What's the deal with breathing.

For pretty much all of the running I've done in the last 3-4 years it was two footfalls per exhale, two footfalls for inhale. Maybe 1:1 when on tough climbs and moving slowly.

One thing that seems to have just spontaneously happened lately now that I've been working on maintaining higher cadence is that it will be 4 footfalls per inhale and then per exhale. Weird. Off to do some googling on respiration rate and running. Not something I've seen mentioned in the many running articles read over the last few years.

Good run tonight! Musta been the mocha and peanut butter cookie at Farley's on the way home from work. http://www.farleyscoffee.com/ideas/index.html

Hmm. After a bit of google this turned up and not much else.

"If you wish to experiment with modifications in your breathing rate, however, do so during less important runs and workouts. Based on my own research and coaching experience, when running at about 75% maximal heart rate (MHR), most runners average 30 to 45 breaths per minute. Although there are limitations in the method, for a rough approximation of your MHR, you could subtract your age from 220, in your case 163 beats per minute (bpm). Seventy-five percent of this would be about 122 bpm. As the pace quickens from 75% MHR, a pattern of two steps to inhale and two to exhale will allow more oxygen. This is about 60 breaths per minute. For intervals, a kick at the end of a race, or races lasting less than three minutes, try a pattern of two steps to inhale and one step to exhale. Any faster than this can create a state similar to hyperventilating.

Greg Tymon, MEd, CSCS"

Kind of interesting as it fits personal experience. The other thing I forgot to mention is that with this new 4 steps situation the breaths seem deeper. On the inhale it is almost like I'm puffing my chest out.