first run

badcompany

badcompany

badcompany

Soldato
Joined
12 May 2004
Posts
7,018
Location
England
I quit smoking a couple of months ago have decided to do a bit of running I am 36 and have smoked/drank/drugs for pretty much 20 years but is it normal for my lungs to feel like they are made of pure fire after 1/4 mile! nearly killed me.

Do I just run through it?
 
badcompany said:
I quit smoking a couple of months ago have decided to do a bit of running I am 36 and have smoked/drank/drugs for pretty much 20 years but is it normal for my lungs to feel like they are made of pure fire after 1/4 mile! nearly killed me.

Do I just run through it?
Click to expand...

Run through it! It will hurt at first, use a time and just try and add to it every time.
 
Yes, it's pretty normal at first. I'm not a smoker and I wasn't that unfit to start with but I still got terrible lung burn at first. Sounds like you're running a bit too fast, which is a mistake everyone makes at first. Take it easy to start with. Slow down a bit and concentrate on managing your pace, then start to increase the speed and distance when you're ready.
 
Stopping to walk and recover when you get that feeling is not a sign of weakness, it's a sign you know what you are doing and you are listening to your body.

Running is one of the hardest exercises you can do and yet everyone thinks it's easy when they first start. I'd suggest that you have a read of Platypus' beginners guide to running sticky.
 
i thought I was running slow :) oh well I guess it gets easy the more you do it, but felt a bit silly as I was only gone from house for 10 minutes or something ridiculous.
 
it's totally normal - whether you're a smoker or not

the more you do it, the more you get used to it - stick at it, because the benefits far outweigh the negatives
 
Apparently you should be able to have a conversation while you are running, if you can't then you are going too fast.
 
Raymond Lin said:
Apparently you should be able to have a conversation while you are running, if you can't then you are going too fast.
Click to expand...

I find this statement somewhat silly, when I run I can't hold a conversation, but I in no way exert myself to the point that I feel I'm going to keel over.

Anyway, I don't smoke, I'm pretty fit through other activities and when I first started running I got the burning sensation aswell. It doesn't take long before you stop feeling it, in my experience.

Maybe you should try some interval training? It's better to ease yourself into running when you start out, than to go flat out straight away.
 
No expert here but what about cycling? Is that a good way to ease into cardio work? I too am a reformed smoker/skinny layabout :p
 
d_brennen said:
No expert here but what about cycling? Is that a good way to ease into cardio work? I too am a reformed smoker/skinny layabout :p
Click to expand...

Yes, you'd have to do it with some intensity though, not just a gentle cycle. Although, a gentle cycle is still good exercise, it's not going to get the heart pumping enough to work the muscle.
 
Badgi said:
I find this statement somewhat silly, when I run I can't hold a conversation, but I in no way exert myself to the point that I feel I'm going to keel over.
Click to expand...

It's not silly at all; if you don't have an HRM or a reasonable idea of what your heart rate zones are it's a decent rule of thumb for itentifying your aerobic fat burning intensity. You should be breathing though your mouth, but still able to converse easily.

Going higher pushes you into an anerobic zone. That might be what you are specifically looking for, but it's not ideal for most fitness running, especially in the beginning.

Once you can run a reasonable distance then you can look at intervals and fartleking.

Also, as a beginner you might not run far, but it increases pretty quickly and the generally rule of thumb is to add 10% each week to your weekly total.
 
When I started running before Christmas, I would get the lung fire nearly straight away. I have now started pacing myself and am doing 10 miles without the lungs burning at all. It is now more my legs that feel the effort than my lungs or heart.
 
badcompany said:
i thought I was running slow :) oh well I guess it gets easy the more you do it, but felt a bit silly as I was only gone from house for 10 minutes or something ridiculous.
Click to expand...

I was in a similar boat to you last year, smoking and drinking for 13 years, seems it doesn't do you body much good :). You really shouldn't feel silly about doing runs or any exercise in shorts amounts to start off with. When I started it was quite literately a couple of laps around the block on a bike and I was floored. Keep at it, listen to your body and it will improve.
 
Quick Q, is this burning in the lungs or at the back of the throat? Since I was about 11 there have been occasions when I feel barely able to breathe deeply because of pain at the back of my throat whether through the nose or mouth. Only really remember it when it was cold though.
 
man i need to get running again all the threads here have given me the incentive to do a quick 5k tonight.

I've been jogging for a year now on and off and yes you can get through it no probs. My body still does a WTF after 5-7 mins then gets used to it funnily enough I'm now "used" to my body doing this WTF hehe
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom