Starting Nose Breathing...Wow!

Increased oxygen level and absorption by all cells in the body? Greater stamina, energy, brain energy? Less illness? Yes. I want that!

Several days ago I began breathing exclusively through my nose. See here and here for more info. Today I went for my first nose breathing only run. What an intriguing experience. Everything I read said to expect to be 15-20% slower. So this morning I ran the easy run of 3 miles, with only a two-hundred foot drop (and than climb) in elevation. My best time for this run is 36 minutes. I did it in 40. That's only 11% slower. Granted I didn't do any real climbing. That will be my next run out.

I did the ancient trick of keeping water in my mouth -- the same mouthful the whole time. That's a powerful reminder to not give in to the urge to breath through my mouth! It worked quite well, but I won't do it often as I can't communicate with my dog.

The concept is counter-intuitive. Our sinuses close up when we don't need so much oxygen. This makes it harder to breathe through the nose. So, when it's harder to breathe, I can speed up and when it's easier to breathe, I am near my max. That takes a bit of getting used to.

I've already noticed the increased brain alertness and energy, as well as decreased sinus pressure. I look forward to seeing what else comes from this fantastic and free "therapy" of learning how to breathe the way God intended!

Plus 11 (4 of it from 2 days ago)
Total mileage: 402.8