running aches and pains

KilaMarie88
KilaMarie88 Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
So my ultimate goal is to be able to run 3 miles straight before my vacation October 6. I'm at 2 miles currently and have planned to increase my distance by a quarter mile every two weeks. I had a set back last week because I was sick so I started again at 2 miles this week and plan on doing another week at 2. I am running 3x a week.... my first two runs this week were pretty good (I was happy I could still do 2 after being sick) but today.... man o man.... I woke up sooooo sore, my back hurt bad (I'm a nurse so I usually have some back pain usually in the morning, but I'm not sure if this was from my running, it was different)... well I decided to try anyway. I did a mile straight but had to stop..I was going to wait 5 mins and do another mile.... but I had to split my last mile in halves :( this was so disappointing to me... when I used to run 3-4 miles consistently I felt that I never really had physical pain... but this go around... ugh I feel like I have to really really mentally push myself to get threw it.. is this normal for anyone... I'm wondering if I'm causing more damage to body and if I should just throw the towel in :( I love setting goals and the days I can get threw it I feel really accomplished...I like to run... but I really hate being in pain while doing it! Any tips?? Also what do you think of my distance increases? I felt that when I was younger I didn't really have to set mini goals... I would just say... ok today I'm going to run 3 miles and I would do it lol...

Replies

  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    Sounds like you're winging it. You could benefit from taking a step back and introducing some structure (C25K, or whatever). Also, how fast are you going? Were you fitted for the shoes you're wearing?
  • KilaMarie88
    KilaMarie88 Posts: 28 Member
    I run a 10 minute mile... so 6/mph... I got fitted with a pair of Asics at running store about a year ago and in Jan I went to ****s sporting goods and brought my old Asics in... they gave me a pair they said that were the same kind.... what do you mean by winging it?? I guess... I mean how am I winging it if I'm adding .25 every two weeks??
  • lujako
    lujako Posts: 87 Member
    Definitely have your shoes looked at by a running store. I had to change my shoes after about 5 months. Try slowing your pace a bit and keep going! :) C25K is a great program, sounds like you would be able to start in the middle of the program.

    Blue skies!
  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    I agree - try slowing down. Do you use an app that updates you with how fast you are running? If so, I'd aim for 30-60 seconds slower per mile, at least on the first day that you increase your mileage. I've always found that slowing down a bit helps me out.
  • ElliottTN
    ElliottTN Posts: 1,614 Member
    Meh, bad runs happen. Just don't let it get into your head and ruin your runs going forward. With your back it could honestly be anything. You could have just slept on it wrong. Who knows. It would be time to worry if you find a pattern in the pain with your running. If you absolutely have a breakdown during this low mileage then go ahead and walk the rest of the way just to get the mileage on your legs.
  • Girlg0yle
    Girlg0yle Posts: 131 Member
    You might try adding some walking segments in and going the 3 miles doing a walk/run. You may be less sore with a more distance...say run 5 walk 1 minute? And may want to look at changing shoes. check your posture during your run to see if you've started any bad habits in that dept
  • SonicDeathMonkey80
    SonicDeathMonkey80 Posts: 4,489 Member
    I run a 10 minute mile... so 6/mph... I got fitted with a pair of Asics at running store about a year ago and in Jan I went to ****s sporting goods and brought my old Asics in... they gave me a pair they said that were the same kind.... what do you mean by winging it?? I guess... I mean how am I winging it if I'm adding .25 every two weeks??

    First mistake: go to a real running store again, not Richard's Sporting Goods. Yes, they carry running shoes, but the employees might be working the shoe section one week and the golf section the next. Those clerks there are full of sh** most of the time, and you're not going to get good answers. By winging it, I meant that you simply don't seem to be following a plan. Not that you "need" one, but it's good to see an everyday baseline for what you could be doing. How do you feel after running a 10min mi? Do you feel out of breath, or does it come easy to you? I ask because most people that can't run 3mi straight aren't running 10min miles. That's a little speedy for someone without the aerobic capacity to run 3 miles. If that's the case, sloooooow down and see how that works for you.
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    I run a 10 minute mile... so 6/mph... I got fitted with a pair of Asics at running store about a year ago and in Jan I went to ****s sporting goods and brought my old Asics in... they gave me a pair they said that were the same kind.... what do you mean by winging it?? I guess... I mean how am I winging it if I'm adding .25 every two weeks??
    \Unless they are the exact same model number then they may not be the "Same" kind. Even when they come out with an updated model (like Cumulus 10 to a 11 or whatever) they can change enough that you will notice.

    It was one bad day where you were really sore? Eh, it happens. Heal up and go back at it. How many miles do you have in the new shoes? If it persists go to real place with running shoes and check out as manyu as possible.
  • handyrunner
    handyrunner Posts: 32,662 Member
    Everyone gave great advice especiallySDM..

    In regards to your back pain..is it lower back or upper? Either way if its not the shoes then its down to form..Are you leaning forward at your waist rather than at the ankle...is your stride to long, ,meaning your foot striking in front? if not try and work on striking under your body.


    If the pain is in the upper body..id look at head position...are your shoulders square and relaxed or hunched up? are your arms at 90 degrees?..are you making sure they arent crossing your body with each pump?

    Just some ideas to look at..hope it helps.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    I suffer from collapsing arches which was totally foreign to me 8 years ago. I ran all through my 20 years of the gym experience without knowing why all of a sudden, I started getting a sore lower back after running more than 1 mile. After my best friend got into running, she told me to go check out a podiatrist for my feet even though I had back pain.

    He informed me with collapsing arches, I'm actually impacting my knees and back more than a normal arched person. After about a week with new shoe inserts, I can go 5-6 miles, without the next day pain. My strength training also helped my core and knee strengthening. Now I'm joint-pain free.
  • KilaMarie88
    KilaMarie88 Posts: 28 Member
    Thanks everyone for the advice.. I will try slowing down and get new shoes! I also may see a podiatrist too!!
  • thavoice
    thavoice Posts: 1,326 Member
    Thanks everyone for the advice.. I will try slowing down and get new shoes! I also may see a podiatrist too!!
    Before you get new shoes though..did this start right after the new shoes?
    Or have you been in them for quite awhile and maybe need replaces?
  • LoneWolfRunner
    LoneWolfRunner Posts: 1,160 Member
    I would throw in the shoes before I threw in the towel. During the first couple of months that I started running, I developed knee, hip and back b pain and thought about calling it quits. My brother told me to ditch the shoes and I switched to barefoot running on the treadmill and zero-drop minimalist shoes outside. I know there is dispute about this issue, but for me, within a week, my aches and pains were gone.
  • bidimus
    bidimus Posts: 95 Member
    I would throw in the shoes before I threw in the towel. During the first couple of months that I started running, I developed knee, hip and back b pain and thought about calling it quits. My brother told me to ditch the shoes and I switched to barefoot running on the treadmill and zero-drop minimalist shoes outside. I know there is dispute about this issue, but for me, within a week, my aches and pains were gone.

    I would totally concur on this. I have even coached shod runners who now use barefoot running as a training tool to improve their form though they still predominantly run shod. One caveat is this is an area most podiatrists will disagree with. Often jumping straight to expensive orthopedics and corrective shoes.

    While these things can help, they're a crutch that helps with the symptom and don't a cure for the actual problem. I would look at posture and strengthening to see if that resolves the issue before buying into quick fixes. I'm not arguing the quick fixes don't work, I know people for whom they do. But it has been my personal experience that correcting the cause when possible is cheaper and more sustainable than working around it.

    One thing that could help would be to do a video of you running and post it for review. Take any advice with a grain of salt though. There are a lot of contradictory opinions out there and at the end of the day you're specific answer may be different than theirs.

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