An issue when running

[ls32ssibm]

Down to brass tacks;

 

 

Training for a 5K. Used to run a lot 2 years ago, stopped due to various reasons. Trying for a sub-20 min time which is ambitious for me.

 

I've gained weight since (I'm sure it has something to do with it). About a whopping 36 pounds -by my calculation, 30 of which is muscle because I had been heavy lifting. I was 160 before, now I'm about 196. Most of the muscle is upper body strength.

 

Before (as in when I was 160), I could push myself to where I was winded while running. Now, it seems like I have decent cardio stamina, but my legs and feet seem to cap me out at a certain speed - they start to get sort of numb and achy when I run.

 

 

Is this because of the extra weight? Besides trying to lose some weight (and therefore upper body strength, inevitably) should I try to do more weight training with my legs?

 

 

Thanks.

[Emilia]

Before (as in when I was 160), I could push myself to where I was winded while running. Now, it seems like I have decent cardio stamina, but my legs and feet seem to cap me out at a certain speed - they start to get sort of numb and achy when I run.

 

Is it not more like a tired feeling? Is it definitely numb?

[Object_a]

This sounds like an adrenaline surge to me. I get the same symptoms sometimes when I do pace runs. It's just your body reacting to the stress of being pushed so hard. Your weight may be a factor but only because you're running faster than your body finds comfortable at your current level of fitness. Maybe ease of the intensity a little.

[Andy_K]

Have you considered gaining some muscle on the lower body?

[Sunshinegrl]

When starting or restarting a running program, your heart and lungs always develop better capacity before your muscles do.

 

With your weight training, you have developed your fast twitch muscle fibers, but with long distance running you are now recruiting your slow twitch fibers which haven't had that kind of workout in a while.

 

It takes time for them to adapt and be able to get the oxygen they need. I believe your problem is lack of oxygen and that will just come with time and training and muscle/capillary adaptation.

 

You may need to adjust your goals with time.

[Star Gazer]

I definitely think your weight is going to hinder you at first. Gaining 30 pounds of muscle is a LOT. Without offense, are you like body-builder/meathead-ish? Or were you scrawny before?

 

A super built guy can be a super fast sprinter, but although a 5k isn't far, isn't not a real sprint. Long distance runners have a hard time being that fast (sub-20) when they're super built.

[clia]

When starting or restarting a running program, your heart and lungs always develop better capacity before your muscles do.

 

With your weight training, you have developed your fast twitch muscle fibers, but with long distance running you are now recruiting your slow twitch fibers which haven't had that kind of workout in a while.

 

It takes time for them to adapt and be able to get the oxygen they need. I believe your problem is lack of oxygen and that will just come with time and training and muscle/capillary adaptation.

 

You may need to adjust your goals with time.

 

What's the best way to do this? Just increase distance slowly over time, or are there specific exercises I can do? I already do a lot of squats and lunges, both with and without weights.

 

I'm having a similar problem as the OP. I can easily run 7-8 miles, and feel as though cardio-wise I could do even more, but my leg muscles start to get tired and shaky, so I stop. I'm 5'6" and 125, so it's not a weight issue for me.

[ls32ssibm]

I definitely think your weight is going to hinder you at first. Gaining 30 pounds of muscle is a LOT. Without offense, are you like body-builder/meathead-ish? Or were you scrawny before?

 

A super built guy can be a super fast sprinter, but although a 5k isn't far, isn't not a real sprint. Long distance runners have a hard time being that fast (sub-20) when they're super built.

 

I was shrimpy before, and was unhappy with my body so I started eating more and lifting. In a perfect world it would have been all muscle but I surely gained some dead-weight in the process.

[Sunshinegrl]

Yes, increasing distance slowly over time will help you to be able to run longer distances. Find a running program that incorporates one "long run" each week. But your total mileage each week should not increase by more than 10%.

 

What you are experiencing is glycogen depletion. When you run out of it, you "hit the wall" and your legs give out and feel like lead. But the positive side to this is that each time, your body adapts by increasing its pre-exercise glycogen storage capacity so that doesn't happen again when you stress it the same way.

 

Long running also helps you convert a greater percentage of fat stores to readily available energy vs glycogen.

 

The only way to run longer is to train longer.