I ran a half-marathon on the weekend, and recorded a time of 1:40:26, 79th out of a total 295 runners. It was my first half :-).
However, my legs were incredibly sore afterwards because I ran the
hardest I could run and there were a lot of steep inclines (the race
was in Massachusetts, no less). A few days later, I did an easy five
miles at an 8:40 pace to just loosen up my legs a bit and they felt
much better. The five miles were done on a treadmill. Now today, five
days after the half, I planned out a 10 miler to start getting back
into running, but the lower part of my legs (like around the ankles and
near the achilles) left me in immense pain. So much pain that I had to
stop running after only 3.5 miles. My shoes are four months old, and
I've been running about 30 miles a week constantly, so I'm wondering if
it could be the shoes. This pain has come before, but in a much less
severe way. I also gave blood yesterday. Does that have anything to do
with it? Any answers would be so greatly appreciated and thanks for
reading!
-Luke. <!-- BEGIN attachments -->
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Marist College Cross Country- Run. Rehydrate. Run some more!
Bel Monte 50K-6:11:53
Lake Placid Marathon- 3:23:14
UAlbany Invitational (8K)-30:38
Philadelphia Marathon: 3:08:18
Luke,
Congratulations on your excellent finish in the half-marathon! The general rule of thumb is that the body needs approximately one day of relatively easy recovery for every mile of a race. For a half-marathon, your recovery process should take about two weeks. During that time you can still run (or cross-train, etc.), but you want to avoid workouts that are longer or more intense than normal. Also, giving blood impacts people differently. I have heard of folks who are fine the next day, but I generally need a week or two before I feel like I'm back up to full strength. I really struggle to make it through my workouts for at least a few days following a donation. The lower leg pain is something you want to monitor closely. Maybe take a few days and do some low-impact cross-training to see if the pain goes away on its own. It would probably be a good idea to ice the area and maybe take an anti-inflammatory. If the pain continues you should probably see sports medicine doctor.
Good luck and happy running,
Jay
Luke:
Congratulations on such a great finish, especially on your first 1/2! I could only wish to do that well in my first. I'm a newbie myself at running, so I don't have a lot of offer you as far as recovery is concerned, but I do know that I was having terrible pain in my shins, and when I got my new shoes, it went away. So it could very well be your shoes...maybe the support has gone since you've really been running a lot in them to train for your 1/2. Just a suggestion, though...but I do know that my new shoes made a world of difference for me with any pain I had.
Good job on donating blood as well! I have to go and donate Monday...the last time I was at my blood center, I passed out, so I'm a little nervous about this time! ![]()
Great job on your 1/2 again, and keep us updated on your pain. Are you planning on any other runs soon?
Tabi
Tabi,
I'll keep you updated on my next endeavors haha. I actually plan on doing the Bel Monte Distance Run in Charlottesville, Virginia on March 28th. Hopefully doing a 50K (or atleast running until I drop
)while my cousin, who's training for the Ironman, does 50 miles. Then, in June, I'm running in the Lake Placid Marathon in Lake Placid, NY. Also, thanks for your input. I will be getting new shoes very very soon.
Marist College Cross Country- Run. Rehydrate. Run some more!
Bel Monte 50K-6:11:53
Lake Placid Marathon- 3:23:14
UAlbany Invitational (8K)-30:38
Philadelphia Marathon: 3:08:18