Sore muscles midway through a run

heytherestephy · May 2012

I'm probably over-doing it with my running, (i typically run daily, although i'm thinking about slowing that down to every other day) and one problem i'm having is that mid-way through or sometimes even at the start my muscles get very very tired and eventually sore. i don't know if this is because i haven't built enough muscle yet or because i'm not eating properly before a run.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm guessing i need to be eating more carbohydrates pre-run than i am currently. On a good day I can run between 4 and 5km, sometimes topping at just over 5k.

I will be running my first 5k race in exactly a month and i need to do something about this tiredness! note, i run outside and not on a treadmill (no gym membership).

therealangd · May 2012

Are you warming up before you start?

I don't warm up and my first 3 or 4k are always the toughest with aches and pains. But after that, I'm good.

ETA: You don't need to "carb load" for 5k.

CarsonRuns · May 2012

It sounds like you aren't allowing enough recovery time. It takes a long time to build up to a point where you can run effectively every day. Also, are you running the same pace every day? Take some days super easy, like 90 seconds slower than your easy day. These are recovery days. Also, maybe taking a day or two off per week for a while will be helpful for you. I don't think it has anything to do with your fueling.

seekingstrengthX2 · May 2012

I would imagine it's a combination of 3 things:
1) Too much running.... your legs are probably weak
2) Weak muscles.... do strength training
3) Poor nutrition... try eating a banana about 30 minutes before you run... the potassium helps with cramping.

myfitnessnmhoy · May 2012

i don't know if this is because i haven't built enough muscle yet or because i'm not eating properly before a run.

Could be either, or it could be insufficient warm-up. Or even insufficient hydration.

Do you start with a 5-minute walk, or do you just get out there and start running right away? If you aren't warming up, you'll fatigue very quickly and increase your chance of injury.

twinmom_112002 · May 2012

I find that my legs always yell at me for the first mile and that I don't find my stride until the end of my 2 mile (sometimes 3rd). Some people are sprinters and some are distance runners. I am totally a distance runner and don't get comfortable until I am a few miles in.

meli_medina · May 2012

i don't know if this is because i haven't built enough muscle yet or because i'm not eating properly before a run.

Could be either, or it could be insufficient warm-up. Or even insufficient hydration.

Do you start with a 5-minute walk, or do you just get out there and start running right away? If you aren't warming up, you'll fatigue very quickly and increase your chance of injury.

That was my first thought. Dehydration and potassium deficiencies can cause muscle soreness.

If you are running in the morning, make sure to hydrate before bed and also a little in the morning (I'm used to running with water in my stomach - I drink 16 oz about 45 minutes before my run along with a cup of coffee). Eat a banana or drink a glass of milk following your run. This will give you some additional potassium.

Good luck!

dsjohndrow · May 2012

Lots of good ideas in here. This is what works for me.
-1 Lot of water an hour before.
-2 5 minute walk
-3 Stretching
-4 Warm up mile

Then I am past all the aches and pains.

End with lots of water and a banana.

EMagineBeingEMazing · May 2012

new runner too, and yesterday was THE WORST... thanks for posting this!

heytherestephy · May 2012

Thanks guys, I make sure to hydrate before a run but i often am not able to be up early mornings. I work 9 hour shifts ending at 3am so my morning is close to noon. I don't usually do a 5 minute warm up walk, but next time i run i will for sure do it. I've decided to run every other day and give myself a break.

I'm not sure what i can do for strength training, I don't have access to the gym (no money in the budget for a gym membership at the moment) and i don't have any equipment at home. can anyone suggest some exercises i can do at home?

Elzecat · May 2012

Thanks guys, I make sure to hydrate before a run but i often am not able to be up early mornings. I work 9 hour shifts ending at 3am so my morning is close to noon. I don't usually do a 5 minute warm up walk, but next time i run i will for sure do it. I've decided to run every other day and give myself a break.

I'm not sure what i can do for strength training, I don't have access to the gym (no money in the budget for a gym membership at the moment) and i don't have any equipment at home. can anyone suggest some exercises i can do at home?

Pushups, sit ups, squats, lunges are all exercises you could do at home without any equipment.

Good idea on dialing it back to running every other day, at least until you are more experienced. I have been running over a year and still only run 4 days a week, my body needs time to recover!

Also try dynamic stretches before your run-leg swings and squats will help loosen things up

Elzecat · May 2012

also forgot: my running coach suggests doing both a warm up AND a cooldown--whether it's a 5-10 minute walk or a run at a slower pace than normal. Whenever we meet for running group we do both and it always helps my legs recover more quickly with less soreness.

HauteP1nk · May 2012

What I have learned from my run clinic(s):

1. You need to give yourself a rest day from running.
2. Make sure you are wearing the right shoes.
3. Warm up prior to running with some light walking or jogging on the spot.
4. Stretch for 20mins after a run.
5. If the aches persist, or the muscles are tight then put an ice pack on the muscles (off and on) for a good 20-30mins. Put your feet up too and rest them.
6. Soak in a nice hot bath a couple times a week. Put 2 cups of epsom salts in the tub too and it will draw out the toxins.
7. Drink LOTS of water (half your body weight in ounces per day).

sailorsiren13 · May 2012

i'm not a new runner but i in the middle of my march 17 5k i started experiencing leg numbness. I have gone on to run another 2 5k's and i am running a 10k this weekend and the numbness is now pain and has gotten steadily worse faster to the point i can't run. the dr. has done some tests but may have to go back any ideas?

dcgonz · May 2012

I would imagine it's a combination of 3 things:
1) Too much running.... your legs are probably weak
2) Weak muscles.... do strength training
3) Poor nutrition... try eating a banana about 30 minutes before you run... the potassium helps with cramping.

I agree with this!

Also, if you need to build muscle with no access to weights do squats, lunges, wall squats, and calf raises to name a few that would help.

heytherestephy · May 2012

Oh I always do a cool down haha I usually finish before I reach home so I walk the rest of the way. I've been running off and on for about a year now, I took the winter off and much of the fall but last summer and all last spring I was running probably every other day (I used to have a gym membership when I lived with my parents). Added to this is the fact that I'm a little nervous for this first 5k, I mean, it's just a 5k but that's a big deal for me and I need to make sure I can run that full 5k without getting too tired.

HauteP1nk · May 2012

i'm not a new runner but i in the middle of my march 17 5k i started experiencing leg numbness. I have gone on to run another 2 5k's and i am running a 10k this weekend and the numbness is now pain and has gotten steadily worse faster to the point i can't run. the dr. has done some tests but may have to go back any ideas?

I would check out your shoes. Were you properly fitted? How long have you been wearing your current pair? They might be worn out. Generally speaking (depending on how often a person runs) they wear out their shoes after 6mos (or every 300-400 miles). This all depends on the frequency of your runs, your weight, your running style and the surfaces you are running on. However, running shoes lose stability, shock absorption, and cushioning with time & wear and it can lead to muscle pains and aches in the joints.

Fabnover40Kat · May 2012

Thanks guys, I make sure to hydrate before a run but i often am not able to be up early mornings. I work 9 hour shifts ending at 3am so my morning is close to noon. I don't usually do a 5 minute warm up walk, but next time i run i will for sure do it. I've decided to run every other day and give myself a break.

I'm not sure what i can do for strength training, I don't have access to the gym (no money in the budget for a gym membership at the moment) and i don't have any equipment at home. can anyone suggest some exercises i can do at home?

Pushups, sit ups, squats, lunges are all exercises you could do at home without any equipment.

Good idea on dialing it back to running every other day, at least until you are more experienced. I have been running over a year and still only run 4 days a week, my body needs time to recover!

Also try dynamic stretches before your run-leg swings and squats will help loosen things up

Just get a workout DVD local store..Walmart Target or even the Dollar Store. I got Supreme 90 at Dollar General for $10 , or any of Jillian Michaels's workouts, then some dumbbells... your set!!! I use 10 and 15 lbs right now.

ATT949 · May 2012

I'm probably over-doing it with my running, (i typically run daily, although i'm thinking about slowing that down to every other day) and one problem i'm having is that mid-way through or sometimes even at the start my muscles get very very tired and eventually sore. i don't know if this is because i haven't built enough muscle yet or because i'm not eating properly before a run.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I'm guessing i need to be eating more carbohydrates pre-run than i am currently. On a good day I can run between 4 and 5km, sometimes topping at just over 5k.

I will be running my first 5k race in exactly a month and i need to do something about this tiredness! note, i run outside and not on a treadmill (no gym membership).

Please, please, please. Can one corner of MFP NOT fall the "You've got to drink water all the time or the world will stop spinning!"?

There's nothing that would lead one to suggest that the OP should "drink more water". For the love of Mike™!

It's not easy for someone on MFP to dehydrate while running - we're bombarded with the need to glug down water and, unless you're doing something really wrong, it might well be slowing you down when you run.

I'll explain that if anyone's interested.

The biggest impediment to us, the new and slow runners, has nothing to do with water or food (it's between our ears).

We have miles and miles and miles of fuel ready to be burned when we run. Further, if you eat glucose, it will take about 30 minutes to get into the bloodstream. For may folks, that means that they're putting fuel into their bloodstream as they take off their sneakers after a run.

Meanwhile, during the run, blood was being sent to your stomach to carry away food instead of being used to carry oxygen to your muscles. Oops!

I have done many runs while I was hungry. Hunger indicates that our stomach is empty — it doesn't indicate that we're "low on fuel".

And drinking water - why? The advice given out by medical directors for marathons is to drink when you're thirsty. That's is. That advice changed over a decade ago. Diet sites want you to drink water because the full feeling helps you not put food in your mouth. That.Is.It.

Even the Mayo Clinic points that out and states that there's no medical need. Most sites simply omit the reason why they want you to drink water but there's so much "group think" that they just go along.

As one poster posited, your poor performance could well be due to overtraining. I know that's happened to me recently. I did a run last week. I ran 5 miles over the same course and at about the same time of day (very similar weather). My average HR was 167 on April 24 and it was 156 on April 30. A 12 BPM drop is huge and the only significant difference in my preparedness was that I rested for three days before my run on April 30 so my legs were fresh.

Oy, enough. I'm skipping lunch - I need a run.

heytherestephy · May 2012

What I have learned from my run clinic(s):

1. You need to give yourself a rest day from running.
2. Make sure you are wearing the right shoes.
3. Warm up prior to running with some light walking or jogging on the spot.
4. Stretch for 20mins after a run.
5. If the aches persist, or the muscles are tight then put an ice pack on the muscles (off and on) for a good 20-30mins. Put your feet up too and rest them.
6. Soak in a nice hot bath a couple times a week. Put 2 cups of epsom salts in the tub too and it will draw out the toxins.
7. Drink LOTS of water (half your body weight in ounces per day).

They're not really aches as much as just tiredness. I definitely need to take breaks between runs, and definitely will be running every other day. I wear New Balances, WE920's, They're not on the NB site but they are awesome. Best runners I've had so far.

KarenG407 · May 2012

Nutrition is key to everything; especially cardio.
carbs before cardio; protein after weight training
try half a peanut butter sandwich 1/2 hour before run. and of course you need to keep hydrated before and after.
(Also: 1 dill pickle before a run or weight training. sounds gross, but it works!).

heytherestephy · May 2012

Thanks for everyone's advice.

For sure I am running too often, my problem being that when I take a rest day I often get agitated and want to get running. I could just put that into going for a nice long walk instead!

Also everyone should know:

1. I drink more than enough water. I don't drink milk or juices or sodas, and my boyfriend and I are very big water drinkers so I always drink as much as I should

2. I will try to get some strength training in, probably doing some of the suggestions listed, squats, etc. but as a former equestrian I have got some pretty muscular legs to begin with.

3. I will do a 5-minute warm up walk prior to running, I haven't been doing this but I'm going to start!

Thanks again!

bigdawg025 · May 2012

I ALWAYS do a 5-7 minute warm up walk before any run regardless of the distance. I think you're just running too much (and needing the warmup as well). I wouldn't advise anyone to run every single day. You NEED recovery days!

I am dealing with a similar issue because I am not getting enough runs in throughout the week (just too busy)... so I'm starting to hurt after mile 6. Granted I'm running 10 miles vice 5K... but I think the balance needs to be there. 4 days a week is more than enough training!

Good luck!

blynn2708 · May 2012

What I have learned from my run clinic(s):

1. You need to give yourself a rest day from running.
2. Make sure you are wearing the right shoes.
3. Warm up prior to running with some light walking or jogging on the spot.
4. Stretch for 20mins after a run.
5. If the aches persist, or the muscles are tight then put an ice pack on the muscles (off and on) for a good 20-30mins. Put your feet up too and rest them.
6. Soak in a nice hot bath a couple times a week. Put 2 cups of epsom salts in the tub too and it will draw out the toxins.
7. Drink LOTS of water (half your body weight in ounces per day).

They're not really aches as much as just tiredness. I definitely need to take breaks between runs, and definitely will be running every other day. I wear New Balances, WE920's, They're not on the NB site but they are awesome. Best runners I've had so far.

I know what you mean by the tiredness, I am new to running, but I was finding that first 5 to 10 minutes of running my legs were so tired and didn't want to move! So, I started increasing my warm up walk to 7 minutes, then doing some leg swings and stretches for a couple of minutes and back on the treadmill and everything would work itself out! I'm doing c25k, week 8 day 2, I usually take one rest day between day 1 and 2 and then 2 rest days between days 2 and 3. That's what works for me, but everyone is different! Good luck!

pandsmomCheryl · May 2012

I'm new to running (just did my first 5K last weekend - it was fun!) and I've gotten great advice on MFP. I would say you need a couple rest days. If you don't want to run every other day, what about 2 days on 1 day off (or, not off, but x-training). Good luck.

sailorsiren13 · May 2012

Hi All i just got home from the local running store if your issues get really bad i would suggest doing this. My hubby was being super stubborn about me going and we had the most amazing experience tonight.

We invested some money in Trigger point Therapy which is a self massage for my injuries and issues that i have been having also the gentleman took one look at my feet and knew that i was wayyyy over pronating . So i also invested in a new pair of shoes and he said i should be good to go for my 10k! He did what the Dr. couldn't he figured out what was wrong with me and didn't blow me off!!!:drinker: :flowerforyou: Op thank you for posting this!!!

Sore muscles midway through a run

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