RunningAHEAD - Topic: Lead thighs

mcandee

beep beep!

posted: 9/17/2008 at 11:53 PM

On my almost 2 miler yesterday and today my thighs felt like they were made of lead... didn't start out that way, kicked in a little over half way through on a hill. Maybe I've developed some muscles that are to heavy for me to lift or something Confused

Well that's probably NOT the case, but I was wondering if anyone else has experienced this and what you did to work it out... Thanks Big grin

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

YouSeeSanDiego

Asics' Benefactor

posted: 9/18/2008 at 12:24 AM

Not much information given Do you normally run hills? Was it painful or did your legs just give out unexpectedly? Did you eat/hydrate properly beforehand?

2008 Goals:
~~Run 5k (Naked Juice)~~ 07/13/08 - 28:39
~~Run 10K (San Diego AIDS)~~ 09/28/08 - 51:59
Run a 25 mile week Run a 100 mile month

mcandee

beep beep!

posted: 9/18/2008 at 12:34 AM

Sorry, wasn't sure how much to give... I was plenty hydrated. I usually run before dinner, and this was the case with both days. This is my normal route that I've been doing since I started running. Some days I run a little more or a little less, but the hill is always involved (and it's a mild one at that). It hurt, but not that much.... it was more that it seemed like it was taking every bit of strength I had to lift my legs off the ground... if that makes any sense. I just figured that yesterday was an off day and when it happened again today it concerned me... if my legs want to feel like lead everytime I go out then I'm going to lose motivation!

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

milerBonnie

posted: 9/18/2008 at 12:41 AM

I get lead legs if I've been running a lot and my legs aren't recovered enough. Because you are ramping things up, perhaps your legs have some residual tiredness. You could have needed more of a warm-up before attacking the hill too. Oh and if you tried to run up the hill too fast, you can get the dreaded lead as well.

mcandee

beep beep!

posted: 9/18/2008 at 12:52 AM

Quote from milerBonnie on 9/18/2008 at 12:41 AM:

I get lead legs if I've been running a lot and my legs aren't recovered enough. Because you are ramping things up, perhaps your legs have some residual tiredness. You could have needed more of a warm-up before attacking the hill too. Oh and if you tried to run up the hill too fast, you can get the dreaded lead as well.

So when this happens to you do you take a break or does it eventually work itself out? I'm trying to be consistent with 5 days a week because I know if I take too much of a break it'll be work to get back into it. I was thinking that perhaps this is too short of a run for my muscles to be warmed up by the time I get back to the hill.... didn't get the lead thighs on my 5 miler this past weekend...

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Go PRE

Member Since 2008

posted: 9/18/2008 at 2:06 AM

Hi Melissa, Are you warming up prior to your run? If not, try walking about five minutes prior to your run, do high knee lifts, butt kicks (try kicking your butt with your heels) and see if that helps. It would also benifit for you to walk for about five minutes after your run to cool down. This will warm up your muscles. Another thing you might try is protein. I use whey shakes, but that will be up to you to see what is best for you. everyone is different. Good luck.

Figbash

posted: 9/18/2008 at 7:34 AM

Everyone has bad runs and normally there is no explanation for them. Since the run was nothing out of the ordinary for you, there is nothing to worry about. It's not nutritional because nutrition doesn't become a factor until your runs are much longer. Just chalk it up as a bad run and move on. Tom

milerBonnie

posted: 9/21/2008 at 6:34 PM

Quote from mcandee on 9/18/2008 at 12:52 AM:

So when this happens to you do you take a break or does it eventually work itself out? I'm trying to be consistent with 5 days a week because I know if I take too much of a break it'll be work to get back into it. I was thinking that perhaps this is too short of a run for my muscles to be warmed up by the time I get back to the hill.... didn't get the lead thighs on my 5 miler this past weekend...

I don't usually take an extra break. It'll work itself out. If the feeling hangs around too long, say 3 days in a row, I would take a break. Something else is going on. You'll adapt. Give it time. Many people take the first couple of miles of their run more slowly or even walk (as mentioned above) as to warm up more efficiently and get rid of the stiff legged feeling. Just for perspective -- I've had runs where the entire run felt fantastic. I've had runs where my legs felt like concrete for the entire way. I've had runs where the first two miles were torture and the next 8 were awesome. Everyday is different.

mcandee

beep beep!

posted: 9/29/2008 at 9:39 PM

Quote from milerBonnie on 9/21/2008 at 6:34 PM:

Many people take the first couple of miles of their run more slowly or even walk (as mentioned above) as to warm up more efficiently and get rid of the stiff legged feeling.

So another question then... for those who walk to warm up, do you count it towards part of your mileage for the run?

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain

Go PRE

Member Since 2008

posted: 9/30/2008 at 5:17 AM

I count it towards the total milage, but I consider the walks as separate workouts. So on a typical day for me, I will have three different workouts, warm-up, run and cool down. If I go out to do a ten mile run, I usually end up doing a little over eleven miles all in all.

Fenderfan

posted: 9/30/2008 at 10:06 AM

sounds like what i call the cycle of fitness. Progress for me seems to come in plateaus, or jumps. I will be at one level, and not feel any progress, but in reality I am developing more fitness, or more muscles. I just try to run slower until I feel the energy return, then jump to the next plateau, go a little faster, then repeat the cycle again. Its the same with weight loss, sometimes I don't lose any weight for a couple of weeks, but I know I am getting fitter, replacing fat with muscles that will allow me to do even more in the future.

Ennay

A Saucy Wench

posted: 9/30/2008 at 10:55 AM

Quote from Figbash on 9/18/2008 at 7:34 AM:

Everyone has bad runs and normally there is no explanation for them. Since the run was nothing out of the ordinary for you, there is nothing to worry about. It's not nutritional because nutrition doesn't become a factor until your runs are much longer. Just chalk it up as a bad run and move on. Tom

Repeating what figbash said. Dont worry about it

I have become Death, the destroyer of electronic gadgets

"When I got too tired to run anymore I just pretended I wasnt tired and kept running anyway" - dd, age 7

TanyaS

posted: 9/30/2008 at 12:28 PM

Maybe someone already mentioned this (too lazy to read the whole thread), but looking at your log, I noticed you hadn't run in nearly two weeks prior to this "lead thighs" run. Or are you just not logging your runs? If this was a first run after 12 days of no running, that's a pretty good reason for feeling out of synch.

Lead thighs (Read 1548 times)