Newbie Runner

[ACG]

I am normally a cyclist, but my daughter has talked me into running a 1/2 marathon with her in September. So here I am. I went to a store specific for selling running gear and bought shoes. The guy had me run back forth etc. Well I used them a few times then decided to run a 5k. My daughter was persausive, she basically showed up and there we went. (It took us 35 minutes)

Well my arch hurt all day after that. That was the only side effect I had. Legs felt good, strong, etc.

I've also had issues with my arches hurting after standing for long periods of time or sometimes during my strength training class.

I don't want this to prevent me from running.

So should I go back to the store and tell the guy what happened?
Should I get arch supports? I have high arches.
Should I stretch out my calves, somehow I'm wondering if this is related.

I'm not quitting, I just have to work around this somehow.

Your suggestions, advice are much appreciated!

[Deborajen]

Have you done any running before? If you haven't, 5K is probably too long for a first time. The body takes a real pounding with running, especially the feet, and it takes getting used to. I started out with 10 minutes and built up gradually. The plan was to be up to a 10K by week 12. Although I didn't build up that fast, a lot of people can. You just have to listen to your own body.

Arch supports can be helpful but I think you'll have a lot better body feedback if you take your time and ease into the distance. The stretches you mentioned are a good idea, too. Don't forget to stretch your upper legs and hips as well, plus your back. There are some good references on Runner's World's website.

Good luck and enjoy! Running is a lot of fun, and it's very challenging.

Deb

[Grog]

Welcome to the wonderful world of running.

I think you should just give yourself a chance and build your muscles a bit more progressively. As Deb noted, running 5K is a lot for a total beginner, no wonder your feet are complaining!

Take it easy and prevent injuries, so you can enjoy this for a long time!

[colby]

Just wanted to chime in that yes, stretching your calves can help your arch-heel-achilles-calf-hamstring system.

For a couple of months I was having heel pain, turned out my ankle/heel were taking turns fighting out of alignment and the chiro nudged them back in place. But, you know that's just a sign of bad muscles or will lead to bad muscle memory, so I was doing a lot of stretching. If they are sore/inflamed, use ice for about 15 minutes. I "cured" mine with stretching and trying not to strike on my heels - it didn't feel right anyway.

I do downward dog, then alternate heel presses, focusing on different parts of each leg - either lengthening all the way with your heel to the ground while your other knee is relaxed (toes to the ground), or lengthening the back of your ankle while your toes are to the ground applying pressure (other leg straight but relaxed). You'll feel the first stretch in the back of your calf, the second stretch closer to your ankle. You can also get that second one by doing a semi-lunge, with your front foot stretching the back of your ankle/calf rather than going all the way into a lunge and stretching your hips.

Hamstrings are good to lengthen, too, at this point it's just kind of general practice for me to go all the way ankles to hips as all those systems really overlap and benefit from each other. And, you might want to stretch your shins, too. Boy, the body is complicated. I find by taking 5 minutes to stretch all of the systems vs. just spot-targeting what irritates me, I care for the whole system and don't let a neglected part fail.

Welcome to running! Don't be afraid to walk and cover greater distance than you can running alone, don't be afraid to walk if you don't feel like you can run any farther, gradually increase your running distance, and remember to be patient and have fun. (That last one is the hardest sometimes)