Racer X Virtual Trainer

Over the off season i have been doing alot of strength training and not as much cardio as i should have (Almost none), and now when i go for a run i have to stop after 15 minutes because for lack of a better word i have leg pump, im not out of breath but i have to stop because my legs hurt so much. Is there any way i can make this go away?

Thanks, Kevin

Sounds like you dont have any hypertrophy in your muscles that you are using to run with, With you only doing weight routines to build your legs it would be common when you starts exercising a muscle ( in your case your legs with running) there is first an increase in the nerve impulses that cause muscle contraction and when you continue to exercise, there is a complex interaction of your nervous system responses that results in an increase in protein synthesis over months and the muscle cells begin to grow larger and stronger. In short, at the moment your legs are used to you going gym work which as you say, pumps your legs up so now when you run you are using the muscles in a different way that they are not used to and until you run more and your muscles adapt they will pump up but will get less and less with time.

I wouldnt stress about it atall as Im sure when you 1st went to gym your legs were "Whats going on here"? Then the more you trained the better they got? Same principal appplies to the running.

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John Wakefield
http://www.pelotrain.co.za
Athlete Excellence

A somewhat common "leg pump" issue in the anterior tibialis is called compartment syndrome and is exactly the same mechanism as forearm pump. This is caused by blood entering the "compartment" that houses the muscles in front of your tibia (shin) but due to an increase in the pressure inside this compartment, the blood cannot leave as fast as it comes in. Mechanically loosening the connective tissues (think deep tissue massage) can help with compartment syndrome. I have also seen this in the calf muscles of some cyclists, and they were all helped with tissue work to loosen the connective tissues around those muscles.

These connective tissues can become thicker, etc. with strength training and tissue work and stretching and help to counteract this.

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Coach Seiji
www.coachseiji.com

Thanks alot guys, Pelotrain i am bumping up my running to 30 min 4 times a week instead of just a 10 min cool-down jog after strength training. and seiji i hope its not that bad but ill keep you informed

Thanks again, Kevin

Before we go and make this really complicated, do you warm up at all and then stretch before you you run? Or are you like most people and just start running. I know for myself (and I am in pretty decent shape) if I don't stop after a 10 minute warmup and thoroughly stretch my legs, they get really, really tight. Just like arm pump on the bike!

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Tim Crytser
Your Virtual Trainer
www.racerxVT.com

Well i do a 2 min walk then 15 min run a 1 min sprint then i cool down. i dont stretch because i dont really know how, other than the simple stretches that i did in high school. I wish i could a 10 min warm up, but if i even walk (at a brisk pace) for 10 min then i wont be able to run for 10 min because my legs will be dead, did i mention it is only in my calfs?