Loving Running But Need Advice

enterdanger

Okay, so for all you runners out there I need some advice. I've lost about 30lbs over the last 6 months and decided I wanted to be one of the 1-2% of Americans that can actually run a mile. I diligently read all the topics on the forums here, visited a running store and ran on a treadmill for them (they helped me pick out brooks glycerins and said I have a high, rigid arch and wide foot but no pronation) and I started running outside using the C25k app.

The first couple of weeks were great. I don't love the run itself yet, but I do love the way it makes me feel afterwards. I also lost 7lbs the first month...then I got super busy and decided to run on the treadmill at my work gym to fit the runs in.

Now, running in my neighborhood I did have some typical shin splint type pain, but it was never bad enough to stop me from running. Just felt tender after my run and I'd always skip a day between running to give my legs a chance to get used to this. I also figured this was being caused somewhat by running a lot of uphill and downhill. I live in southern PA and it's all hilly here.

I've ran on the treadmill twice now and both times has been pretty painful. About the mile mark I'm noticing shin pain and what I think is Achilles pain (shooting pain up the right side of my right ankle). What' super weird is that when I run it isn't too bad. Walking (3.5 - 4 mph) is much worse. Today I stopped about the 15 minute mark and stretched when the pain got bad. It helped a bit and I ran another 4 minutes with minimal pain (about 5.5mph). When I started walking again, the pain was bad and I gave up.

I really don't want to quit running because I enjoy it and now that it's getting dark earlier I need to be able to run on the treadmill to fit in the run (I work 8-5 and have 2 kids under 4 who don't go to bed until 8pm. I've been running around then.)

Am I having these issues because I'm new to running or too fat to run? I'm193 and 5'3" Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

Cherimoose

Am I having these issues because I'm new to running or too fat to run? I'm193 and 5'3"

Well, being overweight does increase the risk of getting running-related injuries. Or it could be your running form. Try to get a physical therapist to assess your gait. Or post a video of yourself running & walking on the treadmill, viewed from behind at hip level.

LoneWolfRunner

I know you said you did all the recommended things to get the "right" pair of shoes, but it sounds like they could be contributing culprits. It also sounds like your feet and calves are still adjusting to the running... especially on a treadmill. Lots of people swear by the mill, but to me it is an artificial way to run because the "ground" is moving under you as opposed to you running over the ground. No matter how perfect your form is, the mill makes you run differently and stresses your legs differently than running outside.

Most of my more significant injuries have come from treadmill running, so I keep it to minimum and when I do, I run barefoot to make sure my stride is staying where it needs to be and my foot strike is staying on my forefoot. The other problem with the treadmill is that unless you constantly vary the speed and the incline, you can get into a "drone zone" repeatedly hammering your feet and legs in the same place over and over and over again.... an invitation for injury.

In my humble, non-expert opinion, I would try mixing in some outside runs... try to get at least half of them outside. And start doing foot and leg strengthening exercises. Eric Orton's book "The Cool Impossible" has some excellent routines and he is adamant that you can run long distances everyday for long periods of time pain and injury free if you run properly and build up your foot strength. His exercise routines helped me to jump from 30 miles per week to 45 miles rapidly.

enterdanger

Thanks for the advice. I really prefer to run outside. The only reason I even tried to switch to treadmill is that it is starting to get dark earlier and I have a very limited time slot for when I can exercise. When I wake up, it's still dark and I have to get out of the house by 7 with 2 kids and a 40 minute commute to make it to work. Running in the morning is never going to work.

By the time my obligations to my kids, work, and hubby are over it's 8 or 8:30 ET and now it is pretty dark out at 8:30pm. I'll try the exercises from The Cool Impossible.

Thank you.

MadDogManor

I've read that an incline on the treadmill may help shin pain. Also, going slow at first. I understand your need to run on the treadmill - I don't run outside at dark for safety sake (not the best of neighborhoods), and darkness is the only time I have for any exercise. Good luck to you.

tripn404

Whats wrong with running in the dark? is your neighborhood not safe? i wear a light and wake up at 4 to get my run in the morning hurts to wake up early at first but you get used to it quickly...try taping your shins before you run. i get th esame thing when i run on a treadmill.. im just not made for it

LoneWolfRunner

Your schedule is pretty full.... so the treadmill is your best answer. I have to hand it to you for doing late in the evening after an exhausting day. I have no choice but do to my runs early... I get up at 4:30 to get them in. Fortunately, my children are older (31,24,16 and 13) so they theoretically can take care of themselves...

enterdanger

LoneWolfe and Tripn I admire that you get up early. I'm not a morning person at all and I'm not terribly graceful. Running in the dark, even with a light sounds like an accident waiting to happen for me.

I really look forward to the day my kids can watch themselves. I have 2 boys, 3 and 1 years old. There has been many a night that I'm over at the Planet Fatness at 10pm on the elliptical. I'd give up exercise, but then I wouldn't have enough calories for a beer...that would be too sad.

sloseph

what sort of warm up are you doing?

when i first started C25K i had pain that sounds very similar to what you are having, i went to the Doctor about it and he advised me that i need to warm up better

since then i've been doing dynamic stretches and having a slightly longer walk and that seems to have fixed it for me

Fit_Fox88

I sometimes have to stretch midway through my runs because my calves get tight. I think this is partially due to my short strides from my awesome short legs. Anyway, make sure you're adequately stretching after your run and ice your shins if you have to. As someone else mentioned, maybe your shoes really aren't what you need. You may also be trying to do too much too fast and too soon. Make sure you pace yourself. Make sure you time yourself. I started running consistently back at the beginning of May and by June 14 I was running a 15:30 1.5mile. Once I figured out what my pace was for this time, my leg pains reduced significantly because I was able to pace myself and find a good rhythm. Now, I'm working on increasing that but my knees are giving me fits (again, from my tight calf muscles :grumble: ) If you decide to tape your shins as someone suggested, make sure you leave some room for the normal swelling that comes with running- this also contributed a lot to my pain when I first started

tracysway

When on the treadmill you should add 0.5 to 1 incline, it mimics running outside. I tried it when running on the treadmill and it seemed to help. The increased weight will be tough on your knees most of all. Like most others posted-stretching before and after will ease some of the soreness. I also find Epsom salt baths are extremely helpful (don't know why, but they are).

asianrunner

Shoes could be a contributing factor. Go back to the running store and have them check out your gait again.

Slow down your runs a bit. Pushing too much can give you shin splints.

And my last bit of advice is something I do after most runs. I just call them point pulls. Sit on the ground with your legs stretched out in front of you. Point your toes away from you and hold for a bit. Then flex your feet so your toes are pointing towards you. I'd say hold each for maybe 8-10 secs and repeat for 5-6x.

Jordan_Gregers

Everything everyone said here is great advice.

Shoes
Form and Gait
Pace
Distance
Treadmill vs. Outside

Pain is an individual thing and sometimes it can take a while to figure out what's causing it.

For years I could run 5-10k at a decent clip with no problems. Then one day I started getting pain in my calves and achilles about one or two miles in to every single run. The pain was so persistent that I gave up running altogether (and stacked on about 50 lbs in the process).

I'm back to running long distances again and I can't really explain what happened or why the pain went away. I eased myself into 1 mile, then 2, then 3 and so on... taking my time and keeping my pace as slow as possible. I chucked my motion-control shoes and bought a pair of neutral shoes. I also spent a lot of time doing calf exercises to build up those muscles in particular.

I also changed my form from my natural form (forefoot) to a heel or midfoot strike. I know that is counter to what a lot of people suggest, but I could feel that striking on my forefoot was causing my Achilles and Calves to tense up. Making sure I wasn't using my calves to do all the work seemed to help.

Finally I tried to just not think about it. Thinking about injury and pain apparently makes you tense up, which can lead to... injury and pain. When I feel a little twinge in my heel or calf I just try as hard as I can to think of something else, which has helped every time.

I hope you figure out your way through it! Especially because it seems like your starting to catch the fever for running, which IMO is the greatest sport in the world!

MeanderingMammal

I'd agree with the points above about form, although the shoes may be contributing but it would be unusual to have problems as a result of shoes only on the treadmill.

When I started running I was overstriding, so I had to put a lot of effort into taking a very short pace, landing with my foot only just in front of my centre of mass and then pushing myself forward. If you're already overstriding then the treadmill will exacerbate the issue.

Other than that, make sure you spend a good amount of time after your run stretching out, or use a foam roller.

The immeidate is probably to take a break for a bit until the pain has eased significantly.

There are some exercises that you can do to balance out the muscles in the lower legs; toe lifts of a sandback or resistance bacnd, or cycling with toes clipped into the pedals for example are likely to help.

skippygirlsmom

I was going to suggest take shorter strides if you are a heel striker this can cause shin splints. I think this article is good on ways to prevent shin splints.

http://www.mensfitness.com/training/endurance/9-ways-to-combat-shin-splints?page=2

My daughter has problems with her achilles tendon, if that's an issue it's normally on the back of your foot just above your shoe top and down. At least that is what the orthopedic told us.

I wear the same Brooks and love them, I have a very neutral stride and mid foot to ball of foot strike and have no problem.

PaytraB

I've ran on the treadmill twice now and both times has been pretty painful. About the mile mark I'm noticing shin pain and what I think is Achilles pain (shooting pain up the right side of my right ankle). What' super weird is that when I run it isn't too bad. Walking (3.5 - 4 mph) is much worse. Today I stopped about the 15 minute mark and stretched when the pain got bad. It helped a bit and I ran another 4 minutes with minimal pain (about 5.5mph). When I started walking again, the pain was bad and I gave up.

Am I having these issues because I'm new to running or too fat to run? I'm193 and 5'3" Any advice would be hugely appreciated!

First, congratulations on getting started! That's the hardest part of learning to run.
You are not too fat to run. You're doing great. Many people heavier have completed C25K and love running. You'll be one of them soon.

A speed of 5.5mph sounds too fast for a beginner. Try taking it slow (3-4mph). This sounds really slow, I know, but it takes a few weeks for all your systems to be in sync with their capabilities. Your leg muscles may be stronger than your lung capacity, which may be stronger than your tendon strength, for example. The first few weeks of C25K get everything synced and together.
Do the talk test while running: can you speak a short sentence without huffing, puffing and gasping for breath? If not, slow down until you can. You may (will) feel as if you're crawling along and going too slow. You're not. You'll be running at a speed where your body can adjust to the stresses of running. You'll build up your speed over time.

Keep running. I trained on the treadmill, too, for the same reasons as yourself. It works well. Try to keep yourself amused with music, an audio book or a TV (if you can). It'll help pass the time. Get outdoors as soon as you can again. It's more interesting. There may be some transition issues (road grade, different surface, etc) but they'll work themselves out within a couple of weeks.

mochapygmy

Lots of good points already raised and my question is how often do you run? As a new runner you should be doing only 3 runs a week. 4 if you are already pretty fit. Some people who are struggling do 2. Your body is acclimating to your running on the days you don't run.

Don't worry about your weight. I started C25K at a higher weight than yours. I decided to repeat weeks because I was coming from years on the couch and I was never a runner.

I also might suggest a longer warmup walk. If a 5 minute brisk walk isn't getting the blood flowing bump it up to 10 or at least 8 minutes and it should be a brisk walk.

Happy Running!

enterdanger

Very good advice.

I've been doing elliptical and walking for about 4 months before I got bored and decided to try running. I usually walk at about 4mph which is why I started running around 5.5, I'll slow down a bit.

I do huff and puff the whole time I run and wouldn't be able to talk (although I do tend to mouth the words to music).

Good to know about the stretching...mine has been pretty minimal pre run. I've just been doing the 5 minute warm up walk to loosen up. After the run I stretch inconsistently. Once things feel good again, I'll definitely start consistently stretching.

PaytraB

I do huff and puff the whole time I run and wouldn't be able to talk (although I do tend to mouth the words to music).

Definitely slow down then. You'll do great. Let us know how you do.

If you're interested, this group is active and was a big help to me (and others) while training:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/groups/home/30-couch-to-5k-running-program-c25k

harpere87

You are not too fat to run. I started running at 199 lbs 5' 3" and have lost 10 lbs since I started running in March. How active and with what were you doing before you started? I was regularly taking hikes and doing Jazzercise, so I think I had a decent muscle base before I started, it was all a matter of working up to the running. It could be that if you didnt have enough of a muscle build up prior to it could be you are doing too much too soon. Its also okay to repeat weeks in the c25k =D Best of luck! And congrats on the weight loss!

MamaGab92

I've been doing elliptical and walking for about 4 months before I got bored and decided to try running. I usually walk at about 4mph which is why I started running around 5.5, I'll slow down a bit.

I was walking fairly often before I started C25K and I walk at about 4mph, but while doing C25K (I'm on week 4) I run about 3.3 mph. So yeah, I walk faster than I run right now. I know that doesn't seem to make sense, but it is a different kind of motion requiring different things from my body and I found that works best for me. I was huffing and puffing at first until I slowed way down. Now I feel that my lungs and heart are stronger and what really taxes me are my leg muscles. I figure they'll improve the more I run. BTW, I'm 193 and 5'4" so pretty similar to you.

At this point I can run for 5 whole minutes without walking. That's my biggest accomplishment so far, but I have come a long way from the days when a 30 second run about killed me. We will get there.

Slashnl

Fortunately, my children are older (31,24,16 and 13) so they theoretically can take care of themselves...

Just have to comment... this made me chuckle. THEORETICALLY is the key word. I have an 18 and 20 year old, so I understand!

runner359

This really is not a good place for running injury advice. Try Runners World and use their search feature a bit. They have a very good sports doctor, Dr. Metzl, who answers a lot of questions. You will get details on correct diagnosis, prevention, and ways to treat different injuries often times with video links to exercises to treat and prevent particular injuries.

enterdanger

Ok. I ran on Saturday (outside not on the treadmill) for the first time since I had my treadmill injury. I think it really is just the treadmill that is the issue. I noticed that I did need to warm up longer than the 5 minutes that c25k gives me. This was even after I stretched for 10 minutes prior to my walk. I walked at my normal 4 mph for 2 miles and than ran most of the last 2 miles around 5-6mph. I ended up doing 4 miles in 49 minutes. Not terribly fast, but not awful and I felt great afterwards.

For those of you that mentioned stride, you totally hit the nail on the head.When I switched to running I noticed that pains in my right ankle were starting to come back. I shortened my stride quite a bit and it seemed to make a huge difference. I think I just have bad mechanics,

If I have to run on the treadmill ( although I really prefer outside), I think I'll just have to warm up a lot and pay close attention to make sure I don't over stride.

Thank you everyone for your help!

JoannaEngel84

First, I would start icing after running and on your days off. This should help with some inflammation. Second, be very careful. Pain on the side of your ankle could be indicative of a minor stress fracture that could get worse if you don't pay attention. If the pain starts moving up the leg a bit and down to the top of your foot, STOP running and see a doctor immediately. My mom was doing C25k and was experiencing the pain you're describing, I recommended she wear a brace and see the doctor because I suspected it was a stress fracture (from my own experience). She didn't and it got bad enough that when she finally went to the doctor it was very visible on her x-ray.

If you experience any pain with running (especially when new to the sport) that isn't normal muscle ache from being used, it's probably a sign to cut back or even take a week of and ice! I know it's hard and frustrating, but 1 week is easier to handle than 8 wks of NO activity.