Running Pains; whats normal, whats not?

racerx-dan

Hi All, *Sorry for the essay below, please try and get thru it*


Ive started running again recently, Im 28 this year, and the last time I remember running I was 18-20. I did however keep my fitness up with mountain biking for a few years, but since Ive been in Dublin over the last 12 months my fitness level has lapsed badly and I started to grow a small belly... Ive always been super skinny.

Anyway, I remember when I used to run that the first session would hurt, then after another session or 2 I was fine, could run 5km no problem, never stretched or cooled down because I never really hurt. After a good session on the bike I would get sore muscles, but after a day they were gone... I guess there was no impact and 90% of the work was big leg muscles.

I've started running again since the middle of March, bought good comfortable asics, and skins to keep a stable core temp, and have a 4.6Km tarmac circuit around the dock area (no parks near me ) Below is my diary using "sports tracker" ...


Date Distance Duration Av/Speed

04.04.09 13:15 4.53 km 29:14 9.30 km/h
31.03.09 18:25 4.31 km 27:20 9.47 km/h
25.03.09 17:34 4.58 km 29:17 9.38 km/h
23.03.09 17:56 4.66 km 33:16 8.40 km/h
15.03.09 17:00 4.71 km 32:04 8.82 km/h



Ive been taking it easy, always stretching before, doing a 5min warm up walk and 5-10min warm down walk and stretch. Ive also been running/walking my workouts. The first couple of times I did 2mins running then walking till I could breath again, then running for 2 mins again. These first runs were dictated by what my lungs could do... as I would just run out of air and have to stop. I know my limits and I was not pushing too hard. I got alot of upper leg pain after the first run (normal) and it got better after a few days. Over the next couple of runs Ive been getting shin splints. Ive been managing these with stretches I found on the net, ice and leaving breaks between my runs to rest them. They are always sore after a run, but after a number of days rest they get a bit better, and I can go out again.

The last run I went on was good & bad... I felt I had soo much more stamina than before and that I was making progressbecuase I was not running out of breath and just wanted to keep going and going, but my ankles were killing me! My ankles never have hurt before, and they were just aching after only 1500 meters. I slowed down, took it easier and had a good warm down as to not hurt anything.

Heres my problem, its been 4 days since my last run, I really really want to get back out there, but my ankles & the backs of my lower legs where they meet my ankles are still aching! (Shins are tender, but ok to run on) My ankles are fine to walk on, but going up steps hurt, and If I try to break into a slow jog from walking (just five or six steps even) they really hurt ... not injury type pain, just aching muscle pain.

Does this sound normal? I understand that it takes time to condition your body, but its funny that they have just started to trouble me on run 5, and its been 4 days and they are still sore, Im sure I havent hurt myself .. its just taking soo long, and Ive heard that its not good to run when you are already sore (is this correct?) I dont want to loose the gains Ive already made to my endurnance, nor do I want to wait too long and just stop running. Are the distances Im doing too too much? Should I do less distance more often? Does anyone have any sugestions?

Please help ... Im kinda at a loss here and not sure what I should do .... I know my body and know that it doesnt take long for me to regain stamina in sports, but I also know that I can loose it very quickly. Ive just never had problems with muslce pain holding me back Im going to Amsterdam for easter, and as Im sore tonight I wont have time to run until next tuesday, Im woried that Im leaving it too long between sessions. Am I?

Thanks everyone you managed to make it this far, and thanks for you comments.

Dan

--amadeus--

Hi,

I'm moving this into the main forum so that it will get seen but there is a very strict NO MEDICAL ADVICE rule here (in the charter) so we are pretty limited as to what we can say to you. The rule is there for everyone - bad advice can make a mild injury serious so we just avoid it altogether.

What I will say is that in general runners will often feel stiff or have various little aches. But there is a lot of difference between an ache and a pain. If it is painful, if it stops you running, if it alters how you run - these are all indicators of possible injury. If you have even teh suspicion that you may have an injury then it's worth getting it checked out.

buck65

I still get pains and aches from time to time and I'm running now since last summer. Keep well hydrated and keep at it if it doesn't hurt too much and maybe a deep tissue massage in the sore areas could help too.

racerx-dan

Thanks for moving the thread...

I agree with the rules that medical advice cant be given, more what Im after is other peoples experiences when they started running.

Are people allowed to comment on my distances, and wether the things Im doing are generally correct?

thirtyfoot

A proper warm down and post exercise eating will help with some of the pains. Always have something substantial to eat within 2 hours of finishing a session and something with high GI within 30 mins of the session. Well thats what I do.

--amadeus--

Oh yeah - general ruyle of thumb is that anything involving "When I..." is fine, it's when it gets to the "You should..." about injuries that we get jittery.

I started running properly in 2005 but I jumped straight into marathon training so the distances were a bit higher than yours. I don't remember the details but I do remember my legs feeling tired and stiff pretty much all the time. Generally speaking teh stiffness that you get after a run is DOMS and that will tend to peak 24 - 48 hours after exercise. Certainly the discomfort should be pretty much gone 3 days later and if you are still in pain I would suspect an underlying problem (and you know what the advice on that would be!)

Be aware as well that while your times and distances may seem quite short at the moment you are still placing a lot of stress on your body and recovery time is pretty vital. It's the recovery that allows your body to repair and strengthen, in particular the connective tissues. Running on tarmac means you are stressing your body quite hard and I wouldn't fret over losing fitness because you haven't run for a few days. In fact those few days are when the benefits of your training are built.

Have a bit of a read through this and this just to give yourself an idea of some of teh warning signs and potential pitfalls.

Final thing - you mentioned "comfortable asics". Shoes are the single most important bit of kit and investing in the right pair (not just from JJB or wherever) is vital.

racerx-dan

--amadeus-- wrote: »

Final thing - you mentioned "comfortable asics". Shoes are the single most important bit of kit and investing in the right pair (not just from JJB or wherever) is vital.

Money was not really a concern so I tried about 5 pairs on, walked around the store etc ... I ended up with Asics Gell Blackhawk 2's they felt the best for my feet. Unfortunatley I had just moved here and didnt really know where I could go and get a professional fitting so I had to do it myself...

As for distance my goal is to be able to run 10km at least a couple of times a week... I was kinda expecting that I could get there in about 3 months, but Im feeling this may be unrealistic as my legs cant take it.

Also, is running on grass really that much softer?

lecheile

racerx-dan wrote: »

Money was not really a concern so I tried about 5 pairs on, walked around the store etc ... I ended up with Asics Gell Blackhawk 2's they felt the best for my feet. Unfortunatley I had just moved here and didnt really know where I could go and get a professional fitting so I had to do it myself...

As for distance my goal is to be able to run 10km at least a couple of times a week... I was kinda expecting that I could get there in about 3 months, but Im feeling this may be unrealistic as my legs cant take it.

Also, is running on grass really that much softer?

Yes Dan, running on grass is much more preferable, in particular when you are suffering a bit. Getting off the hard surfaces (esp concrete) is advisable if you have the option, but you will at some stage have to get used to running on hard surfaces if your plan is to complete road races.

If you let people know your location I'm sure there will be good local solutions to get you off the tarmac.

racerx-dan

lecheile wrote: »

If you let people know your location I'm sure there will be good local solutions to get you off the tarmac.

Im just finishing up a lease in the docklands. But I wont be in Dublin anymore past early May so Ill have to find a new place to run.

hunnymonster

mapmyrun.com
is a great place to look for runs in whatever area you end up. Ask here as well, we have contributors dotted all over the country and they can suggest suitable places to run. I can cover Cork (city and east cork), North Louth and Dublin

racerx-dan

thanks for the link... ive been using sportstracker.nokia.com as well.

Ill be moving somewhere central in Edinburgh, Im really going to try find a place close enough to calton hill or similar so I can run without traffic and people everywhere too.