Soreness in legs after first time running

laura_fat2fit

Hi guys,

I'm looking for a bit of advice. I started the c25k plan on Sunday, I've never run before so I'm a beginner. I went a bit overboard with my exercise after the run too. Yesterday and today my legs have been really sore at the top of my thighs to the point where I could hardly walk. It's better today but still quite sore and achy.

I read around about whether or not it would still be ok to carry on running whilst my legs are sore and got two different answers. So I'm asking the same question here. Whilst my legs are still sore, is it still ok to keep running or am I supposed to rest up?

I had a day off yesterday so today is my day on and my second day of running for week one.

Also, is there anything that anyone can recommend to help ease the soreness or to get it back to normal about quicker?

Thanks,

Laura

Nopedotjpeg

Do you think you're injured? If the answer to that is no, then go do it.

deedog007

Better keep those legs lose. by continue to run.. to knock out all those kinks. If you dont run, the soreness is going to get worst around the 4th day - 7th day.

waterwing

Make sure you stretch and give your body time to heal up between runs.. Go every other day and you should be fine. Soreness is a good thing and your body isn't used to using all those running muscles.. yet. Give it time and keep at it!

Good luck!

JonesAK

Too sore to walk without serious pain sounds like a rest day to me for sure. A little soreness, and I find a workout can help loosen me up. Take 'er easy. No need to rush. Maybe walk and stretch for now, and try again when you have rested. Hope this helps.

Masterchef2000

In my personal opinion, if you had an injury, no. If you are just sore from working your muscles, yes. You don't have to work very hard but at least still do something to work through it. Maybe try speed walking instead of running. Or just run as far as you can and then walk the rest of the way. I've found that working through it is better for my legs. Works out the stiffness. So try it and see what works for you. If it's too much, there is no reason why you shouldn't give your legs a rest. I read around here that a foam roller could help for your legs as well. :-) Good luck!

Debbe2

You can try a warm bath with Epsom Salt. It will alleviate the muscle soreness. Good luck with c25k!

wonderlilly

I'd definitely be sure to stretch - I used to be guilty of not stretching enough, and when you do, you will feel *much* less pain. Also, stay hydrated. The worst leg pains and cramps can come from that. One book that got me through my early running days was The NonRunner's Guide to Marathon Training For Women by Dawn Dais (note: you don't have to be a woman and you don't have to be a marathoner). But it was about her journey from couch to trail, and it made me think "If she can do it, so can I!" To this day, 6 years later, I still think of her when i go for a run!!!

Good luck and good for you!

StrawberrySt

I did week one day 2 yesterday and my legs were killing me during and after! But they are fine now. I find a longer warm up walk is better for me and then I just power through the c25k

Good luck and add me if you want a friend who's suffering with you!

KelliH729

I agree with the majority...if it is just soreness in the muscles, more then likely it is that your muscles are just not used to the workout, they are starting to work overtime. As long as you are not in pain I say work out again today.
I am one of those odd people that LOVE that post-exercise pain in my muscles...lol. It means I worked them in a way they are not accustomed to.
Again, as long as you are not in physical PAIN (totally different then post-exercise pain) then go for day 2

Good luck!!!

Beezil

Just make sure it is sore muscles and not injury. Try massaging the muscles - that is often helpful to me if I get a lot of muscle pain or soreness in my legs. Also make sure your potassium and sodium are at the proper levels, because those two things go hand in hand in regulating the fluids in your body - you may need to get these checked by your doctor to figure out if you need more or less than what is considered the norm. Plenty of water and stretching before and after your workouts should prevent any injury though, unless you're pushing yourself way too hard.

I'd say try running, and if it hurts after the first 5 minutes, you probably need to rest a day or two.

firedudecndn

First of all you said that you over did it for a first time run. Learn from this and don't overdo things again ya big silly...

Secondly, when you do a big workout; the next day do a recovery workout which for running would be a short, slow paced, easy run or a brisk walk of about 25% of the time you took to do your big workout. Eventually you'll learn how long to make your recovery workouts last. They should last until it starts to feel like work.

Go in to your hardest workouts well rested... never do 2 hard workouts on back to back days. Rest days are as important as workout days...


If your library has it, read on of Joe Friel's books about training for cycling... cardio training concepts transcend activity which means that you can use the same ideas and training practices from "the mountain biker's training Bible" for running.

It was this book that moved me from pack fodder to podium in mtn bike racing...

just sayin....

mostaverage

First up a disclaimer - I'm not medically trained, am not a fitness instructor and am only passing on advice I have read elsewhere - feel free to do with it what you like .
I think it's important to separate out muscle soreness and pain - pain indicated something is wrong and should be allowed to heal before exercising it. Soreness is a normal feeling if you have "worked" your muscles and shows that the muscle is repairing itself and is growing more muscle.
As I understand it - if you have finished a big workout and are feeling the muscles tired & sore then a light bit of exercise the following day speeds up the recovery process and helps build stamina. So if you are not in pain, just feeling sore then yes, continue with your exercise, make sure you warmup properly to minimise the risk of injury and have a good stretch once you have finished your run to aid recovery. Be mindful of your body and if you feel the discomfort level gets too high or pain starts to develop then ease off, better to finish early than injure yourself. HTH & good luck!

cjpg

Whilst my legs are still sore, is it still ok to keep running or am I supposed to rest up?
When you run you're working out your muscles. If you're sore, it could be from overexertion or you have ripped your leg muscles. Both are perfectly fine and to be expected. You require a recovery/rest period to repair the muscles.
This happens because you're conditioning your legs to perform the exercise. Since you haven't done it before, you're legs are not used to it.
Eat protein (chicken breast is perfect) to repair the muscles faster and sleep well as most of the body's repair is in sleep.
A normal rest period is 2-3 days depending on the exercise.

Also, is there anything that anyone can recommend to help ease the soreness or to get it back to normal about quicker?
Stetching! I can't express this enough. Take 10 minutes to properly stretch your muscles to make them limber up before a good run. After your run STRETCH AGAIN! Your leg muscles will be building up lactic acid and this can cause a lot of soreness if you don't stretch it out.
You'll find that not only do you hurt far less, but you'll recover more quickly.
*EDIT - oh, and I'll also add that there's nothing better than a hot shower after a solid run. As a PP suggested above, massaging sore muscles helps ease any soreness. I always have a shower after my run and do simple stretches and some basic massaging to make sure any wearing down is limited.

Hope this helps.

Kenzietea2

I really don't know if you should run today because I don't actually know what you are feeling... but I do recommend a nice warm bath to relax your muscles, and a massage for the tender areas

em435

For me, if it hurts to walk up stairs or squat then I probably need a rest day.
If I'm feeling restless, I try to do some yoga or pilates, focussing on my upper body for tough routines and stretching out the muscles in my legs. (I do pilates on exercise days too - it's doing fabulous things to my muscle tone and perhaps it may work for you)

Most importantly, stretch before and after each workout.. I think about 20seconds per stretch is recommended but I may be wrong.

Keep up the good work!

laura_fat2fit

Wow, didn't think everyone would reply so fast. I'm feeling much better after a walk this morning, the soreness seems to subside when I walk and has been better since. I am going to do a longer warm up walk before my run tonight and stretching before and after too. Lets see how that goes.

I will take on-board everybodys tips. Thank you for your advice!