What is wrong with me!?

[Pan Dulce]

The title says it all! I've been running for around 3 months, usually about 3 times a week but it varies due to the kids' schedule. I can only jog for about 45 seconds to a minute before I lose my breath and I have to walk again (usually for 45 seconds to a minute also). And I can only go about a mile before I'm pooped!!

I don't get it! I'm in reasonably good health (5'6" ~135 lbs), I keep reasonably active (jog, bike, run after the kids).. but I can't get past this wall! It's incredibly frustrating, especially because I have a fitness test that I need to pass next month and I need to run 1.5 miles in a certain amount of time.

I get so out of breath and exhausted that I can't go further, usually my chest will get tight so that doesn't help the breathing issue. What am I doing wrong? What is wrong with me!?

[OakLeaf]

Have you been evaluated for exercise-induced asthma?

[Pan Dulce]

That's interesting.. I never thought of it, because I don't cough or wheeze when I run. I get pretty fatigued though. I've been tested for thyroid problems and low iron/anemia (trying to find a reason for the fatigue), no dice. I wonder if I could just go to my regular doctor for that.

It makes me feel so stupid though, like I'm so out of shape. My legs don't get tired or ache or anything, my chest just hurts like heck and I can't breathe, then my whole body gets tired. I feel so out of shape, though it doesn't feel like I should be..

[witeowl]

I suspect that you need to slow down. Concentrate on jogging rather than running. For now.

Other possible tips: Don't pump your arms. Lean forward slightly from your ankles so that you're naturally moving forward rather than having to push yourself forward. Make sure that you're exhaling adequately; get rid of that carbon dioxide building up in your lungs. Consider breathing rhythmically with your steps. (I like to inhale for two steps and exhale for three.) And, again slow down. It seems counterproductive, but it's not.

You're not out of shape, surely, but running takes specific training. (Just like a marathoner can't expect to jump on a bike and do well in a time trial.)

I've also struggled with just being able to breathe while running. It's not my legs or anything else - it's my cardio. Which always felt odd because it's been like this despite fitness in other sports. I'm finally up to about 5k, but it's taken me some work. Do you have a heart rate monitor? I've found that that is a vital tool to making sure that I'm not pushing myself too hard while running.

[Charlieggo]

I have to agree that it sounds like asthma. Both my daughters have dealt with it. Get yourself checked out, they'll probably give you an inhaler to try and see if it helps you out.

[OakLeaf]

True that. My instinct is to immediately think of a health issue. But finding one's breathing rhythm is super important, and it's not always easy with a new sport. For me it's jumping rope. Part of my problem is just uncoordination and tripping over the rope but the other part is that I haven't figured out how to breathe while jumping, and haven't stuck with it enough to figure it out.

Pay attention and try different breathing patterns. For a moderate run, all my life I've done in 3 - out 2, and it was kind of gratifying to read in the Chi Running book that in 3 - out 2 is recommended as a pace that's right on the edge of sustained aerobic effort. For my long runs, it's in 3 - out 3. Hard efforts like hills and the last mile or two of a race, in 2 - out 2.

Steep hills and sprints are where my breathing tends to fall apart (anything less than 2 steps is too short for me to get a full breath), so it's no wonder I'm slow.

[katluvr]

My first thought was also...slow down! Get a pace you can run/jog at for a longer time. I am working w/ a friend new to running. Just lost a lot a weight and has more to go. We are doing a 1/2 marathon in Jan. So she is doing a "couch to 5 k program". So that was a nice introduction to running. Now there is not more walk breaks..it was 28 min of full jog/run today. I did it with her. Pace was very slow...between 14:30 & 15 min mile. But that allowed her to finish teh full 28 minutes without needing to walk or be exhausted.

Now, true if you have a future test w/ a time limit you may need to push up the speed...but try to get the distance SLOWLY first.


Ok, must my opinion...not an expert. But trust me, I am not about speed, but distance and endurance.


(oh and relax....sometimes you have to relax to control your breathing. And is it HOT out...that will add to difficulty catching breath)
K

[OakLeaf]

Also, learning to run slowly is all about form. A lot of people spend a lot of energy bouncing up and down when they run, which translates into severe pounding when they try to slow the pace. That was me three years ago for sure! Maybe experiment some with Chi Running (or Pose Method, which I don't know much about, but as I understand it, also focuses on natural forward motion).

[Pan Dulce]

I actually have slowed my pace way down from where I was 1.5 months ago, I was really pounding the heck outta myself. I'm going at a snails pace jog right now.

I agree that my breathing probably needs help. I'll try the 3 - 2 cadence.

The chest tightening is the part that worried me. Last night it got so bad that it was actually painful, and it aches for a short time afterward. I'm just so baffled..

Last night I ran a 13 min 22 sec mile, which was me jogging - walking at approximately 1 minute intervals. I meant to run 1.5 miles but my chest ached too much.

Thanks for the help everyone. I'll try to fix my breathing issues, and think about going to the doctor about the asthma thing.

(I was actually doing the Couch to 5K program earlier, but I reached a certain point and couldn't move on to the next week - again because of the running out of breath/tightening chest problem.)

[emily_in_nc]

The chest tightening is the part that worried me. Last night it got so bad that it was actually painful, and it aches for a short time afterward. I'm just so baffled..

That is not normal. Not to sound alarmist, but please see your doctor. Chances are it is exercise-induced asthma, but it's important to rule out other things. And if it is EIA, a couple of puffs on a prescription albuterol inhaler before a run will help a lot. You may also need a daily preventative, such as Advair, if your condition is serious enough.

Running is hard for me too, my HR gets high, and I huff and puff, but it should NOT hurt or ache like that!

[Pan Dulce]

Thanks to everyone for their input. Just an update, I borrowed my brother's stray inhaler (no $$ to go to the doctor just this moment) for my run this evening. I took a puff 10 minutes before, and one midway through the run. I also tried to time my breath (this has always been impossible for me in the past, due to my incredible difficulty breathing/chest pain).

Wow!! Is this what it's supposed to feel like!? I don't know if it's the inhaler or the breathing (maybe the former caused the latter?) but I didn't get out of breath AT ALL and my chest didn't hurt a BIT!

Now I feel like I can finally work on my endurance. Before, I'd always hit the wall of my troubled breathing and couldn't break through. But now maybe I can actually be a runner!!

I'm going to see the doctor as soon as I pay off the last bill I owe him, but I think I can be reasonable sure this is exercise induced asthma, right?

[Wahine]

This does sound very much like exercise induced asthma. So yeah, get in to see the doc as soon as you can to get on an appropriate regime to manage it.

Glad you did better on that last run.

[roadie gal]

2+ on the exercise induced asthma, especially if you felt better with the inhaler.

Just thinking some more... do you get short of breath with other cardio exercises, like biking? Do you know what your heart rate is doing? Your doctor may also want to check your heart rate and rhythm.