question

[Rickydeskins]

So i am considering running every day instead of every other. ...my question is will the effort of running everyday be worth the pain or will i get more out of every other day? Help

[Teena]

I think if you are new to running you should probably work up to it before you start running that much. Once you have built up the stamina and distance you might be able to give that a go.

 

I wish you the best of luck!!!

[TheRoseWithin~Shannon]

Hi Ricky, 

 

Josh Clark (C25K creator) explains why easing into is important.  Full article here: No Pain, No Pain: The “Couch to 5K” and Humane Design

 

Q: Would trying to do too much, too fast be the biggest temptation of the program?

Patience is so incredibly important for new runners. As people discover that they actually like running and that they’re actually able to make progress, there’s a real temptation to jump ahead, to try to make that progress come faster. It’s important to resist that, to give your body a chance to get used to all this new activity.

 

Azatol (and many others here) explain it in more depth (better than the above quote, in my opinion), that is, the importance of resting in between days.  In the end though, it's up to you and what your body feels comfortable with. C25K is an excellent guideline!  

[Guest TrishE]

You should try to keep it every other day and do some cross training on your days off. I know from experience that running everyday wore my body out so that even though i was going everyday theres no way I was doing it well enough to get any kind of results. I dont want to discourage you but i wouldnt recommend it.

[Timb113]

Ricky, DEFINITELY TAKE THE REST DAYS!!!!! Let me tell you from experience, it is not worth the pain and frustration! I built up to running a couple of 5Ks and recently completed a 10K. I was at the point where I ran a few training runs at 6 miles. I thought I could do anything. Well, just before the 10K, I decided to get three good workouts (6 miles, 3 miles, and 4 miles) in on consecutive days. Just before the end of the third day, I felt a pain in my knee. It's been three weeks and I've tried to run once, to no avail. Overuse injuries happen too often. You can certainly exercise nearly every day, but make sure you are cross training, (lifting, yoga, walking, cycling) on those others days. Give your body a chance to stay healthy.

[Azatol]

The simple answer, NO!

 

The Why...

Run training is strength training. You are trying to build your leg muscles to enable you to achieve more. When you run, you tear muscle tissue. This is why you are sometimes sore the next day. You have intentionally inured yourself. Over the 48 hour period after you run, your muscles repair themselves. When they repair themselves, they rebuild stronger than their previous form. This means, you don't build muscle when you run. You build muscle when you rest.

 

When you run the second day in a row you tear muscle fiber that hasn't repaired yet thus negating some of the benefit you would have gained by letting those muscles rest. Off days are for walking, biking, elliptical, arc trainer, swimming, yoga, and any other low impact type thing you can come up with.

 

This is not forever. If you were a marathon runner, it wouldn't really hurt you to run 5 miles on your off day as 5 miles is barely light intensity for you. It's probably akin to you and I walking on our off day but for now, let those muscles rest. They will come back with a vengeance as their way of saying thanks for the day off ( who doesn't love a day off?)

 

[Rickydeskins]

What do you guys think about speeds? I run at 4.7 and walk at 2.7 on the treadmill. And i am taking rest days and lifting now