Week 6 woes - running technique??

[Newbiefitness]

I have really struggled with week 6 after the success of week 5. I repeated W6R1 and managed to get through R2 but R3 has broken me today. I had to have a break after 12:30 for a couple of minutes before starting again, this was due to calf pain. I did the rest of the time as walk run intervals so not as planned. I have had calf pain over the last couple of weeks and have been religiously stretching pre and post run but something that I have noticed is that as I get tired me right knee goes in slightly and knocks against the left knee.

As a newly obsessed not yet runner (in my mind anyway), I have of course relentlessly researched this and it could be due to weak hip abductors, it seems that as well as strengthening exercises, I need to work on running technique training... does anyone have any ideas?? I didn't think this is something I would be investigating at such an early stage in the game but I am really enjoying running and I am determined to see this through.

[Bullmastifflove]

Hi I am by no means experienced and I am sure there are far more experienced people who can offer advice. I am in wk 6 too and yesterday completed run 2. I have found this a bit of a struggle. I found that stretching and doing some resistance training exercises on the days between runs helped but also slowing down on my runs and not trying to push myself too much. I am trying to run at a pace were my breathing was steady. I wouldn’t worry if you need to stop, everyone’s different and it’s not a rule that you have to follow the plan exactly, it’s ok to repeat runs before you move on if you need to. Hope this helps! Keep going you are doing great! X

[Newbie59 Graduate]

Hi, have you looked at the advice on the NHS Couch to 5k website? There is a link to some exercises which will help strengthen your knees. Also are you doing the dynamic stretches before you go out, to warm up, and then holding the static stretches for a full 30 seconds when you get back after your run?

I would suggest just repeating those runs until you can do them comfortably then move on up to week 7.

Good Luck!