Can you run too much??

I'm no fitness expert, but I've heard a lot of people talking about how running long distances is more damaging than it's worth. Why don't you try something like sprints? They help you run faster, burn a lot of calories, and they're more natural, I think.

Its best to rest, other wise you risk hurting yourself.

Since you are a new runner, I would find another workout for your days in between C25k runs. Lift weights, ride a bike, etc. Running everyday from the beginning (rather than building up to it) increases your chances of injury.

if you are doing the C25k,then you are probably really new to running. therefore, you need rest days. you risk injurying yourself, and that can undo a lot of good that you've done. try doing some kind of weights or circuit training on your days off. take a yoga class, or go for a swim.

Everyone has already said so but basically yes you can run too much just like you can lift weights too much etc...

Running is high impact. You can hurt your joints, your shins, your feet, your ankles. You need to build up the muscles and ligaments. I know in the beginning we want to tear off and max ourselves out right away but that leads to injury. Please take your time, use your rest days, and build yourself up from there.

In July I started running again and after two miles I was spent. Now in November I'm doing 8.5 mile runs. It took time to get there, and I run 3-4x a week.

Best of luck.

There's a scary article Men's Health put out about running marathons and the damage it can do to your heart... I suppose it's an alarmist type of article.

But, you CAN run too much. You can over-train. You should be taking days between runs for recovery. This is why they say walking is better because there's no time to recover and you can do it for hours at a time. But if your legs feel fresh, keep going. Just make sure to listen to your body and rest when you need to. Or just change to something that has less impact on you, like the elliptical or rowing or something.

if you are doing the C25k,then you are probably really new to running. therefore, you need rest days. you risk injurying yourself, and that can undo a lot of good that you've done. try doing some kind of weights or circuit training on your days off. take a yoga class, or go for a swim.

This is true. If you're new to running it's always best to take it easy. I run extra, but I've been a runner a long time. I was out of shape, so I figured C25K would ease me back in without having to think to much about it.

I've been running for years. Marathons, halfs, you name it. Im getting back to it after a knee injury. Miss it so much! A day off is worth it to keep yourself injury free and stay motivated. Also, mix it up with trail running, street running and treadmill (not a fan) but it is less stress on knees to mix it up. Varied surfaces. I added an eliptical or a bike day, just to get some low impact. Hard not to run on those days. Great work!

Agreed, rest (as in find a different exercise for the in between days). As a new runner, your body needs time to build up to be able to handle that kind of impact without injury. When I would push too hard in the beginning, I ended up hurt and then couldn't run at all for a week. Not where you want to be. Strength training is good to do on your in between days, and will help improve your running. I used this website to come up with a routine: www.nerdfitness.com


Or as others said, a walk, biking, elliptical, a video, etc.

Running is great for you :-). However not giving your body recovery time and only running for cardio is going to be hard on your body. If you want to squeeze in workout on your rest days or extra workouts try swimming, biking, ellipticals, Stairmasters, fitness classes (usually free with a gym membership), rowing, strength training, etc....

Long distance running isn't damaging! It's exhilarating! And it's about the #1 way to burn calories in a given amount of time. You *can* get hurt if you don't do it right, but that applies to anything.