Discussion: breathing rhythm

Ever see Bud Coates article on breathing, 3:2, 2:1, 2:1:1:1? I'm going to try this...often breath 2-2, but noticed i do 3-2 also. at any rate, something to consider, unless you feel your fine and dont want to mess up a good thing...not my case, since breathing at this point prob my weak link.

http://www.runnersworld.com/running-tips/running-o...

Normally, I use 3:3. I hardly every use 3:2. M-pace brings me to 2-2. I-pace starts at 2-2, but I usually have to go to 2-1 at some point during the workout. 1-1 is hyperventilating.

Coates claims that an even rhythm puts more stress on one side, since you are more tensed when you inhale, and thus you are more likely to have your injuries fall on one side. While I am sure there are many possible reasons for it, all my injuries are pretty much on the left side - I may experiment a bit and see what happens. Also taking a longer breath in than out might be an interesting counterpoint to gasping for air:)

I'm not sure how 4-step (2:2) translates to breathing in on just one side. You'd have to go to 2-step (1-1) for that. And, yes, 2-step is inviting a stitch.

you know, I'm not sure either. What is Coates talking about? Maybe he's hyper-ventilating? here's an excerpt from his article...but in the light of your comment, I'm not sure it makes any sense?

"Many runners develop a 2:2 pattern of breathing, meaning they inhale for two footstrikes and exhale for two footstrikes. Some breathe in for three steps and exhale for three steps. Both have the same result—your exhale is always on the same side. Breathing patterns that extend the inhale will shift the point of exhalation alternately from left to right or from right to left, from one side of the body to the other. The singular point of all rhythmic breathing patterns is this: Exhale on alternate footstrikes as you run. You never want to continually exhale on the same foot."

I do know that in todays run, I tried inhaling longer than I usually do and that seemed to give me energy. But I can't say definitively that it helped me run faster. Still, its good to come across something that challenges you, just when you think you know it all.

OK, that makes a bit more sense. He's talking about when the exhale starts because that's the diaphram release. I'd agree except that if I'm breathing 4-step, I'm going slow enough that I am in absolutely no danger of developing a stitch (I'm not particularly prone to them even at V02-max; I get a stitch about once every three years). So, by the time the effort has me in the danger zone, I've already gone to 3-step.

As for actual injuries, that sounds a tad speculative to me. I'd want to see some actual research that shows that breathing out on the same foot has any correlation to injury incidence. At any rate, it's addressing a problem I don't have.