New Jogger Help Needed

[TracyLynn 30]

Hi all. I have lost 54 lbs since my surgery on August 14th. I feel I am at a good point now to move from walking to jogging. But I need help.

The last time I jogged was in 1999 in gym class. But I decided to jog this past Monday. I did much better than I thought I would. Only thing is, the next day I felt my whole body ache and my shins felt like they had been jackhammered.

I read online that it was normal for beginner joggers to feel sore the first few weeks. But I was so sore I felt it when I walked. I really want to start jogging. I think it will greatly help me.

But do I jog through the pain? Do I wait until I don't hurt then jog again? Any tips or tricks? Any information or your experience would be greatly appreciated and hopefully I can become a happy jogger adding to weight loss and healthy behavior.

[COnative 192]

YES! I have some very good advice! Make sure you have really good shoes- first and foremost. Brooks and New Balance really have good support. Secondly, I'm a runner, and a good way to avoid shin splints is to start with intervals. You run really hard for a minute and walk for two minutes, repeat 7 times. I just started back from not running for a few years and I didn't get the usual shin splints. Man I hate those things- they really hurt!!!!!! Hope this helps! Good Luck!

[abetterme4.2 268]

Definitely get good shoes! And socks. You should know when you found a good pair because they don't need a break-in period. (My orthopedic dr. Told me that one) lol. There are some specific shoe stores that will watch you jog around and determine the best type of shoe and offer different brands.

Definitely do the intervals when starting out. A lot of people use c25k app and it times it for you and cues you.

And DEFINITELY do some stretching. I currently have plantar fasciitis and it is crippling/debilitating. It sucks. Jogging/running was cheap therapy for me and now I can't until I'm all healed. (Ligament that runs along the bottom of the foot)

And enjoy it!

[Butterthebean 8,146]

I started doing the C25K about 4 months ago and I'm loving it. It really helps to build you up gradually. I also really love my Brooks Beast shoes. Great shoes for us heavyweights.

I think I remember reading that one of the causes of shin splints was overstriding. I was taught that your feet should land directly under your hips when jogging, not out in front.

I took me about 4 days of running to figure out a proper pace for me. Once I did everything fell into place.

If you're that sore you should back off just a bit. Dont over do things or you could end up injured.

[cherrybombknits 184]

I restarted c25k today and, though it was hard, I loved it. As someone who hated running their whole life and got shin splints and all sorts of nasties I highly reccommend the interval format. I only stopped last year because I broke my ankle (yes while jogging, no not any fault of the c25k program).

[DayByDay 123]

I used to run/jog about 25 miles a week. It took me about a month to build up to that level. My recommendation is get a great pair of running shoes. If you have wide feet (like I do), I found Asics is the best brand. Road Runner Sports is a great site. They used to have a guide that helped you select the type of shoe you needed. Another tip, is to get socks that wick away the moisture, this helps with blisters. As far as the aches a pains, I just kept pushing through the pain. Once I got great shoes the pain eased. What helped me the most was stretching, stretching, and more stretching. Seems like a pain, but I stretched a half house before and after my runs. I worked wonders for me. I did not worry about distance, just duration. Once I could run for an hour straight, then I focused on distance. (that was advise I got from a marathon runner.)

Can't wait until I can get back to running. Such a great stress buster.

Happy Running!

[cherrybombknits 184]

Another thing to add: make sure you have an adequate cool-down period. I doubled my cool-down from 5 to 10 minutes walking last night and woke up with much less soreness.