I finished C25K earlier this year and have slowly being building up my distance and speed. In the early days I had pain in my calves and slowed right down to build up the leg muscles to be able to carry on, this worked a treat and allowed to carry on.
So for the last 6 months, slowly going faster and further and then last month I went to do my run as usual and all of a sudden my left knee started aching and my right calf tightened up.
I haven't changed anything in my routine. I have 2 pairs of running shoes and I alternate between them and now I am struggling to run for 15 mins, when last month I could run for an hour, as I said I haven't changed anything in my routine?
Regards
Stephen
Written by
sbrown1264
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What has been your routine for going further and faster? It will help in seeing what went wrong.
Even if you follow the right way to improve, you still could pick up an injury. It’s a runner’s hazard. Depending on its severity, you’ll have to rest up and/or seek professional help for recovery. 🙂
First of all, I do all my runs on a treadmill. so I walk at 3mph and ran at 3mph for all of c25k. Once I completed it, I thought about what I wanted to achieve, which was to just keep fit, not run park runs or anything else, just enough exercise so I can eat cake!
So we came to May, when I completed my first 5k at a time of 58:34 @3.2mph and since then, once I complete a 5k I increase my speed my 0.1mph, so I went to 3.3mph and tried to run 30 mins and then increased it until the next 5k was run. I am currently at 4.3mph. I have run 30 once at this speed, then on my next run the pain in my knee and calf flared up and now I am doing 3min intervals at 3.7mph for 30 mins and still getting the pain.
That doesn’t sound too bad, Stephen, but are you resting in between runs, giving your body a moment to recover and build back stronger?
Do you do any strength and mobility sessions as well? Sometimes calves will go if they’re overcompensating for weakness in a muscle elsewhere. Knees can be a problem too, though I can’t say what the cause could be with yours.
Depending on the severity of your pain, you could try refraining from running until it feels okay again, or if too severe, or it doesn’t get better in reasonable time, seek professional advice and treatment for it. If you act now you probably won’t lose the degree of fitness you’ve acquired so far.
I run Mon, Wed & Friday. I do pre & post run stretches & I was not gasping at 4.3mph, that is the reason I was going slowly. I do not think increasing my speed by 1.3mph over 12 months is drastic or is it? Regards
I had similar issues (the knee and the opposite ankle). My problem was that I was out of balance as my hips weren’t properly aligned, putting more pressure on one knee, which in return added more pressure on the opposite ankle. Both flared up. Problem was fully resolved during 4 sessions with an osteopath who fixed it. Painful and not cheap but she fixed it alright. I could feel an immediate difference, even when walking. I normally visit her every few years regardless, just in case.
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Everything was just so wrong 
What has running in the heat taught you? 
Is it wrong to feel a bit miffed?
hobbling...time out...what has it been like for you?
