Fitness planner: Beginners' guide to running 10K in eight weeks - Part 2

If you have stuck to the plan for the first two weeks, and completed the Moneycontrol Couch to 10k programme’s prescribed workouts, you might be a bit sore. The good news is that you have conquered the toughest part - from here on out, you won’t be in much pain at least. However, this is not to say that things will get much easier now.

It is natural for the body to be sore after the initial week or two of training. Even intermediate and experienced runners returning to training after a break are, more often than not, sore and in some pain, especially if they try to run too fast or too much during the first few sessions, cautions Gagan Arora, running and lifestyle coach and founder of Kosmic Fitness in Delhi.

Read again: Fitness planner: Beginners' guide to running 10K in eight weeks - Part 1

Of course, most first-time runners are not used to muscle soreness and pain. But even regular gym enthusiasts may find themselves sore when they switch to middle- and long-distance running training. The reason: While running, the muscles undergo a very different workout than what they are used to in a gym, and at very high repetitions, say running coaches explaining the soreness among the regular gym rats.

Long-time runner and podium finisher in several races Anuradha Dutt, 49, doesn’t remember how bad the pain was when she trained for her first 10km run but she is well aware that resuming training after a break, even a short one, is going to be painful.

“You become aware of muscles that you had completely forgotten about. I always start slow for the first few weeks and focus on mileage rather than speed but there is no way around soreness and pain for the initial two or three weeks. Since I already know what is going to happen, I am mentally prepared for it. Also, with every passing year the soreness and pain become less intense,” says Dutt, a special educator in Kolkata.

Business development manager Radhika Kaushik, 40, ran her only 10km race in Mumbai back in 2016. She had read up a lot and spoken to her runner friends and was prepared for the pain. “I was mentally prepared for discomfort. I was sore after the first week of training but didn’t feel there was anything wrong with me or my body so I kept at it,” she recalls.

No matter how experienced or fit you are, when you start a new programme or return after a break of about two or more weeks, the first two to three weeks are going to be painful, warns Dutt, who started training again in mid-June after recovering from Covid-19.

“There’s no escaping pain and soreness in endurance sport. The fact that I am going to be in pain doesn’t put me off of returning to training because I have chosen to be fit and that’s a price I am willing to pay. In fact, there is a fair bit of pleasure in that pain because at the other side of the pain a stronger, better and fitter version of you awaits you,” adds Dutt.

The pain and soreness can easily be managed so that they don’t assume torturous proportions, says Arora, who has run more than a dozen half marathons and several full marathons. “The best way to ensure that you do not suffer much is to have a positive attitude to training, mental toughness and, most importantly, stretch your quadriceps, hamstrings, calves and glutes for a minimum of 30 seconds after each workout,” he says.

Dutt’s tip for fellow runners is to just carry on and push past the pain and mental blocks. “Don’t get scared and give up. There’s a lot of joy once you push past this initial rough patch,” she says.

“At the start of each training week, get it clear in your head how you would stick to the plan and complete your training and overcome all hurdles, including pain. Have a ‘Yes, I can’ attitude and set small goals for training and smash them at every step,” advises running coach and founder of Protons Sports and Fitness Private Limited, Dharmendra Kumar.

Kumar also suggests joining a running group, where one can find a lot of support and helpful information. However, given the current circumstances, do maintain social distance and keep your masks on.

Couch to 10K: Weeks 3 and 4 for beginners

Intermediate runners