I'm trying to get ready for a 5K in April, and I'm currently running M-W-F. I'm going for 2 1/4 mi. this week, 2 1/2 mi. next week, and so on. I'm trying to increase my times throughout the week (run faster on W than M, and faster on F than W). This is going fairly well, but I'm finding that even with doing only upper body/core exercises on my off days from jogging, my legs are still sore on my running days. I feel it mostly during my warm-up walk and the first mile, and then I get in a rhythm and don't really feel it until I stop running. It's not a really painful soreness, like I don't have trouble moving around, but my legs just feel stiff. Will my legs eventually get used to the routine, or am I pushing too hard? I miss waking up to jog and feeling 100%. I do have two rest days planned before the race itself (one upper body day and one day of complete rest, which I don't have in my normal weekly routine).

Thanks!

If its general stiffness and not a pain in a particular place, I'd assume you'd get used to it.

A day of complete rest in your weekly routine, though, might be something to consider...it's a lot of stress for your body to challenge it to perform constantly at full potential.

Yes, my legs just feel stiff. I usually have soreness in my quads after I run, but nothing that really affects me. I try to vary what body parts I'm using. My basic routine is:

M-W-F
Jog 30-45 min (5 min warm-up and 5 min cool-down)

Tues-Thurs-Sat
30 min upper body workout
1 set each of 20 crunches, crunches with rotation, and reverse crunches

Sun
30 min Pilates workout (ab exercises only)

I'm pushing myself, but not doing too much on any one day and I average maybe 4 1/2 hours of exercise per week. Should I change things up to allow for a day where I don't do anything at all?

why are you doing so much ab work?

And yes, you should have at least one a day a week where you dont do any exercise, except maybe stretching...

You may want to invest in a foam roller to do self massage. That might help work out the stiffness...

Also, the more overtrained i become, the stiffer and heavier my legs get.

How long have you been running?
ANd with regards to your plan to make everyday "faster" or "longer" than the day before...... thats not the best strategy, in my opinion. not EVERY run can be a winner!! And your body needs time to recover.
I would do something more like this...pick ONE run a week that you are trying to run faster than the PREVIOUS weeks fast run. Then pick ONE run a week wher you increase the distance over last weeks Furthest distance (this will be your "long" run) and then have one easy recovery run, where you go neither fast, nor far, but easy and slow and nice...... for fun....

This is how serious runners train (in a very general way)
When im training for a marathon, i dont try and run 26.2 miles every day.
When i am training to COMPETE at a 10K, i dont run 6.2 miles as fast as i can everyday.

One run a week is devoted to running long (progressively longer every week, until i can cover the distance). i spend usually 2 runs a week doing some form of speed work at a manageable distance. I have one or 2 recovery runs during the week.....

Attempting to make every run faster and further than the run before is a recipe for disaster-- in the form of burnout, or injury.
You have till April? How many weeks? lets assume 4 weeks.
next week pick one run to run a quarter mile further (make friday your long run day, go for 2.5 mi). Make mondays run your "faster" run.... i dont know what your time goals are. And wedsnday your recovery run day.... do a nice and easy 2 ish miles and make time to foam roll/and stretch afterwards. Take time on Sat or Sunday to also foam roll or stretch, even though you dont run.

MK, thank you, thank you, thank you for taking the time to give me such a detailed answer. I do have four weeks including this week (run is April 17th). I have been jogging just a few weeks, working out seriously since January. I would be over the moon to finish the 5K in under 40 min. Right now, I'm running maybe a 14 min mile. How would you do speed training? Intervals?

I didn't think I was doing a heck of a lot of ab work--really light three days and then one hard day? My abs haven't been sore except for after Pilates day.

What i was really getting at regarding the ab work is, well---- i think you are wasting your time doing that much Abs are made in the kitchen (in other words, your diet has to be impeccable, and youhave to have a really low body fat to see them!) If you work them hard and you have a layer of fat over the abs, well....like any muscle the abs will get bigger....the layer of fat will make it look like you are just getting fatter!!
That is just MY opinion though....

If you are that new to running, i honestly wouldnt worry at all about speed training right now. My best advice is to train till april to cover the distance. AFTER that though, intervals are a great way to speed train. I am not talking about sprints.... Just running fasTER than you normally would for 1-3 minutes and then recovery running /walking for 1-3 minutes.... Since you are so new, which i didnt realize, if you are bent on doing intervals, you could do 1-3 minutes of riunning slighter faster, and then the smae amount of minutes walking....... or you can find a HILL to repeat running up 3 to 4 times.... Running up hills is speed work in disguise!

Hmmmm, that's interesting about the ab work--I was going less for a six pack (not worried about that, just losing the fat off my belly, which I know only comes with time) and more for core strength. I've had lower back problems in the past and my PT said it was from weak core muscles (hence the Pilates).

Yes, I am a newbie! I think the most frustrating thing has been that from a cardiovascular standpoint I'm ready for more (I'm never panting or out of breath, not even breathing too hard), but my legs get sore. I'm ready for my legs to catch up to the rest of me! Thank you again for your advice!