I graduated from c25k last month and have done 5km at few times now (32mins pb 🥳) Feeling very chuffed as I never thought I'd manage to run 10m!!
I'm now consolidating with jogs every other day. I'm aiming for 30mins but find that my legs feel very heavy, to the extent that i often stop at 20 or 25 mins. My breathing is fine and it's an easy run pace, i could chat. It's my legs.. I don't pick them up much and occasionally scuffle.. I'm thin, so it's not a weight on my legs issue.
Questions:
If I pick my knees up more, will it tire me out more quickly? Or is it actually more efficient to do
Should I do some hill walking to build leg strength?
Or what can I do to help my legs take me further?!
Thanks for any advice you can offer!
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Fabijogs
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Hi Fabijogs , my first thought re heavy-feeling legs is always hydration, particularly if you're running in hotter than usual weather. See this link for more info re hydration: healthunlocked.com/couchto5...
My second, since you're a recent C25K graduate, is that running every other day might be a bit much. Maybe take an extra day's rest?
I can't help re running form, since I mostly run hilly trails, slowly, and prefer longer distances when I can. I'm definitely in the running shuffle brigade, interspersed with hopping, skipping and jumping over stones and branches etc, as it works for me. i'm sure others can be more informative!
I guess so.. I have been know to perform a few moves... inelegant ballerina is my description of me.. on a muddy tractor wheel-rutted trail across a field!
Thank you Cmoi, that makes a lot of sense. I do feel like my legs were more bouncy and jogging was easier before it got sunny! I'll take a few days off and guzzle loads of water! Fingers crossed I am hopping and skipping along later next week!
I was also going to say make sure you are hydrating well, I always know if I haven't done that very efficiently I get legs like lead!! I use electrolytes in my water most days but particularly the day before I'm running. I find it really helps.
It’s really hard in the heat at the moment. I’ve had a few leaden-legged runs. Do you think you might need some extra rest days? It’s totally fine to listen to your body and decide that it’s better not to run. Heavy legs can also be a sign of dehydration so it’s worth thinking about whether you’re drinking enough, especially in this weather. If you’re not sleeping well, stressed or under fuelled, those could be affecting your energy levels too. Sometimes things outside our running have a bigger effect on that than we realised.
I’d suggest you might enjoy mixing your runs up. Don’t run for thirty minutes every time. Have some shorter ones. I know you’ve been cutting some of your runs short, but psychologically, it’s often so much nicer to set out for twenty minutes and successfully hit that distance than do twenty minutes of a thirty minute run.
Perhaps think about gradually extending the length of one of your runs. There’s a lot of support and advice over on Bridge to 10k (which absolutely doesn’t commit you to trying to run 10k unless you want to!!).
Hills are great for building strength in your legs which could help that heavy feeling. They can also quicken your stride and help with your run form too. There’s a great article here with hints and tips on getting started with hills…
I really hope some of that might be useful. Keep asking questions and let us know how you get on. None of us are experts but we try and muddle through together with the experience and tips we’ve picked up from this great community ❤️
Thank you MissUndersanding! That's really great advice! I'll try mixing things up and doing sone occasional hills and trails, etc, and drinking more too!
The main reason for ‘heavy legs’, apart from tiredness - is dehydration, and in this weather you should hydrate lots and regularly. The thing that follows ‘heavy legs’ is cramps. You also should make sure that you take enough electrolytes to make up for the ones that are lost through sweating and those you don’t find in water, so you’ll need lots of fruit as well, or simply take an electrolyte based drink. 😀
Hahaha, you’re so right. I am out there running daily. Today we’ve had our martial arts training in the park (in the shade) and it was me wandering out in the sun whenever l could. I can’t help it! 🌞😀
I second the electrolytes in your water, makes a massive difference. When I first started running people kept telling me to drink lots of water but then I got worse. Then on advice I was told I was drinking too much and flushing all the nutrients out of my system hence the intro of the electrolytes .
l always make a difference between regular water intake and electrolyte/glycogen store replenishment. We all should drink water daily but the quantities are very, very specific and personal. I average 2 litres per day, more in very warm weather. Given that I enjoy an electrolyte rich diet, I’d only take top ups if I’m going out running for more than 90 minutes/two hours (again, the weather will call the shots here). It’s good to experiment but crucial to listen to our bodies and all of the signals they are sending. If we get it right, we run in comfort! 😀
First off.. well done you and you have had some great advice here.. I am with MissUnderstanding .. ease back, take some extra rest days if need be ,and shake the runs up a tad...short and some longer relaxed, see what happens runs... ?
This heat and muggy weather is very draining.. and extra day or two run free, could help
A lot depends on where you want to get to with your running Fabijogs. After C25k ( where I didn’t get close to 32 minutes for 5k) I focussed on extending distance (2x quicker shorter runs each week and 1x slower longer one). Building up pace in shorter runs gradually knocks on to longer runs. I ran 10k before I did a sub 30 min 5k. If you want a fast 5k now, I would shorten your other runs, but make them faster; your weekly 5k should speed up gradually as you go along. We are all different of course; you do your thing.👍
Thank you! I'm not sure where or what I'm aiming for at the moment. I kind of want 5km to feel "easy" before I progress to longer distances.. I'll try shorter, faster runs, thanks for the idea!
On the shorter faster runs intervals are good…so you are getting used to the faster pace in short bursts….less strain on your legs whilst they are building up running strength.
She is my pal and local celebrity. Mrs BC calls her my babe magnet….everyone wants to make a fuss of her! She is 11 now, so I wouldn’t ask her to run…in any case having 40kgs of dog trying to rush off and see everyone in sight is probably not going to help me stay on two feet!🙂
Hills are a great training aid I couldn't believe the difference they made. They feel so darn tough, aren't much fun and make you feel sometimes like you are running on the spot...but then you go for a run on the level and wow! - every vertical foot of effort was well worth it!
……and they help build up your VO2 max, making every subsequent run easier. And if you run hills in the heat…….😀…..that’s the equivalent to altitude training! Hills rock!
I find warming up my legs quite a bit before my run works. I started with a 5 min run warm up on you tube and have stuck to it since . I really focus on my calfs too as they ache really quickly . Have you meditated before ? You know the technique where you mentally push oxygen to your legs? Try that too
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I have been know to perform a few moves... inelegant ballerina is my description of me.. on a muddy tractor wheel-rutted trail across a field! 
Legs Like Lead 😞
Painful lower legs
Legs of lead 😢
Lead legs?🦵🏼 
