A few months ago I reviewed the book Running on Air from Budd Coates. Many of you saw an article about it in either Runner’s World or Men’s Health and were curious to know how it worked {read about it’s injury prevention and speed benefits if you missed it}. At the time I had only been able to try it for a few weeks and was already able to see how it might help, but it was HARD.
Hard enough that it would be really easy to stop doing it because it takes a lot of thought and previously my thoughts were reserved either for form or for pondering life. However, I particularly noticed that I helped on long runs to increase my pace…so I kept at it.
What I began to realize was that focusing on the breath also ensured that my posture was taller and my abs were pulled in tight. All of this combined makes for faster running, which is exactly what was happening during my training the last few months. Bummer it didn’t come together in Puerto Rico.
Anyhow, what you want to know is does it work? How hard is it to master? Worth the time?
Yes. Medium. Yes.
Tips:
– When starting out I found that it was easiest to start my run without focusing on the technique. This allowed me to get going at my natural pace and then switch my focusing to counting 3:2 (in for 3 steps,out for 2 steps).
– Don’t focus on it for the entire run. Check-in with yourself occasionally, like when you change paces during speed work or when a long run starts to feel tough. I think the mental benefit is as big as the oxygen.
– Considering counting only 3 or only 2. After a few paces, I started to find that if I simply counted my out 2 breathes it was much easier to allow my breath to flow more naturally.
I can’t tell you that it comes 100% naturally to me yet, but now I am able to flow in to it much more quickly and do it without thinking. However, it quickly becomes harder again as I do more yoga because you practice such long inhales and exhales, compared to the very quick exhale of the 3:2 breathing pattern.
A number of Spring Challenge participants also received the book and I know Kat has been seeing that it’s a great help for asthma! Anyone else given it a try?
Checkout the purpose of Accountability Monday’s>>
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Goal check in: I was really focused early in the week, making it possible to leave for Blend feeling good about where all projects stood and fully enjoy my time.
Goal for Week: Finish all prep for the Clean and Lean challenge – sooo much great stuff and I’m really excited about it. I’ve been putting some of the new stuff in to practice myself for the last few weeks.
Success: My goal for this week was to do speed work and get moving again…but without going back to my full blown schedule. My energy was higher as I started working out, so it took some conscious decision making to hold it back!
Goal for Week: 2 speed sessions, 3 cross training workouts and still lots of focus on recovery after each.
May 13
AM: Meditation, 5 miles with speed play of 3, 2,1 x 2 – goal was for the first run back to be fun but a little fast
PM: 30 min walk with David
May 14
AM: Meditation 20 min yoga, 40 min walk, 20 min yoga
PM: Core workout
May 15
AM: Meditation, Tempo run – 5.5 miles (7:52, 7:48, 8:05) – these are more of a mental workout for me now. I need to allow myself to push and not back away from discomfort. 20 min walk
PM: 30 min walk with David
May 16
AM: Meditation, Kettlebell and core workout, 2.25 mile easy run, 10 min walk
PM: 30 min, Yoga
May 17
AM: Fly to Utah for Blend! – yeah kind of an all day thing with the layovers
May 18
AM: Meditation, 9 mile run with the ladies, hike
— 8,000 feet elevation, cold and rainy…but beyond pretty and a complete and total blast. This run was a GREAT reminder that while I enjoy my solo runs I get a lot out of running with others and will be pushing myself to get involved with local running clubs here in Orlando.
May 19
AM: Bootcamp
PM: Fly back to Miami (walked in airport for 90 minutes between flights cause my butt hurt from sitting!)
— I can’t sit down to use the toilet today from all the squats!
After 20 days of consistently doing my exercises, I can say that some days it feels like what is the point?! Then I do them and the next day my IT Band or back are feeling right as rain and that’s when I understand that doing them may not eliminate all aches and pains from working out, but it does keep them from turning in to sidelining injures.
How are you feeling with PT?
Have you tried the new breathing technique from Running on Air??
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Gratitude Journal
May 20
I am grateful for a girls weekend! I loved them as a child, but as an adult they are such an amazing chance to rejuvenate the spirit.