A thought occurred to me the other day... some of the "techniques" they teach you for getting your breathing back under control when you're having an asthma attack might be applicable to "normal" people when racing (and breathing hard). One of the things that I've actually found to work is called pursed lip breathing. The name pretty much describes the technique... you purse your lips when inhaling/exhaling vs. opening your mouth more (the natural reaction to trying to get more air into your lungs). This action helps to keep your airways open longer and decrease the amount of work you have to do to breathe (I think it's a pressure differential thing). Additionally, it helps to slow your breathing rate, keeping it under control and forcing you to exhale fully.
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