Should i keep running when i feel like i can't properly breathe?

Question

I started running a couple of weeks ago and it's super fun. The past couple of years i've run a couple of times a month and done weight lifting for muscle mass. This has been fine.

Since i started running 10K's 2 times a week (and stopped drinking when i'm out partying) i've started to become more competitive with myself in regards to the time and recently did my first sub 45 min 10k.

As this might indicate i'm not a pro athlete which also leads me to my question. After the first 5k i feel like i can't feel my heartbeat because it's beating so fast and my lungs sort of start breathing on their own without me controlling it. It's also at this point my legs start to feel kind of sore like if they weren't getting enough oxygen. I never had this feeling when i just ran 3K in a jogging tempo and i kind of scares me since this is a fairly new level of running to me. Is this normal?

After the run i have to catch my breath for 2 minutes and then i'm back to normal.

Answer 1

After the first 5k i feel like i can't feel my heartbeat because it's beating so fast and my lungs sort of start breathing on their own without me controlling it.

Since you are able to achieve 10 kilometers in less than 45 minutes, there is nothing really abnormal here. It looks like you were close to your physical limits so your body reacted accordingly by pushing your heartbeat and your ventilation at their maximum values.

I don't know what are your long term objectives but don't forget to include sessions where you run at a lowest pace for a long period of time (heart rate zone 2 or 3 for at least 2 hours). This way, you will increase your aerobic capability that will allow you to recover faster from a training session (among other things). If you are interested by the subject and you want to improve your performances, I recommend to read the book Training for the Uphill Athlete: A Manual for Mountains Runners and Ski Mountaineers. This book was made originally for ultra-trailers but nevertheless it provides a lot of useful information for anyone who is seeking to improve its endurance.