I’m 57 and after not running/biking for the last 5 years, I started training again in December for a tri this June. I live at 3000’ and have had real trouble establishing my breathing while running. No matter how slow I run, my breathing is labored. My work takes me to the coast and when I run there, my breathing is fine. My last run at the coast was 4 miles in 32:20.
On my run this morning (at 3000’), it started out as usual, running at about a 9:30mm pace, my breathing was somewhat labored. THEN, after about 1 mile, my lung felt really clogged…I took a real deep breath and exhaled hard…WOW, my lung felt totally clear and I could breath normally. I began picking up the pace and ran the last 2 miles in 15:50. I was even able to kick the last 1/4 mile. I felt GREAT!! Best run I have had so far!!!
So…what the heck happened???
This sounds mechanical to me. Your deep breath probably mechanically inflated your lungs more and allowed oxygenation of some previously obstructed alveoli.
Pretty weird! But you might try belly breathing as it forces you to take in deeper breaths. I try to practice it during longer runs and I think it actually helps take in more air (or at the very least the psychological effect makes me think so), but it seems hard to maintain under high effort.
JJ
I agree that it sounds mechanical (and not altitude induced…3000’ should affect you very, very little if you live there). Did you recently have bronchitis or any other type of respiratory infection? Sounds like you may have had one and basically blew it out midway through that run. If you had a mild case of bronchitis, you may have been able to deal with it alright at sea level but the brochitis+altitude combo had you feeling crummy.
I haven’t been sick in years, not even a cold. My wife also says that she can tell a difference in the altitude when she runs…keep in mind that we are not in great shape as we both layed-off for 4 years. It was a strange, but good feeling. It felt as though my lungs just opened up and started delivering more O to my muscles.
Thanks for the responses
I have no business guessing about training-related physiology (having only done a few sprints) but I have another possible cause: hay fever. While it normally causes sniffles and itching, in my case the only symptom for years was lung stuff. Coughing in my twenties then in my early thirties the coughing left but my lung capacity just seemed about 2/3 of normal with no other symptoms. Now, in my mid-thirties I get runny noses, some sneezes, but also the lung capacity thing. Claratin takes care of it when taken regularly (after about a week). So a change in location, such as your travels, would likely make my symptoms disappear also. I live in higher altitude also (a mile up in Albuquerque). I really notice it on runs but also swims and a bit on bike.