W2 hard

[Pegix]

Hi just done my W2R3.... all week my legs have been aching a tad and I'm not looking forward to next week when I start running for 3min. I do have my rest days - but I do walk my dogs those days, and am out for about an hour in the morning and say half an hour middle of the day, and I don't dawdle. Is this what is making my legs ache more than I expected them to. I have done all the runs this week, it's not that I haven't finished them, but it's not been as easy as it was Week 1, and there isn't actually much difference in the weeks. Next week the hard runs start and I'm a bit worried!! Does anyone have any advice please?

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate]

You’re building up your fitness again. I remember finding exactly the same through lockdown when I started walking much longer distances. It got much, much better for me as I kept it up. If you need to take extra rest days, that’s absolutely fine. Really focussing on stretching is a good plan too.

Try to focus on what you have achieved. Yes, the runs were tough but you were still able to complete them. That’s making you fitter and stronger. Each running interval was 50% longer in week 2 compared with week 1. That’s not nothing! There’s no absolutely reason to think you can’t do those runs next week. Just take each one as it comes, take it as slowly as you can and see how you get on. I bet you’ll surprise yourself.

[Pegix Graduate in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks for your encouragement! I will do my best, and hopefully smash those 3 minutes!

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate in reply to Pegix]

Excellent! Give yourself the best chance of success. Try upping what you’re drinking over the next few days and see how that affects your next run. Really good luck to you! 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️ 🏃‍♀️

[Instructor57 Graduate]

How is your Hydration ?

[Pegix Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

I have a cup of tea before I go out and a large glass of water when I get back.

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to Pegix]

As a runner you really need to be drinking around 2.5 litres a day , even on non running days .This can have a huge effect on how your legs feel

This may help .

healthunlocked.com/couchto5...

Also, are you doing the after run stretches referred to in the program guide ?

healthunlocked.com/couchto5....

[Pegix Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

The link to the static exercises doesn't work, so I can't see what is advised, but I always stretch my hamstring and quads. I do drink a lot during the day, but I have to be honest and say it's mostly tea!

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to Pegix]

I have updated the link in my previous reply .

This is the most up to date version of the program guide.

The link in this guide takes you directly to the post run stretches.

The previous one did work but the page has been updated so it was an indirect link

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Thanks for sorting Instructor57 . As I mentioned in another thread, to which nowster posted a very helpful reply, that NHS site update messed up a few links. Pm me if you want me to do any checking 😀

[Instructor57 Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Thanks, it's ok .I just had 2 versions of the guide in my bookmarks.... I have deleted the old one now

[Cookscat Graduate in reply to Instructor57]

Thankyou , I can run 30min 3 times a week now on the treadmill and love it , I realise I don’t drink nearly enough water ,

[DocEmmett Graduate]

Hi Pegix, that’s excellent advice above from MissUnderstanding and Instructor57.

In addition, it may help you to know how I got started: I know how you feel, because your experience is so similar to how I felt back in May/June this year. I came to C25K unsure of whether I would ever be able to run again after year-long rehabilitation from injury. I had had a good grounding prior to starting C25K through walking our dog: I found that being able to walk for half an hour to an hour once or twice a day is a good foundation. That said, I found the first couple of weeks quite tough because I didn’t know how to run and I wasn’t properly hydrating on rest days. When I focussed on those my running really improved. I learned on here about Niko Niko (Japanese Slow Running): m.youtube.com/watch?v=9L2b2...(Not working as expected?) which showed me I was running too fast, expecting too much too soon. I read lots on this forum which, along with the same advice from a great friend who has also been running for years, encouraged me to learn as much as I could, trust the plan, while listening carefully to my body.

I slowed my running, ignoring pace entirely, just making sure I ran for the programmed times and walked for the programmed times. I hydrated well, ate well, slept well and continued doing dynamic pre-exercise stetching and static post-exercise stretching. As the weeks went by, I made much more rapid progress than I had ever expected to make. I was astonished how my body adapted to what I was asking it to do. I found that I was happier sometimes walking our dog at a slightly slower pace too because I could use those walks for loosening up and recovery between runs.

It’s a tall order trying to add anything worthwhile to what’s noted above, but I genuinely hope my personal experience being so similar to yours, even down to the dog walking, helps you.

Happy running!

[Pegix Graduate in reply to DocEmmett]

THank you so much for your encouraging reply. I did watch that video, and was very impressed with it. It's hard to remind myself to run slowly, and to try as well to land more on the ball of my foot, but I know it will help if I do. You have given me hope that I will sort this! Many thanks.

[DocEmmett Graduate in reply to Pegix]

My pleasure. You will sort it Pegix, if you learn as much as you can, trust the plan and 'scan' your body head-to-toe not to run in pain. I had to be careful not to over do the combined mileage of dog walking, brisk walking, and running. I erred on the side of slowing everything down and that worked well (See Cmoi below).

A great early tip I got to aid the lower legs was from Sanjeev Kohli's commentary where he suggested to imagine being behind a tall hedge with someone watching from the other side, and me running so they couldn't tell I was running: slow and steady, with no energy-sapping bouncing up and down, conserving energy.

Happy Running!

[Cmoi Graduate]

Hi  Pegix ,you've already had lots of great advice. Just to add: while walking is great for cross-training, if you're out for around 1.5 hours each day and are making an effort to walk fast, especially uphill, your calves will probably feel it. That's no reason not to walk, but maybe dial back your pace a little. You don't need to push it during your runs either, a comfortable pace is much better for you.

Personally I find that proper hydration and stretching post-run are really important - if I neglect those my calves will certainly let me know.

Enjoy your running, and the dog walks too!

[Pegix Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Yes, I think I probably am pushing myself a bit too much on my walks on my rest days. I do tend to walk fast (though my husband would disagree!) and my calves do ache sometimes. At lunchtime today I deliberately just meandered along, and felt the benefit of it. Thank you for your help.

[Cmoi Graduate in reply to Pegix]

You're welcome. I'm very fortunate to live in mid-mountain France, between fields and forest and on a waymarked walking route, with lots of other paths too. Brilliant both for dog walking and trail running! However, even though I'm used to it, I still notice a difference between my "pootling" and "making-an-effort" forest walks. While the latter aren't as demanding as running the same trails, they're actually tougher than running on flattish roads!

[Pegix Graduate in reply to Cmoi]

Just read your Bio. Inspiring! I'm a similar age to you, so maybe I'll be running 40+k in 18mths time!

[Langley-Loper Graduate]

All good advice here. My experience? To be honest my legs ached every day when I was doing c25k. No specific injuries, just aching all the time. I just kept going and eventually they got used to running!

[Pegix Graduate in reply to Langley-Loper]

Sounds very familiar. Glad I'm not the only one! I shall persevere.......

[Beachcomber66 Graduate]

Aching legs for me on C25k too. I hadn’t done any running for over 30 years, and even then I had only run as part of another sport. Tendons and ligaments in addition to muscles all needed to stretch and become more flexible. Aching legs were regular features….but it resolved itself eventually. Oh, I walk a dog too; good cross training.🙂

[Carners1 Graduate]

I had exactly the same!!! Just stick with the programme, as you get fitter it gets easier and the aches and pains subside.I graduated last Monday, not saying it was easy but this is the best thing I've ever done. Your doing brilliantly, just keep going!!

[Chinkoflight]

Hi Pegix,. Well done, C25K is working! When you run you are using your leg muscles differently to walking so like using any muscles more than usual expect some aches. Pain is a different matter, you should not run with pain. You may also be running a tad faster than you need to. The longer you run, the slower you run, think any athletic event, a marathon is a slower pace than a 5 km pace. I did find the link from the C25K app to a warm up video routine pre warm up walk very helpful at week 4 when I was struggling a tad to get going. It made a lot of difference.

I used to think, as a non runner, it's one foot in front of the other, and a lot of other rather silly justification for not running. I followed C25K to the letter and read all the great advice from the mentors. Best thing ever. Keep going!