seem to improve hugely.. Perhaps that is making it harder - amazing thought, thank you!

My nose runs a lot when I go on long walks if it's cold, I googled it because I thought I had some allergy but it seems it's quite common, I have to carry a tissue, it's very annoying. I don't run but I imagine that would be the same

I'm a dribbly-nosed runner too. Some water snort to wash it down helps when I'm not in a sufficiently obscure place to snot-rocket.

If I'm in need of a good warm-up from home, I use a 10min aerobics video like Get Fit with Rick to fire everything up.

A Jeffing "run-walk-run" strategy might work well for you. The intervals are short and frequent and stop heart rate escalating so much, and conserves your energy for longer.

Anaemia will make it harder. I remember a friend's performance really struggling when she had a bad episode with really low levels. You're probably in an awkward cycle where your body isn't in the optimal state for cardiovascular gains (zone 2 training) but they would make your body more efficient. Keeping moving healthily for your body is the best you can do for it.

Anaemia is a likely culprit. My performance totally falls apart when my iron dips.

I'm also a dribbly-nosed runner. I always wear a buff, round my neck or on my wrist. Much better than tissues which get damp and fall apart.

Anaemia would really make sense as it reduces your blood's ability to carry oxygen to your muscles so no wonder you are feeling that you need to breathe more deeply and pump blood faster to your muscles and deal with the products of anaerobic exercise form not getting enough. Can you get more help to sort your iron levels out? Be aware also that running can worsen iron levels (see article below)- for most runners this is offset by the other benefits but if you already have issues with anaemia this may be more problematic. runtothefinish.com/iron-deficiency-runners/

I agree with anaemia - my max heart rate used to absolutely rocket when I was low ferritin and I wasn't even below the baseline. My resting heart rate is very low (40bpm) but within 1/4 mile it would be pushing 200 and stay there the entire run

Ah @LostInTheSystem101 that makes sense perhaps then. FWIW, my steady state running was much worse affected than my weightlifting or circuit/interval style training - or at least neither of those showed much improvement once anaemia resolved! And I did read that steady state was the hardest if you are anaemic but never checked that out properly.

Perhaps check with your GP as you don't want to make it worse?

And depending what they say you could maybe try run/walk or something else that has intervals and rests (boxing, bootcamp, circuits)? Or try niko niko running, or brisk walking in trainers and gym kit and see how that feels? It depends what health benefits you are looking for though.

Thank you all for your super replies. I'm thinking perhaps running isn't for me, after all!

I have very low iron stores, which seem almost impossible to resolve. My biggest concern is cardio health - I have a lot of heart disease in my family. I also used to smoke, so much, but I quit 11 years ago. My hormones are also shot and I'm gaining weight, and I think that's making me feel rubbish, too. My motivation is quite low to get out, so when the sun is shining I try and make to most of it and go for a run - perhaps brisk walking is what I should focus on, and then maybe I'll rejoin a gym and get back into weights and resistance - I used to enjoy that!

I suffer from crippling fatigue as a result of the iron and vit d levels, so by the time the day is done, I'm ready for bed, and when I tried exercising in the morning, I was damn-near horizontal by 10am!

Thanks all so much for your input and information. I never would have considered the iron levels as a culprit, and I'm pleased I'm not alone with the runny nose!

Regular bursts of quick walking are one of the best effort: result forms of exercise you can do. It doesn't have to be epic hikes to do you good.