Triathlon - Training you lungs?

HI all. I'm training for my first Triathalon and am excited, nervous and a bit overwhelmed. One question (one of hundreds) I have is that I've so much about a runners high and that once you feel it , it becomes addicting and you're not comfortable till you out there running again, and about people running/cycining (you fill in the sport) till thier legs are burning. I've never had this "high" with any excerisice I do but i realized that i'm allways out of breath before my body has had a chance to work hard enought to get that far or feel any burn. I physically feel that my body could do so much more but i think i'm so out of shape that I don't have the stamina built up in my lungs to go longer. I'm only 33 years old, not overweight, don't smoke, don't have asthsma or any allergies and am generally healthy as a horse. I did recently have a physical and a ton of blood work done and all my levels are in the normal range. Can you give me any hints to work on increasing my lung capasity or teach my body to use oxygen more efficiently so I can last longer while trying to train? Has anyone else had this issue? Thanks everyone!

Can you give me any hints to work on increasing my lung capasity or teach my body to use oxygen more efficiently so I can last longer while trying to train? Has anyone else had this issue? Thanks everyone!
You're on the right track, you are in need of focused base training. It is common for a wannabe endurance athlete to over-reach in their goal setting. To be successful in running, cycling and swimming requires a tremendous amount of base training. Exclusive base training should last from 6-12 weeks each year depending on you, and should be accomplished before you consider any higher levels of training. Some very successful triathletes never train outside of base training parameters. NEVER!

Base training provides many benefits, two specific to your interests are increased capillarity and increased ability to utilize fat more efficiently as an energy source. There is no getting around it and you will not progress unless you focus on base training.

To clarify my response, what you are now doing is training beyond your ability. Continuing along this path generally results in burnout or injury. I encourage you to forget participating in a triathalon this Spring and instead focus on training. You will find that learning to enjoy the process of training will serve you better in the long term.

I disagree with Houston. Yeah, it's hard when you start. Try going a little slower & see if you can go for longer duration.

It will suck for a while. I'm training for a 10km (I want to do an Olympic distance this summer - having done lots of sprints). Running is hard. I keep plugging away and have little "mini" victories, they keep me motivated.

Do the race. You will either do better than you thought, or it will suck more than you thought it would. Either outcome will give you motivation to keep with it.

Triathlons are very friendly events. I've been passed on the run by some very fast guys/gals and they always have something supportive/nice to say. How many other races can you say that about?

As long at it is a Sprint or Olympic distance triathlon...definitely do it. AND please remember to have fun. You are not going to win so the finish line is your goal.

Both Houston & edbikebabe are on the right track for you. Straight to the point...SLOW DOWN. You need to build your Aerobic Engine and you can only do that by training in aerobic zones. If you have insurance that will cover it, get some athletic testing done (VO2 Max, Anaerobic Threshold, ECG Stress Test, etc). I went to Dr. Falsetti http://www.drfalsetti.com/faq.html I'm sure you can find someone in your area. If this is not an option for you, read up on the Maffetone Method. This is a good link to start http://www.rrca.org/resources/articles/slowdown.html

Congrats on your start toward Tri. It's a rewarding experience!

I went into my first tri woefully unprepared. The swim was great, the bike was okay - and I cried (yeah really, I'm not proud of it) for most of the run cause it was so hard. But I finished - and it didn't come anywhere near killing me.

When I have a bad race or a bad run I think about that race, and realize I've come soooo far since then that I can't be anything but proud of myself.

Not sure what the point of that was - just that you can do it, you will do it and if you stick with it, your body will have no choice but to improve/adapt.

Do you have a heart rate monitor? Even if you don't look at it till after the run, it will give you some numbers to use as a baseline as you continue training.

The "runner's high" is an elusive thing. Even when you're properly trained, it's a rare thing. Look up information on sports psychology and the concept of "Flow" to learn more about it. Generally it's achieved with a challenge that's still within your skill bounds, and experienced athletes are more likely to experience it than beginners. However, the actual runner's high is different than the training addiction. I've been running for about 10 years, and maybe get a runner's high once a month, if that. But I have to train every day, because I don't feel "right" when I don't (though I do force myself to take downtime when appropriate). But that's more a matter of my body and mind being used to training than the runner's high. I'm sure endorphins have something to do with it too, but they are far from the motivating factor. What gets me out there every day is a need to better myself and beat the times I've run previously, a desire to reach my true potential and surpass other people's expectations of me, an insatiable hunger for winning, and a dream to be the best. When the weather's bad, or at 5am before the sun rises, or when they're just not feeling it, the zen runners are nowhere to be found. Don't run in hopes that today *might* be that runner's high day...it's a setup for disappointment.

Training lungs...sounds like you could use some VO2 max training. As Houston said, the first thing you want to do is get in a base. I usually shoot for around 3 months of long, slow distance. Comfortable pace, increasing by no more than 10-15% per week. Add 6-8 strides (100m fast paced stride outs where you focus on form) after your run two days per week. After you've built a base, then work on speed. Fast paced intervals will help to increase your VO2 max (oxygen carrying capacity). Hill work will do this too...Brad Hudson advocates short sprints up steep hills. Another good thing to train is your lactate threshold, or how fast lactic acid builds up in your bloodstream. Those runs will be longer and slower than VO2 max training, but still faster than normal runs. Also, try for a long run each week that makes up 15-20% of your weekly mileage. And don't forget to take recovery days. I shoot for 2 speed workouts per week, one interval and one tempo (though a lot of pros will go for 3, I find I have trouble recovering and actually getting quality work in on speed days).

I've started training for a triathlon and am taking a class at my university for some more help. Something that helps me is when I swim I alternate between taking a breathe between every stroke and every third stroke. If you take it slow and concentrate on breathing and not a speed, you would be surprised with how fast you can learn to breathe from the depths of your soul.

Look at your first Tri as a long base training day, your goal is simply to finish and enjoy the experience. Maybe something will go wrong and you DNF (Did Not Finish), so what it's still better than a DNS (Did not start). Stick with it and you will see progress also if you can get a lactate threshold test done then you will know exactly what your heart rate should be in each zone.