Question about Running

[JohnCU]

Last night, my friend and I ran about a mile. This was the first time I have ran a mile since 9th grade. Today, my legs are in pain. My calves hurt everytime I move and are kind of swollen. He says I need to go running again tonight! I told him I need to rest my legs one night, then do it again, he says it'll make it worse if I don't do it every night.

Who's right?

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: Dismal
Last night, my friend and I ran about a mile. This was the first time I have ran a mile since 9th grade. Today, my legs are in pain. My calves hurt everytime I move and are kind of swollen. He says I need to go running again tonight! I told him I need to rest my legs one night, then do it again, he says it'll make it worse if I don't do it every night.

Who's right?

It probably doesn't really matter either way but I'd take a night off although I can tell you at least for me that calf pain peaks on the second day so you may feel worse tomorrow...it won't hurt you to go tonight if you stretch at first but you'll need to stretch for a while.

 

[sohcrates]

starting to run can be some of the most pain of your life. i remember when i started way back in high school....i was practically paralyzed for the first couple weeks.

but once you develop a routine, you don't get sore anymore (same with weight lifting)

don't go running if you really hurt. give yourself at least a day of rest

don't don't forget these 3 things

1) warm up a little with a light jog
2) stretch
3) COOL DOWN! (this is really important)

 

[zCypher]

Skoorb brought up an important point - stretching. You probably didn't stretch before or after running, which likely is the primary cause of your pain. Stretch, and go for a light jog maybe. Don't overdo it. Overexertion isn't a good thing. Your friend may know things, but he doesn't know how you feel, and he doesn't know the limits of each individual. Do what you think feels right for you. If you feel it'd be better to rest first, then do that - you won't lose anything from resting through a night. As long as you don't take 2 months off running, it won't hurt you.

I say neither of you were right or wrong.

 

[MomAndSkoorbaby]

Don't stretch cold muslces though! Warm them up a little.

 

[vi edit]

Pop a couple advil/aleve to help take away the inflamation.

 

[Pastore]

I have seen a spark of exercising/eating healthy threads lately... Maybe there is hope for American culture after all!

Also, it is to my understanding that you should always give your muscles a day in between intense workouts to let the muscle repair themselves after being stretched...

 

[LakerGod]

Whatever you do, please start off slow! I started doing some hard running/exercising after years of sitting on my ass. I came up with a bad case of shin splints....worst...pain...ever. If you start off to hard or fast, you'll be in pain for a very long time. Slow and steady, steady and slow, that's the way to go.

 

[Lucky]

If your pains are really severe and it's more your calves/shins then your ankles, it's likely you have shin splints. I got them shortly after I started running a couple months ago. I walk about 12-15 miles a week and run 1mile every other day, but my ankles still hurt like a bitch after every mile i run. took me about a month to get over the shin splints.

 

[JohnCU]

My ankles don't hurt it's just that my calves feel like there is pins and needles in them everytime I move.

 

[vi edit]

Real simple little exercise you can do everyday to help prevent shin splints -

All you have to do before you run, is stand up, and just start tapping your foot really fast until the point that it burns in pain. Do one foot, then do the other. Then repeat it one more time. Then do it again after you finish. Do this every day and you just lowered your chances of shin splints drastically.

 

[JohnCU]

I also just noticed that when I walk or hobble, whichever you wanna call it, my left foot points outward at a 60-70 degree angle... the right one doesn't do it.

 

[Novgrod]

for the love of god take a night off.

You can get to the point where you can run every day--you can get there pretty quickly, in fact--but when you're in egregious pain the last thing you want to do is go running.