Hi everyone. I'm in the middle of week 6 and wanted to ask a quick question.
Does anyone elses legs ache after their runs? At the start I wasn't too bad, but I feel as if my legs ache more now than at the beginning. Is this normal? I know I'm a very new runner, so will take some time for the old legs to adjust, but I thought I might be feeling a bit less achey.
Thanks for any input guys. 
Yes, I suffered with achy legs after my runs when I first started, so much that after I graduated and started increasing my mileage after my long run of the week I didn't sleep as well that night. As long as the achyness wears off and isn't a painful ache then I think you're ok
Thanks for your reply Lovefood.
I suppose my body is being worked a lot harder now than 6 weeks ago. Off to put these achey legs to bed, ready for r3 on Friday
Good luck with R3
That's interesting as I don't sleep well after my evening runs, well the longer ones. Did 5k last night, ached and had terrible nights sleep. It's happened a few times and I thought it was just me xx
Yeah, it was just the long ones that got me too, my shorter ones of the week never seemed to cause me problems. My sleep wasn't terrible, just not good x
That happened to me too after week 3 run 1. I preemptively took ibuprofen with benadryl this last time. Slept like a log 😉.
Looks like a lot of us are the same Dunnja. Hoping it just takes a wee bit of time for the legs to adjust.
Not only do my legs ache after a run, but I seem to have permanently aching legs now. It's how your body makes you never forget that you are a runner. I'm either running today, tomorrow or yesterday...
Better to be a runner with achey legs than on the couch though I suppose! 
Well I wake up every morning with a stiff hip, and numb toes, which I didn't have when I could barely survive 60 seconds of running at a time. I think some aches and pains are just something we expect, but if it gets too bad, too much courage becomes a vice rather than a virtue. I think I had legs that were a bit more sore a few days ago. Now they're fine (they only go stiff after a few hours of sleep), and I think they're better than they were a few days ago. The reason for that would be that I've started running deliberately more slowly, to be a bit kinder to my legs for a while. If I sped up again, I'd be less limber afterwards.
So there you have one example of the runner who's not completely comfortable, then. My solution is always to ease off, slow down, etc. (Oh, and I've done things like drop leg exercises for the time being at gym. And I also don't walk so far to warm up for that. I was doing 3km of warm up walk, and then 3km of cool down walk afterwards, and now I do less).
Thanks for your reply Gary. Looks like it's not just me experiencing the aches!
I only started running to rest my hand injury from cycling! Start week 6 tomorrow. I have to focus on C25K and cycling almost stopped so I can have rest between runs. It is getting pretty challenging and my legs r aching - the calf and thigh. I often just go to bed and warm up my legs and rest. Figure I need to get through the programme and want to make that possible by being committed to it, hope I get through!
Hi joolie, yes I get what you mean, I warm up my legs too after a run when I go to bed, seems to ease the aches a bit. Good luck, you will get through, we both will!
Hi Mimsickle,
I am in roughly the same place as you, I have just started week 7, although I will be having about a week off for medical reasons. I totally agree with you!! In fact, the time is now 4.30am, and I have been awake since 2.30am as my legs are just so uncomfortable. I decided there was nothing else for it, and came downstairs for a cup of tea and a couple of ibuprofen's! My legs are definitely more achy, noticeably in my thighs and lower calve. I always have a stiff hip when I run, that hasn't changed, but I agree, the legs are doing a lot more running and I guess that just takes time to adjust. I always make sure I stretch really well before and afterwards. I can't even say they are specifically achy right now, just uncomfortable and 'jumpy' almost. I run very slowly (really slow, even snails overtake me!) but the speed will come in time. The stamina is what I find hard to build up. Still, it's coming, achy legs and all 
Hi El. Sorry to hear that. Hope you got some sleep in the end. Yes i do stretches as well. Must just be our legs adjusting to the impact of running. Least I'm not the only one, thought I'd chheck!
My legs are achey after a run too (I run in the evenings). They don't stop me sleeping and normally feel ok by the next day, but there is definitely a certain fragile-ness (fragility?) to them now which I didn't have before!
If you're worried, might be worth seeing a doctor or physio.
Thanks for your reply Sarah. Looks like lots of people ache after their run!
Hi, I asked a similar question in week 7, and had lots of good friendly advice about how important stretching is. Since then I ve been much more conscientious about stretching and now ache much less afterwards. Have now graduated and can run 30 mins! And now that I'm doing the stretches afterwards don't ache so much. 😀
Hi Red, thanks for your reply. I found the stretches on here a good few weeks back, which I make sure to do. Would hate to think how the old legs would feel without any stretches!
Oh my god, YES and YES again. I'm now running 28 minute runs and my legs ache all week. I've found that having an extra days rest helps so I'm effectively getting 2.5 runs a week, but otherwise I think there's too much strain on my muscles.
I'm led to believe the aching is good. I found having a glass of milk and a bananna after a run and stretching lots has helped but I ran last night and every mucscle in my legs still ache!
Haha, this very emphatic agreement made me laugh!
At least we know we're all in this together I guess! Good luck with the rest of your runs
you too, you'll be fine !
Hiya, Do you have a nice big stretch after your runs? I find this helps loads
Hi Sallyannie, I do indeed. It makes me wonder how much more I would ache if I didn't stretch! Thanks for your response
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