New runner struggling. Need advise.

jenlipe
jenlipe Posts: 54 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I am a very new runner. Have been actually running for 4 weeks, 2 to 3x a week. I have been getting the 5k in and average 14:30 in the last week (that I was able to run). Slower at the begining. I run at 5:00 am. I am on 1200 calories and work out other ways besides running. I swim 2-3 times a week (40 minutes non-stop). Zumba 3-4 times a week (50-60 min). On a busy day I will burn close to 1000 calories from working out. On a slower day only about 350. I eat back my burned calories.

This last week I wasn't able to run at all. After about the first 1/2 mile my legs fatigued out and I just can't do it any more. I have tried running for a block or two and then walking and my muscles are not cooperating. First time it happened I thought it was because it was evening and I had already worked all day plus did 50 minutes of zumba. So the next two times I have tried in the morning (as usual) but with the same results. My legs are exhausted. I am able to walk the rest of the 5K with no problem, Yesterday I tried to run again and had to give up. Walked 3 miles in the morning and another 3.5 in the afternoon. I do not run or try to run two days in a row. I take the rest break day. Also drink chocolate milk after a run to help with muscle repair.

I really want to run, but my body does not cooperate. Fatigue, not pain.

Would appreciate any advise. Thanks

Replies

  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    You probably need to rest more. Try taking a rest day and then running the day after that. If that doesn't fix it then maybe the problem is something else.

    Running, at first, is hard and takes a lot of recovery time. After you build a base level of fitness that recovery time can be greatly reduced.
  • jenlipe
    jenlipe Posts: 54 Member
    Do you mean rest from running or rest from all exercise? I very rarely take a day off from all excercise. I like my food too much. :happy:
  • scottb81
    scottb81 Posts: 2,538 Member
    Try taking a day off from everything to see if that fixes the running problem. If it does then the problem is just fatigue.

    The need for a lot of recovery from running will quickly reduce and you will be able to get back to every day exercise.
  • PattyC64
    PattyC64 Posts: 56 Member
    THis happened to me when I tried a low-carb diet. Have you changed anything with your eating?

    You've only been running for 4 weeks, and you run a 14:30 5k?!?
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Do you mean rest from running or rest from all exercise? I very rarely take a day off from all excercise. I like my food too much. :happy:

    Rest days period. You need at least one or two a week. Your body is probably telling you that you are doing too much. Slow down a little! Take a day off.

    If you like to eat (me too!) instead of doing the eat-back-what-you-burn method, why not try finding your average TDEE and using that method instead? I love it - I average 2500 calories a day (more on exercise days, less on rest days), so I take a 20% cut from that and eat about 2000-2100 every day.

    You can find the info on this method here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Computer messed up. Duplicate post.
  • gddrdld
    gddrdld Posts: 464 Member
    Sounds like your musles are just fatigued from trying to do too much too soon. I would recommend taking a couple of rest days and try cutting your mileage back. If you've only been running for 4 weeks, then you are probably not ready for that many miles. Listen to your body...If your legs are fatigued, you need to rest those muscles.
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member

    You've only been running for 4 weeks, and you run a 14:30 5k?!?

    I had the same reaction!! Are you RETURNING to running after a break or....??? That's like...professional speed running right there!
  • jenlipe
    jenlipe Posts: 54 Member
    Clarification on my running. I am really slow. I do 14.3 for each mile. lol
  • AmyRhubarb
    AmyRhubarb Posts: 6,890 Member
    Do you mean rest from running or rest from all exercise? I very rarely take a day off from all excercise. I like my food too much. :happy:
    That could be the problem! Rest days are very important - the body needs time to rest and repair. I always take at least one day per week, sometimes two on days when I wake up & the body just says no! LOL I recently took four full days off from all exercise and it was wonderful. Weird at first, but I came back feeling so much better and stronger for it. I would have taken the whole week off, but had a 5k color run on the weekend. :tongue:

    As for eating on those days off - you may also need to up your calories. 1200 isn't a heck of a lot, and while I don't know your stats as far as height, weight, and all that, you are doing a LOT of exercise, especially if you're getting 1000 calorie burns on a regular basis.

    I'm set at 1800 a day (44 years old, 5'8", 137lbs), and even with that I sometimes go over on rest days. But I'm still losing the fat and having to purchase smaller clothes on a regular basis! Food is fuel! Sounds like you're putting some pretty high demands on your body, but not giving it much rest or fuel - could be why your legs were protesting on that run.

    Check out this topic about over-training and under-eating: http://www.shapefit.com/overtraining-exercising-too-much.html

    Also this topic has been very useful to me and many others here at MFP, for setting our calorie goals manually and having great success with more than 1200 a day: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Edited to add: I see LoraF83 posted the same link! :bigsmile: *highfives*
  • BurtHuttz
    BurtHuttz Posts: 3,653 Member
    That's wrong; if you ran a 5K in 14:30 that means you ran three sub-five-minute miles back-to-back. That's unlikely. [Edited to say, nevermind on this part now!]

    So, I'm not sure what's going on. Do you have good quality running shoes? Are you stretching before and after runs? Are you warming up with a brisk walk for at least five minutes first?

    How is your stride? Are your shoes appropriate for your gait?

    Where is the "fatigue" in your legs? Front of the shins, hamstrings, calves?

    Are you taking carbohydrates within an hour of your run to refuel your glycogen stores?

    [And edited to add one final thing: All these questions are rhetorical and things to think about going forward. The answer to your problem, I believe, is that you're way, way overtraining. Get on a plan such as C25k and gradually build up to 5k, because your body is not ready for what you are doing to it. That's why it isn't functioning.]
  • PattyC64
    PattyC64 Posts: 56 Member
    Clarification on my running. I am really slow. I do 14.3 for each mile. lol

    Phew! I was feeling really inadequate ;)
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    You've only been running for 4 weeks, and you run a 14:30 5k?!?

    ^This, I've been running nine months and I'm at like 35 minutes...

    Edit: OH OK I see now.
  • Im_NotPerfect
    Im_NotPerfect Posts: 2,181 Member
    Clarification on my running. I am really slow. I do 14.3 for each mile. lol

    Phew! I was feeling really inadequate ;)

    LOL Ditto! I'm at 33:35 as my official 5K time and I've been running for almost 5 months!
  • determinedbutlazy
    determinedbutlazy Posts: 1,941 Member
    I'd like to add, sounds like you're tired to me. Running is a completely different creature to Zumba and swimming, you use your muscles in different ways. I would take a break from everything but the running for a week or so, see if that helps.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    I agree with complete rest days (I typically do 2 a week). But I also think perhaps you should reduce your distance when you do run. That's awesome that you can run a full 5K already (it took me more than 3 months to be able to do that LOL) but I wouldn't be running that distance every time you run. Do some shorter, and some longer. And take rest days in between. If you really don't want to rest, just do walking - regular casual walking, not speed walking. That's really not that taxing to your body.
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Clarification on my running. I am really slow. I do 14.3 for each mile. lol

    Phew! I was feeling really inadequate ;)

    LOL Ditto! I'm at 33:35 as my official 5K time and I've been running for almost 5 months!

    I'm still feeling inadequate LOL...
  • Morethanwillpower12
    Morethanwillpower12 Posts: 74 Member
    Keep an eye on your potassium. I had the same type of feeling in my leg muscles a couple of times while jogging/walking. I was very weak. It felt like I couldn't even take another step. I told my doctor how I was feeling. She checked my potassium level and it was low. My problem was that I was on a blood pressure pill that is also a diuretic and sweating a lot from working out so my potassium was dropping. Now I take a potassium pill a couple of times a week and that is enough to keep me at a good level.
  • amytag
    amytag Posts: 206 Member
    If you are very new, you might want to do run/walk intervals such as C25K. Be sure to warm up well before running - I have only been running about 4 months but I do a 5 minute walking warmup. Without it, my legs fatigue and I'm prone to side stitches.

    Also, you are doing a lot! I try to take a rest day and find it really helps my performance overall.
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I find I struggle with weak legs when I'm not getting enough sleep or water. *usually it is both*

    Sometimes I can push through by counting my footfalls for a bit. If I don't have pain, I will do that...
    by counting, I mean, count every time your left (or right) foot hits the ground. When you get to 10, restart at 1. You will find you get into a chanting rhythm and often will realize after about 10 iterations - hey, I just ran another 200 steps. HEY, I feel better!

    It could be that you are hitting your wall.

    Congrats on the running - you are doing great for a new runner!
  • LoraF83
    LoraF83 Posts: 15,694 Member
    Do you mean rest from running or rest from all exercise? I very rarely take a day off from all excercise. I like my food too much. :happy:
    That could be the problem! Rest days are very important - the body needs time to rest and repair. I always take at least one day per week, sometimes two on days when I wake up & the body just says no! LOL I recently took four full days off from all exercise and it was wonderful. Weird at first, but I came back feeling so much better and stronger for it. I would have taken the whole week off, but had a 5k color run on the weekend. :tongue:

    As for eating on those days off - you may also need to up your calories. 1200 isn't a heck of a lot, and while I don't know your stats as far as height, weight, and all that, you are doing a LOT of exercise, especially if you're getting 1000 calorie burns on a regular basis.

    I'm set at 1800 a day (44 years old, 5'8", 137lbs), and even with that I sometimes go over on rest days. But I'm still losing the fat and having to purchase smaller clothes on a regular basis! Food is fuel! Sounds like you're putting some pretty high demands on your body, but not giving it much rest or fuel - could be why your legs were protesting on that run.

    Check out this topic about over-training and under-eating: http://www.shapefit.com/overtraining-exercising-too-much.html

    Also this topic has been very useful to me and many others here at MFP, for setting our calorie goals manually and having great success with more than 1200 a day: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/654536-in-place-of-a-road-map-2-0-revised-7-2-12

    Edited to add: I see LoraF83 posted the same link! :bigsmile: *highfives*

    High five to you too!!! :happy:
  • glosettes
    glosettes Posts: 8 Member
    remember to massage your muscles too. I used to use the foam roller but I found that after a while the roller tend to lose shape, now I used trigger points therapy roller. It hurts like hell when you are tight but it loosens up your knots instantly.
  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    Clarification on my running. I am really slow. I do 14.3 for each mile. lol

    Phew! I was feeling really inadequate ;)

    LOL Ditto! I'm at 33:35 as my official 5K time and I've been running for almost 5 months!

    Figured that was a typo. That would have won the NCAA 5K championship.
  • mlb929
    mlb929 Posts: 1,974 Member
    I'll play devils advocate and tell you it's not your legs or running, it's your mind. Keep going. The first two miles are the toughest for me always. Keep moving, keep running. Try drinking some caffeine before you head out the door. There is nothing wrong other than your mind playing tricks on you. Tell yourself or doesn't matter and make your legs behave.
  • hazymary
    hazymary Posts: 190 Member
    I find that running is a mental sport..I have a very difficult time getting past the first mile and sometimes I literaly talk myself out of finishing, other days it's a breeze and I can run for miles. Rest, hydration, calorie intake, so many varibles all play into it too. IMHO your'e asking too much from your body with too few calories.
  • jenlipe
    jenlipe Posts: 54 Member
    Thanks for all of the info. I will try to remember what some of you have asked.

    I am 5'5" and currently weigh154. I am lossing approximately 1.5 pounds each week. Sometimes a little less or more. But never have lost 2 pounds (other than first week). So think my calories are appropriate.

    I don't do caffeine. So having some before I run is out of the question.

    I stretch for about 4 minutes before I run and 25 minutes of yoga stretching for a runner after. I walk for about 3-4 minutes before and after I run as warm up and cool down.

    I did the run/walk/run/walk thing for several weeks before running the complete 5k.

    I have very good running shoes that are fitted for me.

    I drink water in the middle of the night and also on my run. And also drink throughout the day.

    I am almost always under on the carbs. Not because I am watching them or trying to cut them out. It just seems to happen. Not too much under though.

    I don't get as much sleep as I should. 5-7 hours a night.

    I notice the vague ache/fatigue feeling even during the day if I am doing flights of stairs and carrying a baby up those flights. Or running around with the kids. So it isn't just when I run. But strange that I don't really notice the fatigue when I zumba, swim or eliptical. It is a all over leg fatigue and not just in the shins, thighs or any other localized place.

    Guess I am taking Monday's off for awhile. That is the day that is easiest to keep the calories down to my 1200 based on what is happening on that day.

    Again. Thanks,
  • MireyGal76
    MireyGal76 Posts: 7,334 Member
    I don't usually self promote, but I wrote this blog and have gotten a lot of positive feedback saying it helped people get through their wall.

    Maybe it will help...
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MireyGal76/view/running-my-bs-and-cs-to-breaking-through-the-wall-357514
  • madmickie
    madmickie Posts: 221 Member
    based on the fact it takes you 45mins to do 5k you clearly are at the beginning of your road to fitness. Training everyday is gonna to be too much. Rest is a vital part of any regime - that;'s when your body adapts to meet the new demands you are putting on it.

    I'd say run 4 days - rest 3 - or do some light crosstraining. Even runners that can do 15min 5ks take days off!
  • omma_to_3
    omma_to_3 Posts: 3,265 Member
    Thanks for all of the info. I will try to remember what some of you have asked.

    I am 5'5" and currently weigh154. I am lossing approximately 1.5 pounds each week. Sometimes a little less or more. But never have lost 2 pounds (other than first week). So think my calories are appropriate.

    I don't do caffeine. So having some before I run is out of the question.

    I stretch for about 4 minutes before I run and 25 minutes of yoga stretching for a runner after. I walk for about 3-4 minutes before and after I run as warm up and cool down.

    I did the run/walk/run/walk thing for several weeks before running the complete 5k.

    I have very good running shoes that are fitted for me.

    I drink water in the middle of the night and also on my run. And also drink throughout the day.

    I am almost always under on the carbs. Not because I am watching them or trying to cut them out. It just seems to happen. Not too much under though.

    I don't get as much sleep as I should. 5-7 hours a night.

    I notice the vague ache/fatigue feeling even during the day if I am doing flights of stairs and carrying a baby up those flights. Or running around with the kids. So it isn't just when I run. But strange that I don't really notice the fatigue when I zumba, swim or eliptical. It is a all over leg fatigue and not just in the shins, thighs or any other localized place.

    Guess I am taking Monday's off for awhile. That is the day that is easiest to keep the calories down to my 1200 based on what is happening on that day.

    Again. Thanks,

    I too find 1200 really hard to stick to on non-exercise days. On those days, I allow myself to go over, up to 1400. It hasn't hampered my losses and is much easier for me to stick too!

    I ran my first 5 miles ever on Saturday. On Sunday, I walked 5K. I went running last night and it was an absolute disaster LOL. I normally have a rest day before I run, so I'm blaming my bad run on the fact that I didn't have one ;-)

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