Hurty legs!!!

[Tombenoly]

24 hrs after completing wk 2 my legs are really hurting, mainly calves and a little bit on the knees is this normal. When I finished I felt OK but now ouch!!!

[TheHack Graduate]

This is normal. Although it usually hits me the morning after. You will be fine after your rest day. Keep going!

[Shivani05 Graduate]

This is normal, your muscles are getting used to being exercised. What kind of pain is it? Is it soreness, dull ache, stiffness? That's normal. If it's searing, sharp pain that's not.

I spent the first 2 to 3 weeks applying generous amounts of pain relieving gels on my knees, ankles and feet, which helped a bit.

[Tombenoly Graduate in reply to Shivani05]

Hi yes it's a dull ache and stiff certainly not sharp. 

[Shivani05 Graduate in reply to Tombenoly]

It's just your muscles protesting and is perfectly normal  

[John_W Graduate]

All normal but try and recognise the difference between pain ("oww!!! There no way I can continue etc") and discomfort ("urgh, I guess I'll try and carry on to see if it goes away or gets worse "). You get the idea.

[JoolieB1 Graduate]

Hurry legs are normal after running as the programme is making us do new things and the runs get longer!  Generally speaking legs should be ok on the run itself and after a recovery day, they should be alright.  I needed rest days and used to keep my legs warm and cosy.  I found strength and flex exercises improved my legs so much

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate]

Just your body, saying.."Hey, what's happening " ? They should be okay soon... you'll know if it is anything else!

[runningnearbeirut Graduate]

Try standing with your toes on a step and do alternate do some heel raises (Hmm, not sure about the name for these) - anyway, hold on to the bannister if necessary and push upwards so you go up onto your toes, then go back down again. After 10 of those, do heel drops, so your heels go below the level of your toes and push up again. These exercises are great for stretching your calf muscles. Be gentle, but they should help. You can do them every day.

[ju-ju- Graduate]

All normal, our bodies don't like it when we start making them work for their money ( it does get better), and also just checking you have good shoes??

[rmnsuk Graduate]

Yes. My legs ached on and off for months during c25k. DOMS - delayed onset muscle soreness. Probably a good idea to do an extra rest day if it's bad

[Cwhitty]

I had that in week 1, and started doing a double set of the stretches  on the NHS website after each podcast - which has made a massive difference. 

[Ullyrunner Graduate]

Sounds like stiffness which comes on after using muscles in an unaccustomed way - develops to its worst about 24 hours later!

One way to help combat it is to build post run stretches in to your routine. I still do them religiously 2.5 years after graduating!

[Ullyrunner Graduate in reply to Ullyrunner]

nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/...

These will get you started