Runners, do you run when legs are sore?

WickAndArtoo
WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
edited November 13 in Fitness and Exercise
Hi! I don't do strength exercises very often, so when I do I get very sore (even if it is not much of a workout). I am trying to start doing strength workouts more often, and yesterday I did some squats and lunges. My question is do my runner friends run if they have sore legs from a work out?

Replies

  • Nikki10129
    Nikki10129 Posts: 292 Member
    Depends on how/where they're sore. Muscle soreness, particularly in my quads I don't mind running with, I actually find running helps loosen the muscles up and takes away from soreness.

    Any sort of joint pain I won't run, and any pain in my calves I won't run (even if it's the muscles there) because I've had stress fractures and they are very painful.
  • AigreDoux
    AigreDoux Posts: 594 Member
    A little bit sore, yes.
    But I don't push myself so hard in strength training that I am horribly sore.
  • bagge72
    bagge72 Posts: 1,377 Member
    I do, but if it is the day after leg day, I tone my pace way day, and some times just do intervals between walking and jogging. I do find it does help the DOMS go by quicker for me.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    I don't run if I am in PAIN. If I have DOMS from lifting, I run. There is a difference, (to me anyway) between soreness and pain, pain means an injury to me, so I rest it.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
    I'm not a runner, but I am an avid cycling enthusiast...yes, I ride if I'm sore...but I'm rarely never so sore that I would even think about it. The good news is that if you keep lifting, the DOMs will go away in pretty short order.

    A nice run or spin is actually a good way to treat DOMs
  • jenilla1
    jenilla1 Posts: 11,118 Member
    If it's a little soreness in the muscles I'm cool with it. Actual acute pain or joint issues will stop me, though. I don't mess around with injuries. :)
  • squarewheels66
    squarewheels66 Posts: 25 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    I'm not a runner, but I am an avid cycling enthusiast...yes, I ride if I'm sore...but I'm rarely never so sore that I would even think about it. The good news is that if you keep lifting, the DOMs will go away in pretty short order.

    A nice run or spin is actually a good way to treat DOMs

    Agree. I used to get DOMS quite bad when training in an unstructured way i.e . I was not doing enough easy but never able to do quality hard sessions

    Since I've adopted the 80/20 easy/hard approach I don't suffer as much.

    I think there is a breakthrough point when you get to a certain level of activity where it just settles down - for me this is 4-5 hours aerobic + 2 sessions of weights a week.

    Drinking heavy on a day of exercise is bound to make my legs sore :s
  • WickAndArtoo
    WickAndArtoo Posts: 773 Member
    Thanks for the replies every one, my soreness is in my quads, and is definitely not injury. I actually didn't push myself hard at all, my muscles get sore the first day of starting up again because I always lose steam for a month or two between strength work outs. It would be fabulous to get consistent so that I would stop becoming quite so sore every time :). Basically what happens is that I work out, am very sore so I figure I should take time off until the soreness goes away (usually 3-4 days) but by then I have totally lost motivation! So thats why I asking, because if I can run then maybe I won't lose the motivation. I ran last time this happened two months ago and it did seem to help the soreness, but I figured to check and see if that is normal. Thanks again for taking the time to help me out :)
  • pzarnosky
    pzarnosky Posts: 256 Member
    Nikki10129 wrote: »
    Depends on how/where they're sore. Muscle soreness, particularly in my quads I don't mind running with, I actually find running helps loosen the muscles up and takes away from soreness.

    Any sort of joint pain I won't run, and any pain in my calves I won't run (even if it's the muscles there) because I've had stress fractures and they are very painful.

    Same!
  • spiriteagle99
    spiriteagle99 Posts: 3,749 Member
    Just keep the run easy. There's a reason they call it 'recovery pace'.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    I started my winter weight training about 10 days after my marathon. I swear I hurt more the day after lifting than I did the day after the race. :)

    Since I was already taking it easy I did not run for a couple days until I got into my routine. Now I am lifting and running (though not as much running in the off season) and no longer get the sore. Just give it some time to get used to the new routine .

    Good luck.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    Not from lifting, but a core element of my endurance training is the back to back long run. The Sunday times are always on sore/ tired legs having done a good LSR the previous day.

    The point is to condition to running while fatigued, which is good prep for doubles; marathons or ultras on consecutive days.
  • Mike_take2
    Mike_take2 Posts: 2,150 Member
    Yes, sometimes it's more of a Frankenstein tempo walk, but I still do it...
  • lporter229
    lporter229 Posts: 4,907 Member
    Yes, but slow and easy. I generally do lifting on the same day as speed work or faster runs so that the next day can truly be a recovery day. That is a day that I run at a pace and distance that feels comfortable, no matter how slow that may be.
  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
    Quite often. The sore-muscle runs are hard, but I think it helps them to feel better sooner.
  • GottaBurnEmAll
    GottaBurnEmAll Posts: 7,722 Member
    If my joints are sore, no.

    If it's DOMS? Yes, I run.
  • shanae727
    shanae727 Posts: 546 Member
    GottaBurnEmAll wrote: »
    If my joints are sore, no.

    If it's DOMS? Yes, I run.

    this!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
    prattiger65 wrote: »
    I don't run if I am in PAIN. If I have DOMS from lifting, I run. There is a difference, (to me anyway) between soreness and pain, pain means an injury to me, so I rest it.

    ^^^ This.....

    Unless you've really overdone things being active will help with recovering from DOMS (having said that, if i was sore I'd probably keep the run shortish and slow). Having said that I did find that I had to cut back on my squats during the later stages of my training plan last year as I wasn't getting enough recovery time and my legs felt very sluggish from fatigue.
  • liftorgohome
    liftorgohome Posts: 25,455 Member
    I hate leg days!! Trying to get back in a routine of twice a week but usually too sore from just one day. I think I over do it a bit. I've got chicken legs!!
  • Bluepegasus
    Bluepegasus Posts: 333 Member
    If it's just DOMS, then yes, I always run, it actually helps loosen up the muscles. If I'm quite sore, then I'll just have an easy run.
  • miratps
    miratps Posts: 141 Member
    How do you know it's DOMS or actual muscle pain? I had to stop my run this morning because I was literally about to cry due to the pain so walked the last part which was still painful both physically and mentally.

    I haven't actually had any sort of rest day from exercise, whether that be cycling, walking a lot, jogging or whatever for months so not really sure. I have had pain in this place before (thigh) and tends to go or I push through till it goes but I feel that is doing more harm than good in the long run.
  • prattiger65
    prattiger65 Posts: 1,657 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    How do you know it's DOMS or actual muscle pain? I had to stop my run this morning because I was literally about to cry due to the pain so walked the last part which was still painful both physically and mentally.

    I haven't actually had any sort of rest day from exercise, whether that be cycling, walking a lot, jogging or whatever for months so not really sure. I have had pain in this place before (thigh) and tends to go or I push through till it goes but I feel that is doing more harm than good in the long run.

    For me, the difference is soreness versus sharp pain, I guess I have had DOMS enough to easily recognize it. Sometimes the mental part of running is the hardest, more than sometimes actually. It is my opinion that you should take some rest days, I take two days per week that I do nothing and one day that I do a very low impact workout like going for a leisurely bike ride or a nice long slow walk. I honestly cant imagine not taking a couple of days off per week, when does your body heal?
  • AnnyisOK
    AnnyisOK Posts: 121 Member
    Soreness yes, pain, I try not to.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    miratps wrote: »
    How do you know it's DOMS or actual muscle pain? I had to stop my run this morning because I was literally about to cry due to the pain so walked the last part which was still painful both physically and mentally.

    I haven't actually had any sort of rest day from exercise, whether that be cycling, walking a lot, jogging or whatever for months so not really sure. I have had pain in this place before (thigh) and tends to go or I push through till it goes but I feel that is doing more harm than good in the long run.

    If you have been at this for months it is probably not DOMS. I suggest taking a few days or even a week off and see how you feel. And when you start up again make sure you take days off. Resting very important part of getting stronger and faster.
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