I’m 28yo, 5ft 1in, and weigh 130lbs. I’m not on any type of medications and I’m very active, at least in my opinion. I work out 5 days/week for at least an hour each time. On Monday’s and Wednesday’s I run anywhere from 2-4 miles, in addition to calisthenics. On Tuesday’s and Thursday’s I attend spin classes which last about 45-50 min, and I combine that with strength training. My main problem/concern is when I run. I always get so tired so fast, about 5 min into the run. I always feel like I’m suffocating, or just can’t breathe and I feel like someone has drained all of my energy. I purchased a heart rate monitor, and I've noticed that I start to get tired when my heart rate gets around 170. Once it reaches the 190’s-200, it’s very uncomfortable and sometimes hurt, and I have to stop to catch my breath. I run at a very slow pace but it doesn’t matter, b/c I still can’t complete 1 mile without having to stop 2 or 3 times. If I increase my pace, I just get exhausted even faster.
I have tried different things like doing 2-A-days to build my endurance, taking daily multivitamins, eating a banana or cereal bar about an hour b/f I run, not eating b/f I run, and even 5-hr energy. I make sure I’m hydrated b/f I run and the only thing I drink is water and sometimes low calorie Gatorade or crystal light. I’ve tried the breathing technique of breathing in through the nose and out through the mouth, and even chewing gum, but it doesn’t help, I still have to stop for a break when I run. I’m not on any medications and as far as I know, I don’t have asthma. I do have sickle cell trait though, which may not be important. I’ve been in to see a doctor about the issue. They did an EKG which came out normal; he listened to my heart and said it sounds fine. He told me it was normal for my heart rate to get high b/c I’m young. But several co-workers & friends tell me that a heart rate that high is not normal. I’m so frustrated b/c I’ve been working out for years now and still can’t run. I understand that I’m supposed to feel some degree of exhaustion while running, but it seems like I should at least be able to do 1 mile without stopping. Or could it be that I’m just not a good runner and will never be? Sorry this is so long but I wanted to give as much info as I could.