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Need help for wife. (Read 1127 times)

    Well she did it! Week 5 of C25K two miles straight. The most she has ever run in 45 years. Here's my problem. I am doing everything to encourage her and help her but lack a lot in this area. She is 5'10" long legs and we are running under a 14 mm. The problem is and has been she always feels like she cannot catch her breath. I know she is doing better because she is always going farther every run but I feel like there is something I could be telling her to help her. When I look at her she does not appear to be winded she just can't get a deep breath. This seems to be her biggest focus. If we go slower it would be a walk for her with those looong legs Smile. Is this a hurdle of just more time or is there some coaching she needs? I appreciate any help. I am very proud of her and we will be running our fist 5K in San Antonio March 29th and we are excited about that. Derrick
    If the road less traveled was easy, would it be...?
    Teresadfp


    One day at a time

      Hi, Derrick! Wow, congratulations to your wife!! I was exactly where she was in October 2006. My running partner and I had a hard time catching our breaths, also. The fact that she can already do two miles is significant - she's improving quicker than I did. My two main suggestions: 1. GO SLOWER! I'm sure she probably feels as if she's going incredibly slowly (I did, at least), but DH told me to slow it down, and it was the best advice I got. 2. Be patient. When you start from scratch, it takes a LONG time to build up endurance. Seriously, I was starting to think I would never be able to run more than 20 minutes straight. I kept at it, though, and was eventually (4 months later) able to. Also, she shouldn't feel any pressure to run the entire way during her first 5K. There will be a lot of people walking! In 2007, my first year of entering races, I ran 8 5Ks, and was able to run the whole way in only a couple of them. But now I can run 7 miles (it's a miracle!), so I will have no trouble completing 5ks from now on. As has been mentioned previously, be positive, positive, positive - keep telling her how great she's doing!! NEVER any negative comments. Teresa
      Wingz


      Professional Noob

        Hi, Derrick. I'm only 5'5, but I can assure you that it's possible to "run" at MUCH slower speeds than 14 minute miles. If your wife is following the Couch-to-5K program and feeling like she can't catch her breath, chances are really really good that she's simply running too fast for her body at this time. Not to say she won't be able to run that speed in the future. Just that it's time to slow down for now. Congratulations on getting through the 2 mile point! Keep up the good work. Cool And feel free to join us over at the couch-to-5K support group! Big grin

        Roads were made for journeys...

        spacityrunner


          Congrats to your wife on her running. Does she ever experience this breathlessness when not running? If so, I will suggest that she take her concerns to her doctor. I have the same problem. I am not able to take a deep breath. Sometimes it gets so bad that I start gasping. I am sensitive to environmental pollutants. A snoot full of truck exhaust can cause me all sorts of problems. I have been checked and tested for everything. Nothing appears. I am an ex smoker, and have an aunt that died from lung cancer so I am very sensitive to my breathing issues. I do not let it stop me from running. At the last Dr.'s appointment they gave me an inhaler to use. I was experiencing a longer than usual bout of breathing issues. I used it abut a month (back in August), and have not had issues for some time now. But, it is winter here and the AQI is pretty good. I will have to watch it when the summer arrives and the AQI begins to worsen. It is a scary feeling when you can't get a deep enough breath. Your wife is not alone in this. If this is happening just when running, then I would suggest she drop back to walking until her fitness level is better. Walk some, run some, but keep it slow. If she has this experience at other times (sometimes I would be laying in bed gasping for breath) get thee to a doctors to rule out other issues.

          Trails Rock!


          uncontrollable

            Awesome on her progress & your plans for the 5K. I had a hard time with my breath too - I had never done an endurance sport like this before. I just kept at it - slowing down as needed & making sure to take complete rest days to let my body rebuild. Also, hydration - not necessarily DURING a run of that time/distance - but overall, everyday will help that whole cardio/resp system to functioning at 100%. Lastly, warming up for 10-15 is very essential for me and I been running for 8 years. Once I was out of my precious 20's - I noticed my workouts were 10x better and less stressful if I warmed up. You want to ease the muscles (heart included) into the idea that they will soon be "working out" in a friendly, enticing way. Hope that helps! Kelly Wink

            peace

              You wife should not be out of breath at any point in her run. If she is then she's simply running at too fast a pace. It is definitely possible to slow down regardless of pace, all she needs to do is take shorter steps. Remind her that it's possible to run in place so she can choose any pace she likes from a dead stop to an all out sprint. Also remind her that there is no shame in running slowly or in the need to walk occasionally to keep from getting winded. Her cardiovascular conditioning will improve regardless and the more she exercises the longer and faster she'll be able to run with the same amount of effort. It just takes time. Tom


              A Saucy Wench

                yup yup yup --one of the toughest things as a new runner is to run slow enough that so that the lungs can catch up to what feels like a comfortable pace for the legs. sloooooooowwwwwwww

                I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

                 

                "When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

                  Thanks everyone it sounds like a little slower might help. We will keep ya'll informed of progress. Derrick
                  If the road less traveled was easy, would it be...?
                  ldennis


                    I am 5'10" also, and have been running for only two years (I am 40.) I was frustrated at first for the same reason, and DH decided that 'since I have long legs I should lengthen my stride.' It doesn't work that way. What I had to do was increase my endurance, plain and simple. The only thing that did that was time. Good luck to her!
                      Thank you that is what I have been thinking as well. I have tried to have her increase her stride but that just pushes her lungs a little too much. We will just keep going and working at this. She is going farther everyday so something is improving. Derrick
                      If the road less traveled was easy, would it be...?


                      A is A

                        breathing hard is fine, I think. So long as she can breath strongly enough to do the workout she is probably ok. I know that the recommendation is to run at conversation pace but for beginners this can prove very difficult because we have essentially two gears: slow and walking, not to mention the fact that we haven't developed the ability to control pace precisely enough let alone have much of a spectrum of paces to work with. So long as she can cover the distance and/or program for that session, without too much difficulty and without injury, then I'd say she is doing fine. Shortening stride while increasing cadence, or foot turnover, can help. But the BEST thing is to allow one's body to run as loosely and naturally as possible; it will find its own most comfortable & efficient form. Best wishes.
                          Thank you that is what I have been thinking as well. I have tried to have her increase her stride but that just pushes her lungs a little too much. We will just keep going and working at this. She is going farther everyday so something is improving. Derrick
                          As her strength and endurance improves her stride will naturally lengthen. Trying to artificially increase stride length is counterproductive and a great way to get injured. In fact most new runners already overstride which is why so many have trouble with shin splints. Her stride is good if her stride rate is somewhere around 180 steps per minute and she is planting her feet about even with the front of her body. This will ensure that she is not landing hard on her heels and that she is not slowing her pace by planting her feet too far out in front, which tends to have a braking effect. Just have her slow her pace a bit and continue to build mileage. Life will be good. Tom


                          Ex-Smoker turned Runner!

                            I'm 5'10" also and an ex smoker... when I started running it took me 4 months to really get over my breathing issues. I was diganosed with acute COPD and in the begining I thought it was asthma or the COPD as the reason why I couldn't breath... I felt like I was barely running but I just kept pushing myself to get out there. FINALLY one day I went running (which I believe was the 20 min run on C25K program) and my body just clicked and I could breathe! It was truely an amazing feeling. I still struggle for the first 1/2 mile or so of each run while my body figures out how to breathe, really weird but it happens with every run so I just push through it. I would first try and go slower and if that doesn't work then have her get checked by her doctor. If she has any kind of asthma or allergies then with spring coming it'll only get worst!
                            -Jen
                            2010 Goals! Get back into running after having my son miles miles miles!
                              ...I know she is doing better because she is always going farther every run... ...She is going farther everyday so something is improving...
                              You said this twice now and that caught my eyes. Is she trying to go further every time she gets out? I think C25K is a great program and I'm sure it helped many many many people get their butts out of couch and start doing something. But I put that program to the hand-out for MDRA's beginning running class and something just seemed not right; so I changed a few things and one of them was that it seems, and I apologize if I didn't take a look at it closely enough, the program just calls for the same old workout day after day after day and next thing you know, it's a longer run. Sure, it ONLY calls for 3 days a week of running; but I more or less believe in Hard-Easy principles. If you run, say, 20 minutes one day, I'd go 10 the next; then you'll do 12 or something like that before you go back up to 20 or more. Body improves upon a series of stress and recovery. Body is an amazing thing and it can take a lot of abuse. 5 weeks is still very very early; just be careful and cautious and, if all of a sudden, she hits a flat spot, don't get discouraged. Back off a bit, for a week or two, before get back at it again. Like someone else said, if she's doing the exercise within her comfort zone, she shouldn't be huffing and puffing. However, also as someone else mentioned, don't get mixed up hard breathing from breathlessness.