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Runner's Forum: Mind Willing but Body is Staging a Rebellion

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    marcatschool

    I'm new to the site and to running.

    Seven years ago I tried to run. I weighed 265 pounds and my doctor suggested the activity might help me lose weight. I gave it up after 2 weeks feeling I had no stamina.

    When I turned 30 I joined a gym between weight training and indoor cardio I lost most of the extra weight and toned up. Now at 230 pounds I thought I'd try running again. To my surprise I loved it. The first day I ran 5km, a few days later I upped it to 7km - within a week I found that the toning from the past years at the gym allowed me to run with great endurance and stamina. On Sundays I started running 15km in the country and couldn't wait for the next Sunday - I was trying to give myself time to rest so I would run 7k, 7k and 15k with a day in between. I find my stamina would let me go longer as would my cardio levels. But I seem to have nothing but problems with the rest of my body.

    Now every time I try to go for a run my left calf muscle starts to cramp. Or I get a twinge in the ligament on the outside of my knee. I realize I've overdone it and would like to figure out what I should do to rehab these injuries and strengthen the necessary muscles and joints to allow my limbs to do what the rest of my body wants.

    Any suggestions on a better approach that might open the door to extended distance running for me?

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    rpetreccajr

    Marc,

     Sounds like too much, too soon. Your heart and lungs may well be able to take the stress of running 7 - 15K, but your joints and muscles need time to acclimate to the stresses of running. Keep in mind that when with each footfall when running you are putting between 3-4 times your body weight of pressure on your feet, ankles, knees and hips. You need to back off a bit, let your calf heal. You may be developing some ITB issues as well. Get the trainers at you gym to show you some stretches.

    I just pulled a calf muscle a couple of weeks ago and my doc had me back off running completely for a week, then try a slow 1 mile run. Had to stop if I felt any pain. He wouldn't let me do more than that until I could do it without pain, then a day off before trying another mile run, then gradually add the miles back on. Mind you, this was after I already had a good base of a couple of hundred miles in and with a half-marathon race coming up 5 weeks after the injury. You shuold start back up with low mileage runs and only increase about 10% per week on both total mileage and the length of any individual run. It is frustrating, especially if you are fit, but the alternative - as you are finding out - is injury.

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