Hi! I am new here. Just weighed myself yesterday much to my own horror. About started to cry. Took all I had not to eat some ice cream after that horrow show. Anyway, I had my husband take some before pics of me too. I just started my running yesterday. I did a walk run introduction that I found with 90 seconds of walking and 60 seconds of jogging after a 5 minute warmup. I got through it...barely. I have terrible allergies which cause a lot of post nasal drip etc. So after my brief running spurts I could hardly breath. Almost felt like I was having an asthma attack even though I don't have asthma. I went home and made a healthy dinner of brown rice and baked chicken and while that was cooking I did almost half of the Billy Blanks ab boot camp work out (I only stopped because my father in law came over) so I was pretty proud of myself. Any advice for this beginning runner? How long did it take before you were not short of breath?
Thanks!
Hi there! Yay for running! I just started myself last November (and I LOVE it) so I remember very well being where you are. I also have allergies and dealt with quite the amount of post-nasal drip, etc. I found that the more water I drank, the thinner my mucus was (tmi?) so be sure to drink lots of water. Also, the longer I ran (over the span of time, not individual runs) the less it affected me. While it would be nice to say it just went away I want to guess that it was about three weeks until I saw a significant improvement in my breathing. The cool part is though, that you'll just continue to see improvement in your breathing. Have fun!
If you stick with it, I think you'll be amazed at how quickly your body adapts to running. The only advice I would offer is to slow down your running pace if you feel like you're too out of breath. If you have the money to invest in a heart rate monitor, that can be a really helpful tool to be sure you aren't pushing into the anaerobic zone, but it's not necessary - just keep an eye on how you're feeling and how your body is responding. If you feel like your heart is racing or you feel lightheaded or dizzy, try backing off your pace - even jogging at 4 mph is still running and it's okay to be slow in the beginning
Don't be afraid to start really, really small. Do a level of exercise that you don't dread, and then kick it up a tiny little notch each week. How much you are exercising in June is much more important than how much you are exercising this week.
If you push yourself to the limits of your endurance, there will be a day you skip--a day when your endurance is used up by something else in life. And once you've skipped one plan day, you'll know it's an option for the future and you'll have to fight temptation to skip every time. Eventually it will all fall apart.
Start at a level that feels good but not epic, and you can sustain that through stress, through illness, through anything. Increase by intervals but keep it at that level of challenge.
I'm a beginning runner (again) & one piece of advice I heard sticks with me.
Your lungs improve faster than your legs. So it's your legs, you should take care of. Injuries are common in beginning runners who take on too much, too soon. If you can talk while you are running (or at least grunt), your probably not overdoing it.
I had my first run today and my lungs hurt badly, but I know that will pass. Try to keep your heart rate at an aerobic, but not crazy fast range. (Heart rate calculators are online and can give you a guide.)
I am grateful that my lungs are hurting in a good way, considering I quit smoking for the hundredth time 2 weeks ago. My heart rate was much higher than I expected (over 150 bpm), but I think that will improve.
Several years back, I was seriously into running and had decent times in races. Now that I'm 40, I'm going by the motto slow and steady wins the race. Glad to know I have an online running partner.
If you're new to running, I'd start out doing 30 seconds of jogging to 90 seconds of walking. Then try 30 seconds of jogging to 60 seconds of running. Even if you don't technically have asthma, if you have bad allergies your lungs will be inflamed to some extent even before you've started running. You need to give yourself time to adapt.
Also, for the first few weeks, make your warm up walk 10 minutes. Your bones, tendons, and ligaments adapt far more slowly than your muscles, lungs, and heart. There is nothing more infuriating than starting a new exercise program, getting excited, and then getting an injury that bars you from exercise for several weeks.
If you do a workout you feel wasn't challenging enough, you can always fix it the next time. If you push yourself too fast and get an injury, it will take a lot longer to get back on track.
Your lungs improve faster than your legs. So it's your legs, you should take care of. Injuries are common in beginning runners who take on too much, too soon.
1) I find that a slow steady jog is best at first. If you are running or even jogging, the first 10 min is the hardest, then it starts to get easier, your body falls into a pattern of breathing and you get into the zone. If you can stick it out as best you can for the first 10 minutes, it will get easier after that 10 minutes.
Personally (and this is only MY opinion) I think this is better than the run/walk idea (at first) because within that 90 seconds of running you are pushing yourself just for 90 seconds and your body doesn't have a chance to get into that rhythm it needs to.
2) Alternate your days of running. Don't run every single day, let a day go in between to prevent injury and shin splints.
3) Make sure your body is in PERFECT form when you are running. There is lots of how-to info on Google. Just do a little search.
Thanks for all the advice. I will just stick with it. As much as I wanted to run on Tuesday I just did a nice fast walk and then yesterday I had headache's all day so I didn't run but I did get out and walk for a bit. I am definitely going to get the heart rate monitor. Hopefully I will be breathing better soon when I run. I just need all the motivation I can get somedays.
Beginner Runner
Have fun! 
