Walking not running...

[CrimsonMama]

So I started C25K five weeks back. Loved it straight away but just on my second run I got injured. Both my knee and shin in my right leg. I couldn't bare weight for 24hrs. Luckily it was the weekend so didn't effect my work but was limpy on Monday morning and had to wear compression sleeve and take painkillers. Has taken two weeks or the pain to fully go!

Have decided to do brisk walking instead. Obviously I need to build up some muscle/stamina first! I'm on my feet walking for four hours a day at work so didn't think I was that unfit but I guess that's different and doesn't stretch the muscles!

I am really enjoying walking and finding new paths to go! I even discovered a herd of cows living one mile from my house that I never knew were there!

I started off 20 mins walking as my sore leg would start to hurt but now am at 30-35 mins. Hope to do 2 miles a day which is about 40 mins then maybe increase to 1 hour a day.

I would like to jog again but I am scared of the injury I had coming back!

Also any tips for how it's cold when you start off so you want to wear a coat or something but half way through you warm up and don't want the extra layer but don't want to take it off and carry it!

[BriC18]

Start off with less layers than you'd wear standing round, so you're slightly cold - that way you won't have to take layers off when you warm up

[UnfitNoMore Graduate]

Brisk walking will certainly get you in shape for the programme, and strengthening exercises with a little yoga will help get the muscles ready too.

I will be warming up indoors before departing on my brisk walk and into jog... so I’ll be in shorts a while longer yet, once I’m warmed up I’m fine.

[ArcherJ]

Sounds like you have a good plan by walking, try to make yourself walk briskly at intervals. As you get a bit stronger try wearing a back pack with some weight in it (say 5kg-just some bags of rice and flour or some such) you'll be amazed how it brings your hip muscles alive. `listen to your body; sometimes you have to progress slower than the program, its still progress and you are still out there! Go girl .

[Hidden in reply to ArcherJ]

I got my calf injury on W1R2 (last jog phase). I limped badly for 24 hours and it still ached at R3 so I could only manage one jog before retiring (aka giving up!) - so disappointed. Yesterday (a week later), I managed to do W3R3 but it was sore all day. The running tips section is worth a read - it definitely helped me to land more “flat footed” and to keep my body more upright. Today I’m going to start the daily stretching exercises recommended by the programme as I think the running stretches and loads muscles to lengths not experienced during walking (when I think one foot is always on the ground).

Good luck and don’t give up - either the walking or the C25K 😁

[CrimsonMama]

I know this is old post but just as an update I have been successfully doing 2 mile brisk walks and now some jogging too. I definitely think it's a good idea to build up your strength before going into C25K!