What the heck? Can you run too much?

mhesterruns

Okay so I have been doing really well on my Couch 2 5K program. I finished it and have ran the last 3 days (Sun-Tuesday) for 42 minutes (3.2 miles). Today I went to run it again I could not make it all the way back. I madeit to the halfway point and was beating my time by 1 1/2 minutes but on the way back , I literally was running so slow uphill that I began walking. It wasn;t a choice to stop I just started walking. My legs were tired and went I went to run again after some walking they felt like concrete blocks.. I have never run 4 days in a row but thought since I had spring break I would kick it up a notch and it was warmer than ever today (66 degrees). Is it possible to run too much? I was walking pretty fast because I walked for about 5 minutes then ran for 2 and then walked 5 then ran the last 3 and only added 30 seconds to my time... thoughts?

durbanski

Over exerted yourself id guess.

skywalker

Rest days are important. You were probably just fatigued. Don't sweat it. I bike and there are some days where I feel great and go 30 miles without even thinking about it. Other days I'm dying to finish 10 or 15 :happy:

workoutqueen628

4 days of running in a row is definitely A LOT!! Especially if you are still new to it. Don't do too much too soon.

Dom_m

Is it possible to run too much?

Absolutely. On Saturday I ran ~60miles with a 25lb pack. Yesterday I tried to go for a jog on the treadmill (slower than I would normally do for a warmup) and I couldn't even make it 500m before I had to stop. Not even walk - stop.

Ok, so you might not think this is the same situation, but it basically is. You can't demand more from your body than its able to give. Recovery is part of the improvement process. You can do active recovery, so maybe alternate running days with walking days, or swimming days or something else. I tend to do a different type of exercise each day.

Generally, I do something like this:
Weights: Monday, Wednesday, Saturday.
Yoga: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday
Cycling: Monday, Saturday
Running: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Aikido: Monday, Friday
Stretching: Friday (this is an hour of stretching exercises, I also stretch after each other exercise session)
Walking: whenever I can't be bothered doing something I normally do.

Mix it up and you'll have more fun and your body will be able to cope with it more efficiently as well.

gennyvieve

they say new runners should only run every other day....or run smaller amounts. if i run every day then i only do a mile or so, then do the rest on the elliptical. it makes a HUGE difference---i feel like i have more to give on my run if i skip a day in between.

kwardklinck

I can't even walk very fast the day after a run. I run Mon Wed and Friday. I do pilates and pushups on the alternate days. A couple of weeks ago I was alternating running with aerobics and my calves were so swollen and miserable. So now I give my poor legs a break.

7heaven

Definitely! You can run too much. Rest days are just as important as your training/running days. That is when your body repairs and builds the muscle. I have trained for and ran 2 marathons and 2 half-marathons this past year and currently training for the San Diego marathon on June 6th with Team in Training. We run 4 days with 3 rest/cross training days. I love giving myself permission to rest!

Congratulations on your accomplishments so far! Maybe look ahead for another race you want to do and create a training schedule. I have found I am actually easier on myself when the day is scheduled for "rest"! Take a look at "Smart Coach" on Runner's World website. It is free and creates a training schedule based on what you want to run, how fast you want to run it and how many weeks out it is.

miqisha

Yes you can run too much, you probably just pushed your body too hard, more than it is willing to take, especially if it is something you are knew to.

Maybe tomorrow you can just walk and give your body time to recoup, then try running some more after that

mhesterruns

Thanks so much for the advice. I am training for a 6K on the 18th of April and was thinking that doing more would help me make it faster. I am never sore after a run but I guess my body does need to rest.

I am going to walk tomorrow and then only run 2 consecutive days in a row. i was thinking I needed to do some weights so maybe I can alternate days of running with that and walking. Thanks again!

xeniasimms

60 miles???? That's almost two and a half marathons. You should be done for the year!