This story has been archived from the
June 15, 2000

The Run Around

Are you a noser? Open up your breathing

By Matt Carpenter

Today it happened again. I ran next to someone who was making a labored sound while breathing.

It was a painful sound, not because the person was in pain, but because I knew he could run much faster with a little adjustment.

The fact that he was going so slow and yet made such a dreadful noise made me realize what the problem was. Here was another person convinced that he should be breathing in and out only through his nose.

It’s been many years since I ran into my first “noser.” We were running along at what should have been an easy pace, but she could not keep up.

When I asked her if she was trying to breathe through her nose, she replied as if she were insulted: “Yes, of course, that’s what my gym teacher told us when we ran in school, and I’ve done it right ever since.”

I suggested she make the adjustment: begin breathing through both her mouth and nose. Within weeks, she was knocking almost a minute per mile off her pace. I thought this would be an isolated case, but over the years I have run into many people who must have had the same gym teacher.

Now I am always on the lookout for a “noser” because it is so easy to help improve his or her running. Running is about breathing. Why make it harder by breathing only through your nose?

The next thing to consider is making sure you are breathing efficiently.

Taking the time to work on the muscles that contribute to your breathing is like money in the bank. Sit-ups are an excellent way to improve your strength in this area.

Just as helpful are simple breathing exercises. I like to lie on my back and try to breath deeply without moving my ribs.

It’s second nature now, but a long time ago I thought it was impossible.

Next, I take four or five long, slow breaths, breathing in as deeply as possible and exhaling as far as possible. I remember the first time I did this I was actually sore the next day.

The first exercise will give the diaphragm and stomach muscles a good workout. The second will work on the often overlooked intercostals and scalenes of the chest area.

Finally, I recommend that you never get in the habit of counting your breaths or creating certain patterns - like breathing in on every third foot strike, for example.

I started doing this when I ran on my treadmill and it took weeks to get out of the habit.

The body is amazing in its ability to figure out the most optimal breathing pattern to regulate its air supply.

It makes no sense to muck it all up by trying to force it to do something it does not want to do or limit it by breathing though passages that were better meant for taking in the sweet smell of success.


Copyright 1999-2000, The Gazette, a Freedom Communications, Inc. Company. All rights reserved.


Back to The Run Around