Should I Back Off With My Runs?

by Stephen
(Wisconsin)

I used to be in cross country when I was in high school. As such, I am no stranger to pushing myself as hard as I possibly can. I have not done much running in the last 4 and a half years.

I recently started a weight training course at my university, and decided to go running for my cardio workouts. I went running a couple days ago to see how far I could run, so I know what to shoot for with my workouts.

I ran 8 miles in about 70 minutes. That is the farthest I have ever run non-stop. The following day, my legs were sore, as can be expected, but my knees and my hips were also really sore.

It is 2 days later, and they no longer hurt.

I weigh about 235 pounds, so I was wondering if this is just too much stress on my joints, or if I just need to keep pushing to get my muscles built up more.


Answer by Dominique:


Hi there,
Thanks for your questions about your running training.

When you want to get better at running, you do need to push yourself a little.

But you don't want to overdo it.

It is hard to say whether 8 miles in 70 minutes is too far and/or too fast for you.

The distance sounds a bit much.

But it really depends on how fit and fast you are.

There is nothing against a good tough workout, but the knee and hip soreness sound a bit worrying to me.

And you are right, when you are bit heavier, this does have an extra impact on your joints, so you'll want to be careful.

You will want to build up your mileage slowly but surely over time. Don't go from 0 to 8 miles without a bit of a build-up. Additionally, you will want most of your running to be at a gentle pace, especially in the beginning.

There is a time and a place for faster running, but it is usually closer to a specific race. If you are just doing cardio to complement your weight training, then I would opt for mostly easy running. Maybe with one faster workout per week.

I would advise you to have a good look at the following few links and then work out how to incorporate running in your overall fitness program:

Increasing Mileage Safely

Base Running - This should be the core of your running.

Interval Running - For the weekly faster workout.

Hope this helps.
Best of luck.
Kind regards,
Dominique