For You Running Mama's

Just skimmed over other responses , sorry if I repeat. I saw that someone had mentioned a chiropractor... Seeing a chiropractor, really helped me when I got heavy into working out. I have had major hip problems , since my last son. My chiropractor is always reminding me about the importance of stretching .

Too much too soon.

If you have never run before, or haven't been running for some time, you need to work your way up. If you have been cross training (doing other stuff besides running) that's cool, but you still have to break your legs, no pun intended, into running. Even if you are very fit cardiovascularly, you should cross train to maintain your fitness level until your legs matches your level of overall fitness.

YES! Your shoes are extremely important! If you have some old tired sneakers you've been running around town with, you need to get some new ones. I have Brooks Switch 4. The other poster stated that you should get fitted for running shoes, and that is correct, but until you know if you are cut out to be a runner, and this is going to be your sport of choice, I would get something off the rack. Anything is better than old sneakers.

Watch out for overstriding. In other words, landing on your heel when you stride, extending your leg out too far. You'll get all sorts of niggling pains from doing that, and eventually full-blown injuries. You're feet should land under your hips. If you want to go faster increase your cadence (how quickly you move your feet) instead of increasing your stride.

Stay off your toes and forefeet! That's what will give you shin pain and possibly knee pain. Land mid-foot; march in place. That's how your feet should land when you run. Also, if your quads are weak, you're going to have some knee problems also. Strength train your legs, it will make a huge difference.

If you want to take supplements, you can, but it won't do much for your running. Work on your form, scale it back (and do something while you're working your way up) and increase your weekly mileage by 10%. Let your current pains subside before doing more or else they'll get worse. Look at this site http://halhigdon.com/ he has a few training schedules that will help you out. But for right now, get your form right.

EDIT: About your core, yes, it will help you be a faster, better runner, but you won't be a pain free runner and an injury free runner. That comes from proper form and gradual increases. Happy running! Can you tell I love running? ;-)

Well, I'm relatively new to running myself (thanks to some tips and encouragement from Riley back in the fall---Thanks Riley!) and am loving it. I ran 3.5 miles today for the first time.

The other ladies so far have really stressed the shoes, and they are correct. Also, everything I have read (and I have been online and flipping through and reading in bookstores as well) stresses over and again, not to do too much too soon. Your bones need to adjust to the impact. It really is a weight bearing exercise. Also, the small little muscles/ligaments in your joints need to get stronger too. And that takes time. I, too, have read (and followed) the 10% rule as a guideline. It isn't to increase by 10%, but to increase by NO MORE THAN 10% per week. That means, LESS than 10% per week. And if you are "feeling it", then go with much less, if any.

I made an early mistake of trying to run on a blacktop highway, only the first 1/2 mile was on a curve. Not smart. Biomechanics do not work properly when running on a sideways slant, like a curve in the road. Taught be very quickly to be aware of the biomechanics of running. Not just the surface, but the slant, slope, material, and running form itself. No leaning forward (which, having run/walked on treadmills for years in gyms...it is just what happens when I use a treadmill---and I'd bet dollars to donuts that you do too). You should be upright. Shoulders relaxed. Head even (book on your head).
And slow down. I was trying to push too hard with speed, and ended up not being able to finish a distance I had already "conquered" (a whopping 1.4 miles.. whooppeeee ). But I could suddenly not finish even that. Why? Because I was trying to run too fast. Not on purpose. I just didn't concentrate on running slowly. Once I did, bada bing bada bang: 2.25 miles on my next time out. Once you start seeing the distance increasing easily, is it SOOOO easy to push it. Don't.

When I hit 2.4 miles, I made a conscious effort to slow down and measure each and every run, so that I did not go to far. If I wanted to keep moving at the "end" then I walked until I felt done.

I would try to visit a specialized running shoe store. Is that where you got your great shoes from? I didn't. I think I just got lucky going to a Dick's Sporting Goods, and "happening" to pick up a pair that is right for me by luck. I haven't had any issues with foot/ankle pain, and the only knee pain I had was directly related to trying to run on a curved slope. Took me almost 3 weeks to heal from that one run. :(

Also, I didn't pull your profile, but how long post-partum are you? Your ligaments may still be a little loose from the pregnancy/hormones, and you might just need to slow down some for a while longer.

Good luck, and happy running.

What do you mean by "good running shoes"? That you paid good money? Or were you properly fitted at a running store with professionals? Not one of the chain sneaker places (Olympia, Sports Authority, whatever) but by a specialty running store. They should watch you walk and run, either on the sidewalk or on a treadmill or both, and they should evaluate things like pronation (rolling inward), heel strike (how you land), and more. My husband is a runner, and my son is a nationally ranked distance runner - they used to have injuries until they had a good evaluation by a local running store that caters to serious runners.

If you want to take a really good supplement either for joints or muscles, I can let you know what they (and I do) - nothing you can buy in a health food store will touch what you've got going on, and the clerks usually don't know anything. We've worked with sports professionals and use a patented joint support product (if it's patented, it's safe, effective and unique) - and I mean the whole product, not just a single ingredient.

Core strengthening can help in that it helps your posture, but you've got more going on than that. I'd be happy to help more if you want. PM me.

sounds like you might be pushing it too hard too fast. you're certainly not overweight, but even lean women need to increase their distance and mileage gradually.
there could be a lot of reasons for your leg pain, but your sister is right that a strong core radiates strength and stability to your entire body. core training is a great idea no matter what exercise regimen you're following.
it sounds like you're really approaching this correctly, with good shoes (have they been professionally fitted and evaluated? you really need to go to a store with a treadmill, camera and professionals), icing and regular workouts. but listen to your body. it's not always a good idea to push through the pain. slow down, even to a walk, when you start to hurt, and see if that helps. if it does, stay slow and add speed and distance more gradually. your goal is to keep running for years, not to see how quickly you can get to a marathon. if the pain persists, it's time to see a sports doctor.
khairete
S.

Yes -she's right about the "core" and weight training in general. I was AMAZED after not running for a few years and really getting into kettle bells as strength training -when I started running again I could run SO much farther and faster! I'm older, but my joints and bones don't bother me at all now. I had always heard that and never done anything about it, but it really works! AND -it will also get rid of that belly flab and love handles.

I also agree with going to an actual running store and having them test you -film you or use a computer to find your pronation and how you run. They can then recommend the proper type of shoe for you. It will make a HUGE difference as well.

Look at some running sites or get a book or video from the library. See if there's a runner's group near you (a good place to check would be the running store) where you could pick up some tips on your form. All running is not equal! There are correct and good ways to land and hold your body -and ways that may feel natural to you, but will really cause you some problems. For years I ran "all wrong." Now I run correctly, and even though I'm much older and have come back to running after getting out of shape -I can run so much more!

Definitely see a physical therapist. My son had knee problems from running cross country. The therapist video'd him on the treadmill, analyzed his movement, and was able to see he had been subconsciously compensating somehow, throwing his joints out of position. That had caused the injury. He did some exercises to retrain his muscles, and was fine. We adjust our bodies without realizing it, and sometimes this throws things out of alignment.

You shouldnt increase your mileage by more than 10% a week. When I first attempted to train, alone, for my first half-marathon, I got injured and was out of the race before race day came. I then did a charity run and was assigned a coach. He told me that you should never increase your mileage by more than 10% a week. You might not feel it right away, but you are risking injury if you dont properly train your body. Its great that you went and got proper running shoes. I dont think people usually realize how important that is. Just be sure that your being fitted into a proper shoe, bu going to a store that specializes and is reputable. You may need inserts if the pain is starting from your ankles. Or you may need to do strengthening exercises on your quads and hamstrings to be able to keep the strain from your knees, and resulting in other leg muscles being strained as well. Your core helps you to maintain a proper form when running. Its very important to work on your core as well. Trying cutting down on your mileage a little and concentrate on your form. Arms should not cross your chest, they should be at your side and hands should not be raised past the sides of your chest. Take a look at videos on youtube for proper form. You can save yourself a lot of pain and money by doing it correctly and gradually. Strength train!! Hope that helped. BTW-after doing what my coach said, about the gradual increase, Ive been injury free (3 years!). O and warm up properly! =)

go see your dr about this it could be many diff things the first thing that comes to mind is shin splints

There are many factors that could be going on here. Core strength could be part of it. You might be surprised by how much your core effects the rest of your body. Personally, I would look at your back as the main cause of the issue. Pregnancy is one of the easiest ways to put your back out of alignment. If your back is not properly aligned, it can cause extra pressure from your neck to your feet, and increase the risk of injury, strain and cause pain in everyday situations (standing in line at the store). A couple trips to the chiropractor will get things right again.

Also, it could simply be too much too soon. Remember that running is a high-impact exercise. If you haven't been running in a while your body probably won't be used to the types of motion and strain that the exercise is creating. Just because you can do 2 miles doesn't necessarily mean your ankle or knee can. Take it slow, and have your back checked out.

Physical therapy and chiropractors have taught me that yes, you have to have a very strong core. And you have to be running properly - your body needs to be properly aligned or else over time you will start having problems (like knee problems). There are many exercises you can do to strengthen your small back muscles and core muscles - yoga classes or pilates classes cover a lot of these exercises, but depending on the class might not be sufficient. Meeting with a good physical therapist can help you bc he/she can give you a list of daily exercises to do. A pilates studio in our town has a woman who is an expert in "postural strengthening" and besides offering classes to strengthen those muscles, she will video tape you running or biking and then go over it with you letting you know what you are doing wrong. A really good chiropractor can do some tests to find out which of your muscles are weak and need work. It's a hard thing to figure out because each person you talk to (doctor, chiropractor, physical therapist, etc) may or may not be really up on this and also they bring in their own opinions! See if your library has the book Pain Free by Escogue. That is a good place to start - it gives you some strengthening exercises to do. But don't stop there - I highly recommend meeting with a good P.T. and chiropractor and taking strengthening yoga classes.

I commend your effort to jump into physical fitness! However, I think you're pushing yourself too hard to begin with. Why not start walking first? You can start with 30 minutes of walking at a brisk pace, focusing on your posture with belly held strong (yes, your core!). After a week, bump it up to 45 then 60 minutes. You are suffering injury because your body needs to be conditioned before running. I started running only after walking a lot (a couple of months) first. Now I'm up to 5 miles and plan on running a 10K later this month. And I'll probably walk some of it! Remember, little steps will graduate into bigger ones. And please make sure you're drinking a lot of water. Stretching before and after workouts is super important. Feeding your new muscles with lean protein will also help considerably in recovery. You should be eating about 30g of protein within an hour of your workout. I recommend chicken breast, tuna or eggs.
Good luck!
N.

You may be like me and can not get a natural gait on a treadmill. I spent 6 months in physical therapy after injuring myself on the treadmill. As long as I stick to the track I have no issues. With the weather getting nice try the track and see if your problems go away.