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| Lactic acid buidup? (Read 329 times) |
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posted: 8/25/2008 at 6:44 AM |
I'm new to the forums here, although I've been using the logs here for a few months. I've been running for a year and over the past few months I've been building mileage in the hopes of running a half marathon this fall, and then a full one in the spring.
So I ran just over 12 miles today, and while I was pretty gassed at the end, there was nothing unusual about the end of the run, but after I stopped running, I got real sore, almost stiff, and minutes after stopping I felt a severe burning in the upper area of my calves. It was pretty intense, but I took some ibuprofen along with the usual recovery shake, and about a half hour later the pain was totally gone... I just kept moving around the house and never sat down. Stretching didn't help, or hurt, really, and I didn't do anything more than my usual post run stretches. I was pretty well rested as well. This was the longest I've run to date.
Two weeks ago, I ran a faster 10 miles in similar weather, a day after setting a PR in a 5K (25:36) and mowed the lawn after running... I've never felt any pains like this before, not even a lesser intensity or anything. I assume it was lactic acid buildup, but I wonder if anyone else has had this, and what I could do, maybe nutrition wise or cool down wise, to prevent this.
Thanks in advance. |
Goal #1, spring marathon '09
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| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 8/25/2008 at 12:31 PM |
Running causes stiffness, but acute (immediately after) and subacute (1-2 days after). Many things have been implicated as the cause for the pain and stiffness, including lactic acid. It is very likely that the lactic acid which builds up in your muscles is a marker for what is going on rather than the cause. The exact cause is not entirely clear and may be a combination of many factors including tissue swelling and inflammation.
But folks will disagree... |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
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posted: 8/25/2008 at 1:06 PM |
| I'm experiencing subacute stiffness. |
E-mail: JakeKnight2002@aol.com
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| view log Member Since 2008 |
posted: 8/25/2008 at 11:00 PM |
| What you described is natural. You just need to find a routine that work's for you. I prefer Ice baths. |
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posted: 8/26/2008 at 12:17 AM
modified: 8/26/2008 at 12:22 AM |
Right after a long run, my legs just throb and you can feel the heat coming off them. I choose to do nothing and within 5 or 6 hrs the throbbing and heat subside then the stiffness sets in. My thinking is it's your body repairing itself by rushing blood to the leg muscles. Why would you hamper this by slowing the blood flow down, by cooling off your leg muscles? Unless it truly is too painful just let your bod take care of itself. I'm sure in a thousand years people will laugh at some of the medical practices of today, just as we smirk at what they did a thousand years ago.
MTA - Curiously I never get this Heat buildup after a short or medium distance run, even if they are done at a hard pace. |
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Guy running in pink |
posted: 8/26/2008 at 12:28 AM |
Why would you hamper this by slowing the blood flow down, by cooling off your leg muscles?
Because it works. |
| With realistic Pants-on-Fire action! |
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posted: 8/26/2008 at 12:36 AM |
| Quote from srlopez on 8/26/2008 at 12:28 AM: Because it works.
But if you let your body do what it wants to do, it may be more beneficial. For example impede the flow of blood and your body may say, "Well that's all I could do under the circumstances". While if you left it alone and gave it time to work it may have been able to do a better repair job. Maybe making the muscle a little stronge,r than it would in the body where repair work was cut short? |
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| view log Funky Monkey |
posted: 8/26/2008 at 1:30 AM |
| The problem is that the blood flowing to your leg causes TOO MUCH inflammation and swelling, far more than what your body needs to heal. Slowing the blood flow with an ice bath reduces the overexuberent inflammatory response. |
| It's all fun and games until the flying monkeys attack. |
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| view log Runs With Snowplows |
posted: 8/26/2008 at 2:34 AM |
| Quote from Trent on 8/26/2008 at 1:30 AM: The problem is that the blood flowing to your leg causes TOO MUCH inflammation and swelling, far more than what your body needs to heal. Slowing the blood flow with an ice bath reduces the overexuberent inflammatory response.
And it makes for funny HTFU pics from Marcus.  |
Kirsten
• Ladies Locker Room •
.: 2008 Goals :.
• Run 1500 miles
• October 5 - 1st marathon - Milwaukee Lakefront - in my home state of WI
• PRs: 5k ~ 15k ~ 25k
• 1st trail race |
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Guy running in pink |
posted: 8/26/2008 at 2:37 AM |
The problem is that the blood flowing to your leg causes TOO MUCH inflammation and swelling
Beavis: heheheheheheh. |
| With realistic Pants-on-Fire action! |
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| view log Runs With Snowplows |
posted: 8/26/2008 at 2:49 AM |
| Quote from srlopez on 8/26/2008 at 2:37 AM: Beavis: heheheheheheh.
Well, we know where the blood flow ISN'T going...  |
Kirsten
• Ladies Locker Room •
.: 2008 Goals :.
• Run 1500 miles
• October 5 - 1st marathon - Milwaukee Lakefront - in my home state of WI
• PRs: 5k ~ 15k ~ 25k
• 1st trail race |
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| view log |
posted: 8/28/2008 at 4:32 PM |
What was odd was that it hit hard and went away relatively quickly. The stiffness was more pronounced than normal, and I expected that, but the burning in the upper parts of both calves that lasted about 30 minutes, it was something I'd like to avoid in the future. It felt like a muscle tear, but I didn't think it was because it was the exact same feeling in both legs. An hour later, I wasn't any more stiff or sore than I'd been before after any other run, and I've kept my normal routine this week.
My previous long run was 10 miles, and this was like 12 and a quarter. I probably went too far, too fast, in not following the 10 percent rule. In the future I'll build the mileage a bit more slowly and try to do a better job cooling off. I'm training for a marathon, but I haven't picked a race, I want to do a spring marathon and was hoping to get a 20 mile run in before the snow flies, but maybe that's too ambitious...
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Goal #1, spring marathon '09
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