Aches

[Cant wait for Disney]

Hi all!

The past two months I've started running for the first time in my life and completed a 5k at the beginning of may! I am loving this new journey but have a question for those more experienced. This past week, every time I lay down for bed, my legs ache and are so restless and I also ache in my shoulders and temples. Is this normal? I stretch before each run. Any insight or relief tips would be so great, thank you!

 

[Diskidatheart]

My legs become tired, but not ache. Try stretching after your runs. You don't necessarily want to stretch before a run, but rather warm up before and stretch afterwards. After stretching, you can try some ice. Both of those might help.

 

[Ariel484]

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS on completing your first 5K! That is a great accomplishment!


Not totally sure about the aches but a couple of suggestions:

For your shoulders and temples...do you find yourself tensing up a lot during a run? Squinting your eyes or really bunching up your shoulders? Next time you run try to focus on staying nice and relaxed and see if that helps. If you're squinting, make sure to wear sunglasses, and make sure you're adequately hydrated - that could also contribute to your head pain. I have occasional shoulder pain after I run and I KNOW it's because I don't relax my arms enough.

For the leg aches, I agree with Diskidatheart that it's better to warm up a bit before the run and stretch after. You may also want to work in 5-10 minutes of walking or some sort of cooldown period after each run. Also, look into a foam roller or The Stick - they work wonders!

Good luck!

 

[lmhall2000]

CONGRATS on your 5k!! That is awesome!!!

I have learned to work through the pain but be very cognizant of what may be causing it!!

Pain in legs upon sleeping could be circulation issues, stay HYDRATED!!! Also your body may be depleted of specific vitamins and minerals that are needed to help your circulation run efficiently!

Magnesium is big, potassium is big, electrolytes! Those are the three biggest that affect my leg pain oh and iron...which for me can only be effectively raised with red meat (I buy the sliced roast beef at the deli and will eat one slice every other day and it's amazing the difference I feel in everything!) You need to get these vitamins through food moreso than supplements...it works out much better for your body...

Good foods for potassium...potatoes/bananas/iceberg lettuce/tomato/spinach/strawberry/mango/apricot

Good foods for magnesium...almonds (nuts..but almonds are great), peas, green leafy stuff (again spinach is awesome..hence the craze for spinach smoothies), potatoes (again potatoes are rich in nutrients, great with just olive oil and sea salt, avoid all the fats we like to put on them!)

In order for your body to utilize potassium it's magnesium levels must be good...so many of our vitamins are like that...simple salts are also needed so I will buy gatorade and put a splash (less than 1/4 cup in a 2 cup glass of water) to help that...

These changes should help! But pain is a great signal our bodies give us to take note and make changes...try these dietary changes and see if there is any improvement...then if none, I would double check with your physician to check out circulatory issues..sometimes our bodies just need time to adjust to the demands you are now requesting...

Keep up the great work!

 

[Cant wait for Disney]

Wow, thanks so much everyone. This is great information and I will be putting all of it to use! You all mentioned hydration and that is a biggie- I know I could definitely use more water. I also will be putting into action the warm up/stretch advice as well as the nutrition. Thank you so much!

 

[Diskidatheart]

Oh yeah...I forgot two things. First, congrats on your 5k! Nothing is ever better than your first race! You should be very proud of yourself.

Second, you can try compression sleeves for your legs. I wear them during many of my runs (and afterwards) and they seem to help with circulation, pains, and probably achiness. I'm assuming that you've already gone to a running store and have a good pair of shoes. If not make sure you go to a designated running store (not a sporting goods store, where they have someone who plays tennis selling running shoes). That may help as well. Good luck and keep up the good work!

 

[John VN]

Congratulations with your achievement and the many more to come.

The advice given is good but only the beginning as there is much more available in books and on the net.

IMO, having a complete blood work-up will reveal deficiencies and excesses associated with your diet and will provide you with a starting point for nutrition. Too much or little of important elements/vitamins because of diet or supplements can very well have a negative effect.

The work-up will also show how well your organs are functioning and corrective measures can then begin to solve any issues.

I had my bloodwork recently and visited a specialist yesterday that will culminate in surgery that will make training for my Ironman in November much easier. Should have had the work done in January like I usually do because my Half Ironman on Sunday will only be a take it easy to get it done event instead of a do the best I can event.

McFlurry John

 

[Cant wait for Disney]

hey everybody,
just wanted to check in and let you know that i've been working on warm ups/post run stretching and staying hydrated. I still have some pain but it is definitely improving! I'm still working on figuring out my nutrition, but moving forward!
I ran a charity 5K this morning and shaved almost 2 mins off my average mile time! It felt awesome

 

[momof2minnies]

Good for you that is great-2 mins is alot.Hydration is a huge factor even with time.

Linda