Do your legs hurt after a hard running workout? Does just the idea of taking a step seem like an impossible mission? Don’t worry. If you want to go running with laces in your legs, you can do it, you just have to train differently and follow some simple tips.
It doesn’t just happen to beginning runners. The shoelaces are common and can occur at any time. Maybe you’ve trained harder, longer, or on a new, more demanding course. This pain, which hinders your movements and can sometimes be accompanied by inflammation, is the consequence of small micro tears in the muscle fibers as a result of exertion. When they occur in calves, quadriceps or abductors, they are really annoying and even prevent normal sports practice. What can you do if you want to train with laces in your legs?
How to run even with shoelaces
Is it advisable to train with laces? Although they are something normal, you have to take the shoelaces into account when running. They arise in the form of painful pricks when faced with movement and exercise. Your body is warning you to stop or slow down because it needs more time to recover. In the most serious cases of obvious pain, especially if there is also inflammation, it is advisable to stop and avoid exercise for a couple of days, but if they are “bearable” stiffness, take note of how to practice running with stiffness in your lower extremities.
1. Slow down
You should not ignore the shoelaces and run at the same level as if you were in perfect physical shape. Even if your muscles are sore, gentle exercise can feel good and become a natural relief, but always control time and effort. You are not 100%, so you should train as if you were a novice. Cut the time in half. Do not exceed 50% of your cardiovascular capacity and, of course, forget about high intensity intervals or sprints that involve pushing your muscles to the maximum.
Running with laces in the legs means doing a maintenance workout, always shorter and softer than usual. This is not the time to beat your own records.
2. Change the surface
Running is an impact aerobic sport. Muscles and joints are sore (those stubborn soreness reminds you), so make it easier and run on a surface other than asphalt. A gentle workout, running on the sand of the beach, a dirt road not too compact, or on grass, is the best option if you want to run with laces.
3. Warm up / stretching
With the sensation of pain, typical of stiffness, it is difficult to get going. If you suffer from them, it is essential to do a good warm-up to prepare the muscles of your legs for a new demand. Do previous stretches, always in a short session and better based on isometric stretches (without movement). It is about mobilizing the muscles of your legs without forcing them before starting to run. Five minutes is more than enough to get them into the necessary tone to start the race.
4. Rest / cross training
There is no other. Take care of your lower extremities trying to give them a greater rest than usual. This does not mean that you are lying on the sofa because of the shoelaces. Rest what is necessary and resort to other physical activities that help you improve in the race and in which your legs have a lesser participation. For example, a cross training: exchanging a day of running training for a session in the gym, doing exercises to strengthen the core is an excellent alternative.
Another option to relieve soreness with exercise is to decide to run for a few minutes on the treadmill or pedal on the elliptical. If you have sore legs, remember that some gym machines can become your best allies.
5. Remedies to relieve soreness before running
Applying an ice pack to the area where the soreness seems to be concentrated, while doing a gentle massage, and resorting to some medication (analgesic and / or anti-inflammatory) are measures to mitigate the pain and so you can run even if you have sore legs.
