heavy breathing

I had a similar experience at a 5K. Ran even splits, passed a guy at mile 1 who was huffing and puffing as if he was going to blow the house down. He surged to stay with me and I assumed I'd drop him like a bad class within 30 seconds and that would be that, but the guy continued to hold that pace and beat me. Same thoughts you had.

was not squandering the gift on that day

Interesting topic. People have told me I'm a heavy breather but I chalk it up to the large amount of oxygen required to move my good-bit-over-racing-weight bulk.

One possibility for differences is pattern breathing. I monitor/control my breathing to match my steps. 4 steps in, 4 steps out for ezzzzzzzzzz down to 2 steps in, 1 step out for a sprint. In a 5k, the guy might go ahead to full on 5k race breathing before he really needs it. On the other end of the spectrum I sometimes catch myself breathing way more than is required for a given pace. Jack Daniels says the answer is always 2 breaths in, 2 out. I guess if that's your approach you vary the volume of breath in/out according to oxygen demand. I don't do that. I always breath deeply but vary the frequency.

I mentioned the breathing/stride alignment thing to someone else recently and they had no clue what I was talking about. Don't know if it was the years of piano lessons with a metronome and counting or what but I enjoy sticking to the patterns.

I pay attention to breathing patterns and find it very useful. For example, if you cannot maintain a 3-3, then your pace is too fast for an “easy” run. At the end of a 5K or hard interval, switch from a 2-2 to a 2-1.

So maybe you are correct and the heavy breathing guy who beat the OP might have been using a 2-1 or something earlier than the others.

Or maybe some people just make more noise when the air goes in and out.

It took me a decade to be able to breathe 1-1; then one day the governor was gone and I could. Now I do not know why I am not faster.

On the negative side, I cannot do yoga breath anymore, 4-2-4-2; I feel like I'm chocking. It's just as well, I sounded like Darth Vader.

This is interesting. I haven't put a lot of thought into breathing cadence - 2-1 for the guy who beat me does sound about right. He sounded like I think I would probably sound during the last 800 meters of a 5k. But the battle cries were interesting too. Legitimately yelled 2-3 times as he faded past me in the distance. Clearly just an all out grind for him, but clearly worked too. It did make me wonder if he was running above his fitness level as a result of his capacity to endure pain / discomfort.

One can not run above their fitness level. You are squandering the gift

I’ve seen this happen too. You were likely trying just as hard as each other but you both had different weaknesses.

Your weakness would be neuromuscular and his weakness would be aerobic capacity.

Maybe he just breathes differently. Or maybe he has asthma?

Fair point. On that note, hitting the weights tonight.

Great post OP.

What sort of breathing was happening when you slipped into his slack hole? Was it laboured or more wheezy? When he took you in his mouth did you maintain a 2:1 ratio whilst saying ‘...do me dry daddy...’.?

Just curious.

I am that guy who is always breathing much heavier and more loudly than others. In fact I had been thinking about posting about it on here. It has happened since I was a kid. Even now at over 30 I always wonder if the people next to me in races are even trying at all. I just never hear anyone breathing hard compared to me. It definitely feels kind of unfair... like people are just cruising when I´m dying, while I still beat many of them.

I have always been very tall and skinny with narrow shoulders and narrow torso, so I have been thinking it has to do with low lung capacity and/or low VO2 max.

One of the most memorable races for me was a very hilly 10k. Me and another dude ran together at the front for the first 8k until the last long and quite steep paved hill. In that hill I was breathing extremely heavy and hard, and loud. As hard as possible. I heard nothing from the guy right next to me, but at the end of that hill I created a small gap and eventually finished 14 seconds ahead (time 32.45). It´s just weird...

cool story bro, changed my life

Thank you, now it´s your turn to change my life. Maybe speculate shoes, speculate how Africans will do at some marathon, diss someone who runs 13.30 5k, speculate on if miler X would beat marathon specialist Y if they did 5k? So many exciting topics!

I may work in some late race battle cries to my routine. Tommy Rivs has been known to throw them out and they seem effective for a late boost. Speaking of shoe speculation … I wore the 4% for the first time in this last half marathon and I approve.

Young87 wrote:

Thank you, now it´s your turn to change my life. Maybe speculate shoes, speculate how Africans will do at some marathon, diss someone who runs 13.30 5k, speculate on if miler X would beat marathon specialist Y if they did 5k? So many exciting topics!

so butthurt lol