Hills for breakfast, hold the gnats

I love Costco and I love running but I never saw how the two could fit together, but now I see. It all makes sense now. I'm going to Costco this weekend to look for that vest!

I try to breathe in a 3/2 rhythm when I'm going slow and in 2/1 when I'm going fast. I read somewhere to do that. Something about the footstripe on the exhale being harder, or something like that, so they said you should do an odd number so that you're alternating what foot is going down on the initial exhale. Just my two cents for whatever it's worth.

Great run this morning. That marathon is getting close.

Wow, maybe I'm abnormal. I only go into 2-2 breathing when I'm at Tempo speed or late in a long MP run. Everything else I try to keep 3-3 and 4-4 if I'm doing a recovery run.

Maybe the difference is in leg turnover/# of steps per minute. Mine is pretty consistently 175-185 and I'd suspect breathing rates are dependent.

If I get to where 2-2 isn't enough and I have to move to a 2-1 or 1-1 rhythm, I'm about cooked.....my breathing is way too shallow and I don't get enough O2 in that way.

There's a good article on "Peaking" in the latest Running Times by Greg McMillan. Instead of a 3 week taper, he practices 2 week "peaks" that does have some reduced mileage but slightly *increased* intensity "to keep the pumps primed". Looked like your run yesterday was telling you you were ready for some "peaking" with hitting those faster-than-tempo times without trying....

Positive thoughts from here on in to Portland!

Looks like the taper is treating you well thus far. I'm not much of a social runner myself, but I always enjoy a brief encounter with fellow runners on the road from time to time.

The weather here is about 85 degrees in the afternoon, too hot for running. But the mornings are 50-55 degrees, so it's been nice.

Am I supposed to breath while running? Huh...

Carolyn - I read in Thomas Miller's "Programmed to Run" that after the you've run long enough to switch to mostly fat burning, that kind of metabolism requires more oxygen but gives off less CO2 "so that your respiratory center is not signaled to increase your breathing." He also says that vigorous expulsion of CO2 makes oxygen absorption more efficient. On his advice I sometimes use 3 out / 2 in. But 2/2 always feels so much more comfortable. I think it might be my own little o.c.d. complex, even numbers you know. ;)

Dale - 4/4?!?! Really? Geez, you must have VO2 up to your ears! But I do think your cadence is nice and high too and that might help. And yes! I just saw that McMillan column. It makes me feel much better about the run I'm planning for Sunday: 11-12 miles with 5-6 at MP. Part of my brain keeps saying "you could do no running the next 9 days and be fine" and another part thinks the sky is falling. But you all know by now I'm a bit of a head case. hehe

JD - you crack me up, again. Stay cool.

So one book I read said 3 in / 2 out and another book said 3 out / 2 in. I normally do 3 in / 2 out, but sometimes switch to 3 out / 2 in, usually when I'm going up hill.

But I guess your original point is that you were coordinating your breathing with your foot cadence in order to regulate your speed. Regardless of the breathing pattern, that point still holds.

4/4 is *really* slow and I don't do it much anymore. Usually it's 3-3 for most easy stuff and even at the start of tempos and longer races. 2-2 is just too tiring in the long run for me.

Belly breathing does help. It took some practice and still requires some concentration, but it's must more efficient at moving air through your lungs and into your bloodstream than shallow chest breathing. Plus, it helps develop diaphragm muscle (core) strength.

I think the whole 3/2 - 2/3 argument is because you tend to land "harder" on one particular side....I believe it since I tend to get side stitches when working hard in a 2-2 rhythm, but to remedy I take one extra inhale or exhale and basically switch sides. So if the inhales/exhales start on the left foot and my left side starts hurting, I'll add an extra to get the breaths starting on the right foot, which tends to fix things for me.

But, since we're all an experiment of one, I'm sure different things work for different people. I think the most important thing is not to overthink things and go with what works and keeps you relaxed.

Dale, the left/right foot thing makes a lot of sense. Regarding belly breathing, I have found that to be very helpful as well. But sometimes when I try to combine it with other advice I just don't get it: chest high, belly breath, pelvis tucked... they don't work together. It's practically comical. I guess that's another topic altogether.

Hmmm...I've never counted my breaths or anything before. Today I even ran without music, just because, and my brain just wandered all over the place. Maybe tomorrow I'll see what my breath count is and if I'm really adventurous I'll count my foot strikes too ;).