Just Breathe

Breathing. One of the most challenging things to get comfortable with when starting out in running.

One would expect this to come naturally but it's really something that takes patience and perseverance to get right. Some things to help include dropping back the pace, adopting run/walk intervals while building fitness, and did I mention patience?

When I was in primary (elementary) school, I qualified for the 'all schools' athletics carnival for the 200-metre sprint. Leading up to the event, we had coaching after school led by volunteer senior high students. I remember being put through high knee and butt-kick drills, and most vividly, I remember my senior telling me how to breathe when running. It was something I had never thought of before - we just breathe, right?

The girl told me that I absolutely had to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. We had to practice it in training. It was so hard, I felt like I wasn't getting enough oxygen. And I spent more time worrying about my breathing than I did on trying to run faster. But this girl was a senior, and she had an air of authority about her, so I knew I had to just keep practicing and working hard and eventually I would get it.

I never did get it, and in high school I actually felt embarassed when I passed anyone coming the other way or when a car would drive by. I would almost hold my breath until they were out of sight so they wouldn't see me struggling. Because obviously everyone else in the world knew how to breathe "properly" when running...

As an adult restarting my running hobby, I decided I would just breathe through my mouth and hope no-one noticed. I'm sure I'm not the only one who has felt like everyone at parkrun is listening to the huffing and puffing, undoubtedly judging on the lack of fitness (side note - absolutely no one is doing this).

Just like when I was a kid, the more focused (ie. worried) I was about my breathing and how I wasn't doing it right, the more I struggled with it.
At some point in that first year, though, I gave up worrying about it and just let my breath do whatever it had to do to get me my next PB. I found a new focus. And that's when everything fell into place! Who would have thought!

I'm sure I was probably breathing super loudly, but so were other people, and I noticed that no one was noticing. Or if they were they certainly didn't make it known. The thing is, everyone was a beginner once and they know what it feels like to start this sport. If anything, they're secretly cheering the newbies on!

Breathing "right" when running takes time to develop so go easy on yourself and let it work itself out, because it will. And when it does you can start working on the next challenge - TALKING while running! 

For the record I still don't breathe in through my nose when running. I'm not sure if other people do but it really doesn't matter. I have found what works for me and that's what's important.