How To Breathe When Running

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When we look at the question how to breathe when running, we need to consider the role of the air that we breathe in and what its main purpose is.

One of the main purposes of breathing is to supply the working muscles with freshly oxygenated blood to allow the muscles to contract continuously.

The extent to which this happens will vary depending on the intensity of the exercise that is being participated in. Situations such as running in low temperatures and running very fast will have a bearing on the way you need to breathe.

One thing you must concentrate on doing is to breathe as deeply as possible because this fills the lungs as fully as possible. Think about breathing down to the depths of your belly so that you can feel your tummy rise and fall with each breath, not only your chest.

The most effective way of breathing when running is to use your mouth and nose at the same time as this helps you to take in the largest amount of oxygen and expel the greatest amount of carbon dioxide.

However this isn’t always practical as the nose can be blocked due to allergies or simply a head cold, so you might have no option but to breathe only through the mouth.

You should aim to get in to a rhythm with your breathing as this ensures that you’ll take in as much air as possible consistently. This helps to avoid panting or taking shallow breaths, neither of which are efficient ways of supplying oxygen to the muscles and organs of the body.

Adopting a slow pattern of breathing also helps to keep the heart rate as low as possible.

When you’re running a steady session, a good breathing test is that you should still be able to hold a conversation comfortably. Obviously for more intense training such as interval training or sprinting, there will be times when you simply can’t breathe this way and you’ll find that you tend to pant in an attempt to get in more oxygen. This is normal, just try to slow down your breathing rate as soon as you can.

At times when you feel yourself getting breathless, it can help to focus on breathing in deeply through the nose. This is quite the opposite of the normal way of breathing when running, but the purpose here is to slow down the breathing rate and take in deeper breaths.

Another time that you should breathe in through the nose is during cold weather. The reason for this is that the nose filters and warms the air more efficiently than simply breathing in straight through the mouth.

Knowing how to breathe when running is a big benefit, but it won’t ruin your attempts to run if you don’t get it exactly right straight away. As you progress and run further and faster then you will see a big difference in your performance. But as a beginner just understand what you’re trying to do and why and start slowing your breathing rate down as much as possible and take in as much air in as you can with each breath.

Here’s a summary of exactly how to breathe when running:

*   Take deep belly breaths
*   Breathe in through your nose and mouth
*   Breathe out through your mouth
*   Focus on creating a breathing pattern
*   Slow down your breathing rate as much as possible

Proper breathing is very crucial to long distance running. Knowing the right breathing techniques will help you greatly in reducing shortness of breath when running and to cover greater distances without tiring quickly and easily. If you would like to know more of specific breathing techniques that you can use and integrate to your running training plan, visit our post “[intlink id="60" type="post"]Breathing Techniques in Running[/intlink].”

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It’s a proven and effective way to skyrocket fitness levels way beyond where they’re at right now and a great read for any running beginners because you’ll learn tons of runners ‘secrets’ not only how to breathe when running but also many more time saving and fitness boosting tips, so you learn at the same time as getting fitter.

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Garmin Forerunner 610 – The Best Garmin Watch for Running

What’s New with Garmin Forerunner 610?

The Garmin Forerunner 610 is the first touch screen running watch of Garmin. Incorporating all the best features of previous forerunners with additional new features, Garmin 610 is the most advanced running watch ever produced by Garmin. Runners will surely love this small piece of technology. Not only that it boasts with its outstanding features, the watch’s user interface has also been improved. Likewise, the addition of the new Training Effect Technology makes it a robust training device.

Perhaps the instant wow component of Garmin 610 is its touch screen feature. The interface is so user-friendly that all you have to do is to drag your finger across the watch’s surface to pick and scroll through the menus and then just tap to make a selection. However, unlike the touchscreen mobile phones, Garmin 610 responds to to pressure instead of touch. And although it is a little wider than previous forerunners, it is not as wide as the stopwatches but the screen is wide enough to provide a good screen display.

Since Garmin is the first to put GPS on runners’ wrists, Garmin Forerunner 610 provides you with the same GPS capabilities. With a touch, tap or swipe, the Garmin Forerunner 610 GPS Running Watch lets you get on with your run while it tracks all the details.

Here are a quick rundown of the features of Garmin Forerunner 610

A Touch Faster – Forerunner 610 gives you several ways to get in touch with your training data. The swipe and scroll action makes it easy to adjust settings, review your run history and more. A quick tap of the screen is all it takes to advance to the next training page so you can see more data.

The 610’s sleek touch screen is as rugged as it is functional, proving it’s more than just a pretty face. The 610 can stand up to rain, sweat and splashes, yet it’s sensitive enough that you can operate it with running gloves.

Leader of the Pack – Behind that smooth glass surface is a watch that’s ready to work as hard as you are. The 610 provides accurate distance, pace, GPS position, heart rate (included in some models), calories and more. It can even guide you back to the starting point of your run, giving you the freedom to explore new routes and always find your way back.

Advanced Features – Training tools like the new Virtual Racer™ can turn any workout into a virtual matchup. This feature lets you race your previous bests or challenge any activities uploaded to the Garmin Connect™ site. Virtual Racer accounts for varying speeds and real-time conditions, so it’s truly you vs. your opponent. Or, use the Virtual Partner® function and see how you measure up to a static pace you set. Forerunner 610 also offers vibration alerts, which you can customize for time, distance, calories, heart rate or cadence. So, when you reach your targets, you’ll feel a gentle vibration.

Training Effect – It’s time for a sport watch that can help you train smarter, not harder and the 610 can do just that. It’s Garmin’s first sport watch with the Training Effect capability from Firstbeat. Training Effect measures the impact of an activity on your aerobic fitness, which essentially helps you train more efficiently. Your Training Effect is calculated based on your user profile, your heart rate and the difficulty of the activity. The 610 also offers customizable heart rate zones, alerts and heart-rate based calorie computations.

Store, Analyze and Share – When your workout’s done, Forerunner 610 keeps working. It wirelessly uploads your run data to the Garmin Connect™ site when in range of your computer so you can go back and review your run on your own time. It works via ANT+™ wireless technology and the USB stick that comes with your watch. No wires, no manual uploads, no sweat. At Garmin Connect, you can see your activity on a map, view lap splits and explore activities from other users. Garmin Connect is Mac® and PC compatible.

Monitor Your Health – You also can track weight, body fat, body water and six other measurements when using the Forerunner 610 with the Tanita BC-1000 body composition scale. The readings are stored on Forerunner 610, and then automatically sent to Garmin Connect when in range of your computer.

What’s in the Box?

Garmin Forerunner 610

Premium heart rate monitor

AC charger

Charging cradle

USB ANT stick

Quick start manual

Owner’s manual on disk

HOT DEAL!!! GARMIN FORERUNNER 610 FREESHIPPING.

See Garmin Forerunner 610 in Action

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Running Pace Training Tips

Maintaining a running pace is among the most significant factors to improve running. However, most runners have difficulties identifying and maintaining their pace. Running tempo is merely the average speed rate that you run over an established distance. Let us check out a few techniques in order to achieve a steady pace run.

1. Running Pace Training

It is essential that you are consistent with your training. As newbie runner, it is very significant that you load in the distance for running so that your body will be able adjust to a longer and quicker runs. The important thing here is to identify where to start your distance running regimen and to determine the limitations of your body. Many experts advocate the “10 percent rule” when training for running. The rule states that runners should add around 10 percent more mileage each week of training. This figure is based on intensive research that found out that it is the optimal increase for a steady, effective and safe week-by-week progress. Moreover, abiding by this rule is also a great way to minimize the risk of injury due to over-exertion. Training regularly will help you identify the best running pace for you.

2. Understand Your Distance

It is important that you plan where you will run and plot the distance before running. The critical element here is for you to know and record the exact distance of your track in order to precisely determine your speed pace. Once you know your speed pace, you can now set new running speed goal or a running distance goal.

3. Set Your Plan Ahead

Perhaps one of the best practices a runner should maintain is making a training and racing plan ahead. Consider all the important factors when setting your plan like distance and time goal, where you will run, what kind of running training methods you will employ and the running shoes and apparels you will use.When you set your running training plan ahead and follow the guidelines set for your training, you’ll be able to accomplish the goals you’ve set for yourself.

4. Measure, Measure, Measure

There’s an anecdote that goes “You can not improve on what you don’t measure.” Considering the fact that you know your own running pace, you will able to break down longer distance very easily. For example you are to run 10K and your goal is to finish it below 1 hour, then knowing and measuring your current pace is so important to adjust your speed to achieve your goal. The same goes if you didn’t achieve your running speed goal, you know how much you need to improve on and what training you still needed.

So, keep in mind that understanding how you can run on a pace you are comfortable with takes some time, constant tracking, planning and some patience too. Achieving the right running pace will take some time and determination. Once your body get used to the demand of running, you’ll be surprised to find yourself running longer, farther, faster and stronger.

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How to Choose Your Basic Running Gear

Here is a checklist on how to choose your basic running gear and not need to buy in order to run very comfortably. For those who might be thinking about how costly running can be, forget it! The truth is, one of the greatest things about running is how very few gear you need to buy. However, be careful when buying your running clothes because your running gear will spell the difference between a truly enjoyable run and a miserable one.

Choose the Right Kind of Shoes

First, you will need to buy a good pair of shoes. They need not be expensive for as long as they give your feet and legs the comfort they need. The shoes do not have to be so nicely-decorated with lights, or whistles, or even bells…What a runner will need is a decent pair of shoes to sustain him through long and totally tedious runs.

Never decide to go for tennis shoes or the old pair of sneakers you had a few years ago. They just won’t do. What you need to run effectively are fresh and well-supported shoes that have the perfect fit and that match your type of feet and way of walking. This is very important because as a beginner in running, your feet will have to get all he protection they need while you run. Believe me, I had to have a two months injury break because of shin splints!

Choose Comfortable Running Gear

The key in running is being comfortable. You should not only be comfortable with how you keep your pacing while running, but most importantly with how you are dressed. Most of the time, excited beginner runners tend to overdress themselves that their running gear become uncomfortable for them. And of course, this will lead to running unsuccessfully and not finishing at your target time.

Steer Clear From Cotton Tee-Shirts

So choose comfortable clothes for running. Steer clear of cotton shirts since they are absorbent and therefore easily soak up all perspiration, retaining all the sweat and moisture in the shirt, and worse, the body smell as well. If you noticed, cotton Tee-shirts are unevenly stitched and this is believed to cause chafing or even some bleeding in severe cases. So instead of using cotton shirts for running, it might be best if you go for running clothes manufactured with materials that have the ability to wick sweat away from the runner’s skin.

Choose the Right Running Clothes for the Season

The runner’s decision of what to wear will always indicate the outcome of his run for that particular day. That is why it is very important to check the weather conditions for the day before deciding what to wear before running. Bear in mind that you will never need to stop just because it is winter or because it is raining hard, or whatever. You can always enjoy running even at winter by simply layering your clothes. All you need to do is find the right mix of clothing for the appropriate season.

For example if it is going to be a hot day, decide on wearing clothes with lesser layers. Otherwise, if you put on so many layers, you will feel warmer or hotter. Bear in mind not to use the cotton fabric as they will make the runner extremely hot causing her to sweat excessively. Truly, the running gear you wear will have a great impact on the way you run, not to mention your attitude in running.

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Runner’s Diet and Nutrition

Unlike other sports people, distance runners need carbohydrates for their nutritional needs in the endurance sport of distance running. While other sports like, say weightlifting that rely mostly on proteins, runners depend heavily on carbohydrates.

The main reason, of course, is that different sports have different goals. Weightlifting, for instance, puts a heavy premium on proteins because proteins help build muscles and bulk up a person’s body better and faster than other food. Distance running needs food that builds stamina and strength.

Carbohydrates

One of the most studied topics is the role of carbohydrates in sports performance. Most practicing sportsmen now know that carbohydrates are best for strength and endurance. Scientists are now also taking a look on the link between low carbohydrates intake and exercise-induced free radicals that leads to impaired muscle function. Every athlete knows that carbohydrates can improve endurance, while the lack of it reduces glucose supply to the muscles which, in turn, leads to fatigue.

Fatigue is normally seen as the loss of the body’s overall force-generating capacity. This may be caused be a lot of reasons, but scientists believe it is the loss of muscular ATP, a high-energy molecule that fuels muscle contraction generated by glucose.

A high-carbohydrates diet while training ensures a good store of muscle glycogen long before competition time. Glycogen, the body’s carbohydrates store, is the fuel for endurance. The carbohydrates could be taken in as fluids (such as juices) or in solid forms (fruits or starches).

However, a long and hard exercise sometimes drains the muscles of stored carbohydrates (glycogen). Eating right away (the best time is within the first hour) food rich in carbohydrates combined with protein is best. The proteins would help in muscle repair broken by the strenuous exercise.

Commercial energy bars both have carbohydrates and proteins but they are expensive and mostly tasteless. A peanut butter sandwich is okay, washed down with some sports drink. Best, of course, would be some cereal with nuts and dried fruits in them.

Fluids

No other factor is more important in the success of a distance runner than maintaining enough fluids in his body. Running, in training or in competition, produces body heat more than in normal circumstances. This heat is then released through sweat, which in turn, depletes the body’s fluids. When the body is dehydrated, general fatigue sets it. To maintain the body’s water status, runners should develop the habit of regular and fixed fluid consumption (every 10 to 15 minutes) during practice runs, whether thirsty or not. The amount is around one-half to one liter of fluid per hour on mild conditions. (The amount should be more, of course, if conditions are more severe.) In hot and humid conditions, a combination of water and sports drinks (to provide carbohydrates and electrolytes like sodium) is best.

Fibers

During scheduled runs (practice or competition), many runners suffer from bowel problems. One way to avoid this is to stay away from food high in fiber content as well as those rich in fat. You can also buy commercial liquid meals formulated for athletes and convalescents. Make sure they have high carbohydrate content. You may also make your own formula using skimmed milk powder, fruits, and regular milk.

Caffeine

It is not very clear how caffeine appears to enhance endurance performances in athletes. It could be that it is a central nervous system stimulant. It stimulates the release of adrenaline that increases heart rate and blood pressure, blood flow to muscles and the release of glucose by the liver. Caffeine is found in coffee, tea, and chocolates (cocoa). It is also added to cola drinks and other beverages. Normally, caffeine is a natural diuretic (with a 31% hike in urine production.) During competition, however, it loses its diuretic effect but may improve your capacity to have that extra kick at the end of the race. All in all, the two things distance runners have to remember about nutrition is carbohydrates and fluids. These are the top two important nutrition needs for the sports.

Running Marathon World is a resource center for runners providing running tips for beginners, basic running training guides and program. It aims to provide information and form a community of runners around the globe.

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Breathing Techniques In Running

Learning some breathing techniques in running should be an integral part of your running training program. One of the more important aspects of running is the proper way of breathing. Running is not just about the legs and thighs and feet. It is also about the lungs and how to bring greater amounts of oxygen into the system efficiently.

Unnoticed by many, even by the athletes themselves sometimes, the nature of your breathing during your running affects your performance. Those runners who can correctly deliver oxygen into their system are stronger than their counterparts who struggle when they are running because they do not know the technique.

Breathing Techniques in Running

Swimmer’s Breathing

One training technique is to breathe slightly slower than your body requires when you are not running. This starves your system for oxygen and forces the heart to beat faster.

After a time, the body learns to compensate for the lack of oxygen so that when this technique is not in use, your body is already more efficient in processing your breathed air. This is demonstrated in swimming.

Swimmers do alternate breathing which is breathing every third stroke. This enables them to breathe on alternate sides without taking a breath with every stroke.

At the start, their body demands more oxygen, but will learn to adjust to the decrease in oxygen. In time, the body becomes more efficient in processing the limited air. Runners who swim often have excellent breathing efficiency.

Breathing Rhythms

Breathing rhythms is also one of the best breathing techniques in running. Sometimes, in long races (or even those short races) a runner may lose focus and is thrown out of his breathing rhythm. It could be caused by the simple forgetting to concentrate on the breathing or its pattern.

One way to avoid this is for the runner to time his breathing in rhythm with his steps. This is like the style of the swimmers who breathe at every third stroke.

Runners who get to this state can keep running like a clock, with consistent pace and a great deal of efficiency. This concentration on breathing can also take his mind away from pain or soreness that may have developed at this stage and can cause him to quit the race.

Deep Breathing or Diaphragmatic Breathing

One of the breathing techniques in running that can be used when running is diaphragmatic breathing or deep breathing. It has several benefits when correctly done and practiced.

It helps the runner to stay relaxed, which in turn, helps to decrease fatigue. The ability to relax decreases the chances of performance decline.

Runners who forgot to relax find themselves making inadvertent changes in form until they feel the resulting pain. Examples include clinching of fists too tightly and running with the shoulders too high to be effective. This type of poor form often results in muscle fatigue and soreness.

Deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing helps promote relaxation while running. This is done by taking a larger-than-normal breath and exhaling all the way out.

During the exhale part, you should concentrate on releasing all the tension in your arms by shaking them, opening up your hands and moving your head in circles.

This combination of activities will give you an easy way to remain relaxed during the run and does not even need to break stride to do all of them. This is true to all the other breathing techniques in running – no requirement of great efforts but just as effective.

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