Question for the runners out there
 

OK, so after reading some posts about jogging slower then walking just to get the heart rate up and get your body used to the idea of running and building up to it I decided to give it a try.

I did better then I thought I would, but I did notice that after awhile the front side of my ankle was giving a twinge-y stingy sort of pain. And it was only my right ankle that it happened to. I tried to gauge if maybe i was pushing off harder on that leg or twisting it somehow or over/under extending it vs the left lag but i couldn't notice anything different between the two.

From what little I know about anatomy I'm guessing the pain was in the front ankle ligament(?) I was wondering if anyone has any ideas on what might be causing this and suggestions on how to prevent it. Or if anyone had this issue and what they did to solve it?

Thanks :)

I've been jogging for a bit over a year now - I must say, the first six months are sort of crappy.... for me, there were always new pains and then there was the problem of finding the right shoes. It is quite amazing how the perfect shoes can help bring about the perfect run.

As far as aches and pains go, they will simply be there in the beginning; your body is simply not used to it and it is strenuous exercise. It is the pain that lingers or becomes worse that needs addressing.

In general, since you are new, you should be consistent and take many breaks in between. You have to give your bones and muscles time to catch up to your new exercise.

A lot of pains will simply remedy themselves with time. You have to grit your teeth a bit. However, as said above, the serious pains are the ones that actually keep you from jogging. Those should be addressed.

Good luck! I know how hard it is in the beginning!

I'm not an expert by any stretch but I think it could be one of many things or a combination of stuff:

1.) I've heard for most people getting into running twinges are somewhat normal as your body get used to that sort of motion and bearing that sort of weight and as you find the running form that works for you. But if you feel in a lot of pain such that it inhibits your daily life then of course that's not ok or normal.A little soreness I think isn't unusual though.

2.) It could be related to weight. I know a lot of people wait till they're lighter before they begin jogging/running because of the impact of a higher body weight on the knees and feet. Personally, I think one should follow their body. Personally I was doing a jog/walk program in the 250s and I was fine. I was also 22-23 and didn't have a history of knee, foot, back or any bone or muscle issues. And I've also seen many upper 200s running here without issues. However, the fact is many people just aren't able to run until they're a bit lighter. Again listen to your body and don't be a hero. If it's hurting very badly, maybe try again in another few pounds.

3.) It could be your shoes not offering the right support or not being fully broken in. I started running in cross-trainers that weren't even fully broken in and I remember they made the bodes of my feet ache the first couple of weeks I started jogging. But why I continued was that I felt better after taking them off and was fine an hour later. I decided I'd give the shoes a month but after 2 weeks, we made a breakthrough together and I was really sad to let them go at the end of 2010 though it was wayyyyy overdue. And I wore my new shoes jogging yesterday for the first time and they kind of made my knees hurt but the discomfort disappeared after a few hours. Again I'm going to try to break them in for another couple of weeks and if that doesn't work I'll change shoes.

4.) It could be that you pushed yourself too hard because you felt aerobically fine while jogging. Or that you didn't warm up enough before starting.


Anyway I hope you feel better soon and start to enjoy your runs more 100% twinge-free. I too am a big believer of starting "jogging slower than you walk." I dropped out of C25K 5+ times before I picked up on that concept and now 4months later, I'm working on speed and can definitely jog faster than I run for a sustained period. So it's really doable. Good luck and feel better!!!!