Back Pain (Read 1024 times)

Hi, Robian. Perhaps you just started back too intensely? I know an 8.5 mile week seems like nothing when you're looking at a marathon in Oct, but if you jumped to 8.5 too quickly your body may just not have had time to adjust. Added to that a history of recent shin splints, I'd suggest that you've maybe got a small habit of overdoing it just a touch? (Not that anybody ELSE here is guilty of that...) I went ahead and looked at your log since you've made it open. It seems significant to me that your back pain started the second time you did a fartlek, and that your first fartlek was your longest run recorded to date. It also seems like your milage went up SIGNIFICANTLY during May. You effectively doubled it in two weeks. Conservative wisdom says not to increase your total weekly milage by more than 10% in a week - ie, if you've been running 3 miles in a week, your next step up would be 3.3. I think you could get away with 3.5, but your weeks went 3, 4, 3.5, 6, 7.4. You're increasing too fast. Additionally, most experienced runners will, I think, tell you not to try to increase both milage and quality at the same time - do one or the other. That is to say, either increase your milage OR add a fartlek, not both. I understand wanting to get started and run as much as you can as fast as you can, but training for a marathon's much like running for one - you can't start out too fast or you'll just end up hurting! In this case, slower is faster. Give your body a chance to adapt to a couple of 3.5 mile strictly easy weeks, then a couple 4 mile "easy" weeks, etc. Follow the 10% rule as best you can. Build up a solid base of miles before you start adding in any speedwork. (Opinions on quantity needed varies, but I've not heard less than 20 mpw recommended for adding speedwork, and some people say don't add it until you're doing 50 mpw!.) Take it easy and slow. Doing otherwise will sabotage your chances for a successful run in Oct. Maybe check out a Galloway plan for run/walking it this time around? Wishing you all the best. Janell

Robian, Glad to see you are using this site, too. I remember you from running-log.com. Sorry to hear about the lower back pain. Janell (as she seems to with all her posts) offers some great advice. If you're carrying an extra 20 pounds right now, that's gotta play a part in the back pain. If it hurts when you run, maybe you can get your miles in by walking. I know that's hard for runners to do, but, it is a way to keep dropping weight and can only help. For me, knee pain or back pain = time for new shoes. You might want to consider running shoes for heavier runners (Asics Kayano, Brooks Trance, or Mizuno Nirvana). They all cost more than typical running shoes, but, if it helps your back pain... Hope you get some relief. Ken

First off, thanks everyone for all the advice. The pain itself is strictly in my lower back. As far as shoes go, I bought the “Asics Gel Kayano” 50 miles ago, which took a nice chunk out of my small college student income. After looking at my log, I guess I did jump a bit. I just figured that doubling from 1.5 miles to 3 miles wasn’t a big a deal, compared to 5 to 10 miles for example. I think I’ll take the rest of the week off and start with a solid week of 1.5 mile runs next week, and then gradually, (10% weekly) increase my distance. I figured out that by October 1st, my weekly mileage would be around 25.5 miles, if I start next week at 7.5 miles ( 5 runs x 1.5 miles). It’s still a mile off from the marathon, but I think by that time, an extra .03% increase wont be a big issue. As far as walking for exercise, I live downtown Minneapolis and don’t have a car, so I walk everywhere I go. In a given day, I walk at least 1 mile, usually more. I live 12 blocks from where I work. I have a desk job, but it requires a lot of getting up and walking around. I’m usually never in my chair for more than 15 minutes at any given time. - Robian

I'm rescinding my comment...

Hrm... you're right. I reread his descriptions. It didn't fit. The pain shouldn't intensify during the run unless it's structural...

I just don't want to leave bad information up. You are still correct :-)