Running Injury

[NikkiJayne]

Yesterday I ran for 20 minutes non stop (w5r3). Very proud of myself! In six weeks I have progressed from being able to run 3 minutes to 20 minutes. Hoorah! But the second I stopped running, ow. The muscle at the very front and top of my right leg started to twinge. As the day went on, it got worse, until I could barely walk.

Now, I think it's a quadricep muscle (when you raise your leg, it's the muscle that bulges out right at the front of your leg in the join between your leg and pelvis). It's a deep and searing pain, and gets worse the more walking I do.

I just wondered if anyone else has experienced this; what it could be, how to treat it (I'm guessing ice and rest) and how to prevent it? I'm really bummed out as I feel like I have JUST started to make some serious progress and now I might be out of commission!

[Jeddahpm Graduate]

Sorry I can't help with your injury question but just wanted to say WOW well done - I do this run on Saturday...I hope you get some answers and feel better soon.

[shelleymcb Graduate]

have you done any stretching after your runs? if not then maybe now is a good time to start incorporating this into a run. they say that you should stretch when the muscles are warm. Im sorry but I dont know any particular stretches for the front of the leg, other than bringing your foot to your bum, holding it there & pressing forward with the top part of the leg/hip until you feel a stretch in the front of your leg.

Im sure that someone else will be able to point you in the right direction re stretches. in the meantime I would think that ice & rest will help, plus ibuprofen to hopefully take away any swelling.

good luck & well done on your 20min run ~ a great achievement

[NikkiJayne in reply to shelleymcb]

Yeah I do stretch afterwards, I think the next thing to do is to strengthen my quads using weights: luckily I run at the gym so have access to these!

[shelleymcb Graduate in reply to NikkiJayne]

Im training for a half marathon & was shown yesterday, as part of my gym induction, how to use all of the lower body weight machines to help strengthen my legs. I was also advised to do squats (maybe when boiling the kettle!) & lunges as these are great all round exercises & can be done anywhere & at any time of the day.

hope you can get back running soon. shelley x

[Oldgirl Graduate]

Hope this settles down for you Nikki. Just a thought, when you do your stretches after a run are you holding them for long enough? Each stretch should be held for about 30 seconds, its something my Pilates teacher said and although I had been holding my stretch for a count of 20 once I increased to a slower count of 30 I found the benefits were great. I no longer seem to get any aches or pains, touch wood

[NikkiJayne in reply to Oldgirl]

I probably don't hold them for long enough, no. Thanks for the tip! Which ones do you recommend, by the way?