My first real post, so to begin with just a quick thank you to all in this board who have provided inspiration and support without even realising it. I hated running when young, fit and stick thin, so to be looking forward to runs now i’m overweight and over 50 has amazed me. That is in no small part thanks to the lovely folks here.
Today has been my first real setback though and I’m feeling pretty fed up. W5R3 and I had to stop about 12 minutes in. What left me feeling cheated was that I was fine from a fitness/cardio perspective. However within 3 strides I went from fine to feeling like i’d been stabbed in the calf. Compelety agony and I had to stop and stretch before completing the last 8 mins by telling myself each stride was stretching out the calf (indeed it did tighten up markedly when I slowed to my warm down walk).
I just don’t know where this came from. I ditched supermarket trainers in W2 and had decent ones fitted after gait analysis. I stretched beforehand (I have a tight Achilles from a 30 year old injury, but never really suffered from cramp before due to it. I was well into the run (after the warm up walk). At the time I was in a road with a very pronounced camber and when I took off my shoes I did think they are a bit tight. I also have a bit of a natural heel strike I’ve been trying to eradicate. Maybe I wasn’t too well hydrated either. Whatever it was here I am 5 hours, a hot bath and an anti inflammatory later and I can still only walk with difficulty.
The positives since I started this programme are easy to hold on to. I feel better physically and mentally than I have for years and by coupling to programme with healthy eating cutting the alcohol and I’ve lost about 10 pounds in 5 weeks (admittedly from a very high watermark). But just at the moment I’m having a little wallow in self-pity as the leg doesn’t feel like it will be good to run on on Monday. And when I do run should I repeat W3R3, or, given I was fine for fitness, chalk it down to experience and progress to W6R1 which would actually give my calf a break during the session?
Sorry for the length of post - passing a train journey!!
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Hoopsa
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Ah...it can be very frustrating thats for sure!!!try to focus on how well you have done so far & how far you have come to.get to week 5!!!thats awesome.i.started week 5 on wednesday & have had to stop because i have a sinus infection!!!you have done brilliantly so far...be proud & try again another day.try some ice on your sore leg & maybe some compression socks for your next run x
It's a pity this happened to you on W5R3 as it's a milestone run, but c'est la vie! I'd carry on to W6 if I were you
I graduated C25K nearly three years ago, and have since run two marathons - but I still get cramp sometimes! My personal observation is that it usually happens when I am extra tired, but the reasons for cramp are not fully understood scientifically. Best just to make a note of it and move on.
Thanks - looking at your profile is an inspiration in itself. Still sore this morning, but love the move on ethos. Think I will just carry on to W6 as soon as I can walk without a comedy limp 🤣. X
Welcome to the forum and well done on getting to the last run of W5.
Don't worry, it is probably a blip.
i always advise that if you don't complete a run, then you just repeat it, after a rest day, until you do. Each and every run is training for the next one, wherever you are in your running career.
Running on cambered roads or slopes can be an issue and it has been known that runners can solve niggles simply by running in either the other direction or the other side of the road. However, I have never heard of it being linked with cramps.
Were shoes too tight?
You say you may not have been well hydrated. It is crucial to runners. You need to drink between 2 and 3 litres of fluid per day, well distributed throughout the day. Hydrate today for tomorrow's run.
It is possible you need extra rest days as the runs get longer.
Aww. That sucks to get tripped up on that run in particular. I'd have a couple extra rest days and then repeat, or maybe even go for a gentle early-C25k run just to test it out. Better a little extra rest and tlc now, than overdoing it. Good luck and happy running.
Give yourself a break, an extra rest day is fine. The programme is a guide we are all different. I kept getting so far in the programme running 3 times a week and got overuse injuries. I then had a light bulb moment and decided to try running twice a week, it worked for me. Yes it took longer to complete the programme and I haven’t been without aches and pains etc. But, since I did that, understood my 50 + year old body doesn’t like high impact too often, I’ve gone on in leaps and bounds, to date I’ve completed many 10k events, two 10 milers and two half marathons (slowly).
I couldn’t live without running now, so don’t be down hearted, take care of yourself, you will get there.......
I’m sorry (not really 😉) this addiction is with you to stay......just give your body a chance to catch up with your enthusiasm!
Sounds like you did the right thing stopping! Discomfort is fine to run through, but not pain. Rest up, and you'll be back out there before you know it. You got this far already, no doubt you will be able to keep going, but not before you are ready to do so.
if you check put some of my past posts... you will see that, despite doing everything correctly.. the correct shoes, warming up, stretching after runs etc etc.. we can still get injuries.
When it does feel better..( and try it out first, with a little joggette... then move on... slowly!
I had pulled hamstring injury at same point (wk 5 r2) and felt so disappointed that I couldn’t run after making good progress and doing so well. I had to stop running ( and even walking!) for a full month, which was incredibly frustrating. From reading the experiences of others in the forum, I realised that most people have setbacks at one time or another and more often than not, it is when people least expect it. My advice is to properly rest injuries.
I was really nervous about starting running again but I made sure to do plenty of stretching exercises beforehand and to ease back in gently. Since my initial setback, I’ve been fine and I’m now on wk7 r3. You’ll soon be there too!
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