Don't feel sore after working out?

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angiep098
angiep098 Posts: 33
in Fitness and Exercise
I jog around 6-8 miles 6 days/week, averaging around 6mph with some sprinting intervals thrown in.
It's been about a month since I've consistently started running, and I barely feel sore when I wake up the next morning. I feel sore after days I lift or do heavy strength training which is around 3 days/week. Is it bad that I don't feel sore after my usual cardio? Should I be running longer/faster? I like going on my runs (not just for the extra calories burned, but for the endorphins and stress release!) but I'm wondering if the "no pain no gain" is telling me something here (I'm trying to lose the last 10 pounds and decrease BF % as well) Any input would be greatly appreciated!

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  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
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    Being sore or not isn't an indicator of whether or not it was a good workout. The extreme cardio with no rest days after lifting probably isn't allowing your muscles enough rest to repair.
  • dixiewhiskey
    dixiewhiskey Posts: 3,333 Member
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    Being sore or not isn't an indicator of whether or not it was a good workout. The extreme cardio with no rest days after lifting probably isn't allowing your muscles enough rest to repair.

    Yup
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,868 Member
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    The only reason you're sore initially from cardio is that you're going from doing basically nothing to doing something. Once your body adapts to that activity, you're not going to really be sore...and cardio just doesn't work your body hard enough to really be sore in most cases...it is working the cardiovascular system, not the skeletal muscular system. I'm never really sore from riding my bike save for when I really put in some major miles that my body isn't used to.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
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    Being sore or not isn't an indicator of whether or not it was a good workout. The extreme cardio with no rest days after lifting probably isn't allowing your muscles enough rest to repair.

    winner winner chicken dinner
  • peter3jl
    peter3jl Posts: 5 Member
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    Since you're now a "regular" runner, your body has adapted to your steady state running. This is great because now you have the capability to push yourself and get faster or run longer.

    Since it's warming up, start getting committed speed and interval runs in - not just some "thrown in" - but the point of your run being the sprints. Fartleks are love/hate awesome. (Your calves and maybe hip flexors will be saying hello the next morning or two). Also, try to start shaving down your time - go for 9:30 or 9-minute miles. I'd bet you could chase yourself down some 8-8:30 minute mile 5Ks.

    Start adding in long runs in the weekends. Your runs are long and frequent enough that you could easily prep for a half marathon, but if your body is adapted to 6-8 mile runs most days of the week, you're ready to go for marathon training. If you're not feeling anything after a 17 mile run.... you're one of those not-human distance runners that I deeply envy.

    You wanna get sore from running though? Get on some hill running, once a week or once every other week. Find a big hill and run that thing up and down, or find a hilly route. If you have none of those, jack up that hill incline on a treadmill. And commit to running up the hill, not just slowly ascending. Muscles will be definitely be saying hi in the morning.

    Stick with that strength training. Being sore every day is a lot of strain on your body, but you def need to switch up and training your running harder if you want to get sore from running again.

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