Changed my diet, now needing running help.

[cocky84]

im tryin to get back into shape. Im 31 years old. 6'2". A little over a month ago I weighed 204lbs and this morning I weighed 186lb. I had a HORRIBLE diet!! 4-5 mt dews a day, snacked on candy all day, burgers for lunch and gorged myself at dinner. Disgusting, i know.

Ive cut out ALL soda, most suger, and only caffeine is a crystal light drink mix before i run. Im eating fruit for breakfast, granola bar around 10am, light lunch(usually a sandwich or 5 boneless wings) Dinner is still pretty much the same just eating a lot less then before. (Grilled chicken, spaghetti, etc...)

I wanted to track my running progress so on day 1 i pushed myself to run a 5k. It took 34+ minutes to finish. (Walked and ran)
Ive been doing the couch to 5k program and after 2 weeks have shaved over 4 minutes off.

For the first month my legs were so sore! Obviously I expected it. But i was expecting it to get better. Its not. My legs hurt to run now. Not sore, its a pain. Hard to explain i know. I try to run every other day. Do i need a longer rest period. Im really excited to run, especially since im seeing fairly quick results, but it's getting more and more painful abd starting to affect my performance at work ( lineman). Maybe im just a pussy and need to push harder.

Any suggestions from experienced runners would be greatly appreciated. My goal is to run a 5k in under 24 minutes. Then increase my distance to 10k, then possibly a half.

 

[muleman]

No advice, but wanted to say way to go.

 

[motts]

If your legs hurt, then your body is trying to tell you something. It could be shin splints to who knows what else; you should go see a doctor. If you're still just getting started and enjoying it, take care of yourself so you can continue to do so.

 

[cocky84]

Thanks guys! Motts, im gonna try to push through it for one more week. Gonna try two days rest and if it don't start getting better ill take your advice and see a doctor.

 

[jwatts]

I would lean toward it being shin splints too. I was in the same boat a few years back. When I started training for a hunt in the CO high country I weighed 212 at 6ft tall. 6 months later I weighed in at 177. I attribute most of the weight loss to running. I also did the couch to 5k program. I got bad pains in my legs and it turned out to be shin splints. The thing that solved them for me was changing my running form.

I was heel striking pretty bad. I went to a flat, minimalist running shoe. It caused me to change my form to a mid to forefoot stride. It made a world of difference. You definitely can't expect to jump straight into a pair of them and pick up where you left off with your old shoes. It takes some getting used to them. The pain I got from running in them with bad form was way worse than the shin splints. Once I got my stride right the pain was over and there was no looking back.

Those shoes took a turn for the worse a week or so ago. I went today and was fitted for a new running shoe. I strongly suggest you do the same. Find a store near you that specializes in running shoes. Most of them will measure your feet with no weight on them, with full weight on them. watch you walk, and watch you run. Based on all of those variables they can determine the style, size, and amount of stability and heel drop your new shoe should have. I picked up a pair of Altra Torin 2.0s and just got back from my first run in them. They have more cushion than I was used to but they are super comfortable. I put them through the paces for 7 miles and have no complaints.

 

[Jason Snyder]

How old are your shoes?

What kind of running shoes are they?

Are you running on trails or asphalt?

Are you striking the ground hard with your heels?

Work on hitting 170-180 strides per minute. If you do this, it will greatly eliminate the heavy heel striking and force your foot to land underneath your body instead of out in front.

The pain should not be overlooked. How many days per week are you running? Where is the pain?

I would strongly recommend a cross training program instead of just running all the time. I love to run, but I don't run every day. I also run almost exclusively on trails. It is much easier on you and much more enjoyable.

My first guesses are your shoes suck and you are overstriding, as well as overtraining.

 

[operator449]

Hopefully you are doing a good warm up and cool down after yOur runs. You are probably 'rusty' sore. Will fade off, but hope it is not more then that. Try yoga or stretching between runs, will help. Sounds not very manly but has helped me reach a new level in all areas of fitness. Dont forget to vary your lengths of runs, some shorter, medium and longer runs. Especially when just getting back into it. Not bad to throw in some strength workout in between running days as well. Another good cardo option, go for a long swim, or laps or ride a bike hard intervals. Give the joints a break too...

Also make sure you are staying well hydrated, before and after your workouts as well as through the day.

 

[cocky84]

Thanks guys. I just got some new under armour running shoes. Have about 15 miles on them. Ive been running on a track. 5 min warmup and 5 min cooldown. Stretch before. Ive never done much running nor been around many who does so im sure my form is not good. Whenever you mentioned the term heel striking I cringed, as in for some reason sounds like it could be the culprit. When i run Wednesday i will really focus on form. I will also watch some videos.

Also whats your opinion on under armour running shoes? Could be some of the problem I suppose. From the first time i wore them i thought they were very light and seemed comfortable at first but i know zero about what a good running shoe should feel like.

 

[jwatts]

In my opinion a good running shoe is one that fits you well, keeps you fairly comfortable while running, and allows you to maintain good form while running. Now as far as durability goes you may find that they don't last, but they may. I have a pair of Underarmors that I wore for 3 months before my pinky toe started poking through the sides. I have wide feet and the material was fairly thin on the shoes. I never ran in the shoes, just normal day to day wear did that. Before those I had another set of Underarmors that lasted near a year of regular use.

 

[cocky84]

Thanks for the great advice. I will do lots of research on proper form. Ill watch some videos and experiment. Then i will worry more about my shoes once my mechanics are correct

 

[Jason Snyder]

I don't know much about Under Armour running shoes. I do find you get what you pay for. If they were $50 at a mall store, they probably aren't great. I wear Salomons.

Try to:

Keep your spine in the neutral position

Engage your core muscles to keep your pelvis from tilting back

Keep your neck long and your head in line with your body

Relax your hands and your arms

Your body should be in alignment from your head down through your hips, and your feet should strike the ground directly underneath your hips. Try to eliminate side to side motion and work on tracking in a single plane.

 

[Grumman]

If you have a good running store near you they can be extremely helpful in getting you fitted for the correct shoe. Each shoe manufacturer has their stability, neutral, etc category shoes. I used to be one of those guys that went to the big shoe stores and bought what was on sale in the color I liked not even knowing if it was a neutral or stability shoe. A dedicated running store can put you on a treadmill to watch your stride and how much you pronote and recommend a certain fit shoe for you. This can make a huge difference, took all of my foot and knee pain away when I found the right shoe. And congrats on the weight loss!


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[mtnrunner260]

I think going to a reputable running store should happen sooner than later.
Also I didn't catch if you said the pain was whole leg or a specific area. If it is the shins there are some exercises you can do like duck walks to help. Another thing is freeze water in paper cups then peel the top off and rub the ice on your shin.
Good luck and keep up the good work.

 

[Slim Jim]

A good shoe makes a world of difference. I used to buy the shoe that looked cool but it wasn't cool on my knees. I only wear the Asics kayanos now with super feet insoles. I run everyday 2-3 miles before lifting weights and my joints feel great. Make sure to always stretch good before and after every run though, or you'll injure real quick. Every time I've been in a hurry with poor stretching I've paid for it the next few days

 

[sodaksooner]

Jwatts hit on a good one. I was a heel striker too and worked really hard at making myself a mid to front foot striker. Really helped with the shin splints.

Parroting what others have said, make sure you have a decent shoe. I am no running snob, but would never buy UA running shoes. I like the Saucony Kinvara series(minimalist) and have been in Saucony's for several years. Asics are good, but don't work for me. I have had good luck with Pearl Izumi's as well. Even had a decent pair of Nike's once. You should hit a running store, they will look at your mechanics and help you find a shoe that fits your style.

 

[Owens]

Great work on the progress so far! You've gotten some good advice on shoes and form.

If you are having shin pain, it's probably shin splints. To fix that issue, I worked on stretching and strengthening my calf/lower leg muscles. I had shin splits when I first started running, but since then, I haven't had any shin pain in 10+ years.

I would also suggest looking at your effort level instead of your pace on your runs. If you are running at or close to your max effort every time out, you will likely get overuse type injuries.

It seems counterintuitive but you should think about running mostly slower paced, easier effort runs. Once the pain goes away slowly mix in some speed workouts, or faster paced runs. For example if you are running 5 days a week, you could run 3 easy effort, medium distance runs, one speed day, and one longer day.

My training is focused on endurance as opposed to speed. So if you're training more for speed, you may need to change up a little bit. But hopefully that gives you a few things to think about.

 

[cocky84]

Thank you. Im training for endurance not speed. Been looking at new shoes. Ive been looking into asics or brooks. Ive switched to the couch to 5k program which is pretty mild do im hoping the pain starts to go away.

 

[Jason Snyder]

You never have said where the pain was specifically?

 

[Will_m]

Like others have said, it could certainly be shin splints.

However, looking at your diet, it could be a lack of protein to properly recover.

You said you just started doing this, and your cardiovascular system will adapt more quickly than your muscles will. Namely, rebuilding and strengthening muscles that likely haven't been used in a while. Because of this, it is somewhat common for people to "progress" faster than their body can comfortably handle. You could try replacing a few meals with something has protein, for example, you could replace the fruit for breakfast with eggs or something similar.

 

[jwatts]

Thank you. Im training for endurance not speed. Been looking at new shoes. Ive been looking into asics or brooks. Ive switched to the couch to 5k program which is pretty mild do im hoping the pain starts to go away.

It took me a few times of trial and error to find a shoe I liked in the New Balance Minimus. It took the guy at the running store about 5 minutes to come up with a handfull of options that were just as good if not better. If you don't have a running store nearby to get fitted you may want to check out Zappos, Amazon, or the shoe manufacturers websites'. They all have great return policies in case the shoes don't work. Some guys will go to Amazon and order 10 different pairs of shoes, wear them to see what works, then send the rest back for a refund. I am not saying that is the best way to do it. It is an option though if you don't have a running store nearby.