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Aug 2012
11:24am, 14 Aug 2012
First-time poster!!
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Nickipee
Hello
I'm Nicki, 43yo (! - not sure how that happened....), more than a bit overweight but halfway through a weighloss journey, and I've just started running, having made it to week four day 2 of C25K...
I've come on here for some advice please because I can see you have a policy of being nice to newbies  and when I asked the same question somewhere else I was totally flamed.
I've been doing the C25K training with an app (its ease into 5k fyi), and have done ok, training every other day usually. It tells me that my run speed is around 10:45/mile on average, which I know is a little bit fast when trying to increase endurance, so I have deliberately tried to slow myself down for the longer runs needed this week (4mins, 6mins and 4 mins) and managed to complete them by running at 12/mile.
My problem is that since I slowed down I have pulled a muscle in my right calf (I think it is the gastrocnemius). I think it happened when I turned awkwardly to miss a pothole. I did this on Saturday, iced and rested, today I have no pain when walking or stretching.
My question is - when will I know its ok to run again? Obviously don't want to do any permanent damage.
the responses I got from the other forum (which was a weight loss forum) were all to do with going too fast....and not to do with recovery.
So really my other question is - am I going too fast? I really don't try to run that speed, it just happens, and when I slowed it down I got injured....
I am determined and desperate to continue the training because even though I am still on tiny intervals in comparison to many of you guys when I do it it makes me feel fantastic!
Looking forward to sage (and friendly) replies
Nicki
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Aug 2012
11:29am, 14 Aug 2012
9,069 posts
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Pootle
For starters, I don't think you were going too fast. The best rule of thumb is to talk to yourself when you run (if you don't have a running partner), as long as you can hold a reasonable conversation whilst on the move your doing OK.
With injuries everyone is different. I tend to give it a few days until it stops hurting when I'm just walking around, then go for a short'ish slow plod just to see how things feel and build from there
Welcme to Fetch, by the way .
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Aug 2012
11:30am, 14 Aug 2012
27,340 posts
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Hills of Death (HOD)
Welcome Nicki 10.45 pace good my wife slower than that so doing well just build slowly don't take on too much.
Sometimes injuries are our bodies way of saying don't do that i.e technique
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Aug 2012
11:31am, 14 Aug 2012
4,725 posts
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JJ Flash
Hello Nicki, welcome to Fetch.
I'm a believer in listening to your body. Just be gentle with your calf. When you feel ready go for a little run and if it doesn't feel right stop. It's not rocket science.
As far as speed goes, run at a speed that feels comfortable. It doesn't dound as if you were going too fast to me. I usually get into trouble when I follow someone's dictats on what I should be doing instead of doing what comes naturally.
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Aug 2012
11:32am, 14 Aug 2012
134 posts
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MillieB
Welcome to fetch. Ive only been on here about a week and am already addicted!
I too had problems when I returned to running - i represented my county in 1500m as a young teen, came back as a 5k+ er in my late teens and have remained so other than health related absence.
I find i just know within myself when its okay to run again, if your desperate to get back on it again do the first day of C25k and see how you feel, you can always stop if it twinges. Ive had to learn that there isnt really a set rule with injuries it comes down to you knowing your own body and listening to what it twlls you. Sorry i cant give you a really straight forward answer!
Good to see another newbie
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Aug 2012
11:34am, 14 Aug 2012
9,070 posts
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Pootle
I don't see how someone on an internet forum that doesn't know you or run with you in person can be so detrimental about your speed, either. Sounds a bit like sour grapes to me because you are getting out there and doing something about getting fit/loosing weight rather than just sitting around believing in the magic of Weight Watches (which, imo, doesn't work. Eventually you are going to get sick of a constant "diet" and go back to eating normal food. Loosing weight needs to be about lifestyle change. You can pretty much eat what you like (within reason) as long as you do the exercise to burn it off again)
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Aug 2012
11:35am, 14 Aug 2012
10,405 posts
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Naomi P
Welcome to Fetch We have a policy of not taking the piss out of you until you have reached 100 posts, then you're fair game
Well done on getting going on the running. There are a million and one answers to your question and few people will agree, so, I'll give you my take.
Sometimes, if you run too slow, you can lose form. Obviously, if you're building up endurance you want to run slow enough to enable you to go further, but not so slow that your running is all over the place and you're hurting yourself. Feeling comfortable (legs, lungs and all the rest) isn't a bad rule of thumb to start with.
So I don't think you're going too fast. The variance between training paces tends to be narrower among slower than faster runners too, so Mo Farah will have a massive gap between long run pace and interval pace while we normal people will have less. There are calculators (try Macmillan) which will suggest the right sort of pace.
For your injury, if it doesn't hurt while walking then maybe try a short and easy jog, maybe even 5 minutes to see if it's gone. The more running you do, the more you'll be able to tell what's a niggle and what needs rest and / or treatment. When you start out, it's best to err on the side of caution as your muscles and ligaments adjust.
Keep posting, and keep running
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Aug 2012
11:36am, 14 Aug 2012
27,343 posts
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Hills of Death (HOD)
And you now have a picture Millie (is it only a week feels like a year )
Also Nikki don't worry too much about intervals yet get a good base in 20-30 miles a week (to be built on) ooo you have a pic now.
You can't intro some speed in Parkruns
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Aug 2012
11:37am, 14 Aug 2012
27,344 posts
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Hills of Death (HOD)
Millie 134 post you are gonna be sledged
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Aug 2012
11:37am, 14 Aug 2012
2 posts
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Nickipee
HI Millie - always nice to know you're not the only newbie!
I was also a county runner during my teens - but I was a sprinter! And I gave it up at 15 to take up smoking instead!
Thank you everyone for the kind replies - My gut instinct was the speed I was going was a natural pace for me.... and you seem to agree so I'll stop worrying about that bit.
My other instinct was to rest until it felt a bit better - went for an hour's walk the day after it happened and it was a bit much (or maybe that was the hills...) but yesterday it was better and today I feel like I could run, but the advice to go back on the app is interesting - maybe I'll do that and see how it is on short runs.
Thanks
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