So, The Virgin London Marathon is only 2 days away and I have been back on the POWERbreathe training over the last few days to get myself as ready as possibly for the race.
I was away for 5 days last week and in my rush, I forgot to take my K5 with me. I even contemplated turning around and getting it, but I did the maths and would have had 2 minutes to get the train if everything had gone right, so had to leave it. What a nightmare!
I have been using the POWERbreathe once every other day in a maintenance program. My results have stayed fairly consistent and I have felt good.
However, after my week not using the unit, I definitely felt I lacked something. It may have been psychological but I am not sure it is. When I am in training, I become more susceptible to little colds and sniffles, and often little problems with my lungs. Having used the POWERbreathe for close to 4 months now and feel that the additional strength that has been created with my breathing system has helped to minimise the issues I would usually get. Now, I can't say that it is all down the POWERbreathe training, but I think it is!
Back to last week, having spent 7 days not using the unit, I started to get a bit of tightness in my chest and started brining up a bit of phlegm. Whilst I wasn't too stressed out about the situation, I did think that my lack of a K5 unit was party the reason.
Once I was able to get home and use the POWERbreathe for a few days, it started to ease the problem and I felt better. I was still able to 'lift' the same levels on the unit, the volume was down and it took a few days to get right.
I am not trying to say that the POWERbreathe is magic and will cure all illnesses, but I have found that it works for me and has really made a difference to my training, allowing me to train more.
London is 2 days away, hopefully my twice a day training for most of the week will pay off!
Thanks
Ben Barwick