How Can I Work Around My Busy Schedule and Improve?

One beginner runner asks how she can improve on her running with her busy schedule.

I am 48 years old, started running in a group in January, and ran my first 5-K in 52 minutes. I would like to improve my 5-K time, but when I try to work toward this, my quads, calves, and shins hurt after I run. I do stretch before and after.

Another challenge: I work from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and later sometimes. Plus, I attend school full-time, so I do not run regularly—only when I am not tired or when I get a chance. I try to go to the gym for cross-training and manage to go at least twice a week. All in all, I run about two days a week and weight-train/cross-train twice a week (a body sculpting class one day, and a yoga class the next).

Every time I do those classes, my body gets sore and achy. And, during the last 5-K I ran, my right leg went totally numb all the way down to my foot; I had to walk to the finish.



My hat is off to you for juggling such a heavy load! Congrats on beginning running and training amid such a busy schedule. The first lesson running teaches us is to listen to our bodies. Learn to listen to your body because it's talking to you! Listening and learning the signals are essential for successful training.

First, experiencing numbness down the entire length of your leg should be checked out by your physician, so schedule that appointment right away. The cause may be something as simple as needing to do core work to strengthen the muscles that stabilize your pelvis, but it's best to rule out anything more serious before continuing your training.

Next, when your body experiences aches and pains, reassess your training plan. It's not the time to increase or intensify workouts. Since you have been running for a relatively short period of time, examine your running base. All of our running goals rely upon this foundation, so it's important to lay down a very solid one. With a solid foundation, we can then do anything we want run longer and tackle a marathon, or go for speed and target some PR races. Laying down a solid base can take six to 12 months of consistent training at a comfortable pace. From the description of your schedule, it sounds like consistency and regularity are difficult due to the other demands in your life, so you may not have allowed adequate time to develop your base before pushing the pace; hence, the aches and pains as you try to intensify your training. If at all possible, run three days a week, every other day, consistently.

A master's runner is anyone over 40 years of age. These runners need to factor their age into their training because as the body ages, the body's processes slow down. This means that adapting to training takes longer and recovering from workouts also takes longer. Therefore, training schedules for master's runners are written differently than training plans for runners under 40 years of age. Three-day-a-week training plans usually work well for master's runners because of the built in recovery time. This also means that consistency becomes even more important.

You are carrying an extremely heavy load with work and school, so stress is also something to factor into your training. Running typically serves as a stress reliever; however, when we push ourselves too hard, it can act as a stress producer. While you are carrying such a heavy load, it may best to focus on running for enjoyment and health reasons rather than for time, especially if consistency is going to be an ongoing issue. You mention working some very long hours and if are on your feet all of that time, consider wearing a pair of compression socks to work. This may help take some physical stress off of your legs and reduce some of your body aches.

Cross-training is great and including it in your training mix is good; however, it sounds like body sculpting and yoga on back-to-back days is too much since you report feeling sore and achy afterwards. If at all possible, alternate cross-training and running days. For example, yoga one day, run the next day, and body sculpt the next day, or take a rest day.

Given that you are a master's runner with a very demanding schedule, allow yourself two days completely off each week for adequate rest and recovery. Runthree days a week, every other day, and mix in cross-training two days a week on your days off from running. Or, another option is to include yoga or body sculpting on the same day as a run (run in the morning, exercise class in the afternoon) in order to fit it all in. Then, take the following day completely off. Follow this routine for another two to three months and re-evaluate your progress. If you are no longer experiencing aches and pains, and your physician has cleared you for exercise, then begin including some speedwork and see how your body responds. Your three-day-a-week running schedule would then look like this: one day of speedwork, one day of strength running (hills or a tempo run), and one long run day, when you increase mileage gradually in small increments.

Also, I suggest warming up before running with walking and/or jogging slowly rather than stretching. The jury is still out on stretching, but many experts now believe that stretching before running may actually increase your risk of injury because lengthening muscles appears to weaken them. Stretching is best done on warm muscles, so it's more effective to stretch after your run. The best warmup is one that simulates the activity itself, so use walking or slow jogging. Warm up by walking or jogging slowly for about 15 minutes, then gradually increase your pace to the desired training pace. Your warmup routine will become even more important when you incorporate speedwork into the mix, so now is the time to develop a good routine. Cool down after your run by gradually slowing down the pace and then walking for several minutes. This process is extremely important, so don't shortchange yourself. The cooldown phase allows the body to transition back to "normal" after exercise; blood flow is redistributed, heart rate slows, breathing rate slows, and the body processes metabolic by-products left behind from the exertion of exercise. A proper cooldown can help reduce muscle soreness after workouts. After your cooldown, stretch the major muscle groups by targeting the quadriceps, low back, gluteal muscles, hamstrings, and calf muscles.

All the best!

Susan Paul, MS



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