Why can't I run any more???

[GracieC]

So, until about November last year I was regularly running 8km (2/3 times a week) at the gym. Then I got a horrendous cold that wiped me out for a couple of weeks, then Christmas took over. To try and get my mojo back I decided to do RED January, using the C25K programme outside.

I was going really well then got covid. After 2 weeks out I got back to running most days, finished C25K with no hiccups and felt great. Found a 5-10km programme that I planned to do alongside 4-5km runs. Did the first 2 runs of the 5-10km programme with no issues a couple of weeks ago but for no apparent reason, every time I've tried to run since I've totally failed.

Tried just running aiming for 4-5km, can't do it without stopping several times. I've tried following the programme (it's run 10 minutes, walk 1 minute repeated 4 times) but can't manage 10 minutes. Today (after 2 rest days) I thought I'd try just a short 3km run, going slow to see if I could get round but I couldn't. It's like my legs just stop moving before I even realise. It's so, so demoralising after feeling like I was doing so well. I was even contemplating signing up for a 10km in May!!

Has anyone else ever had this? How do I get past it? I really don't want to give up. I was enjoying it so much 😢

I experienced similar although I wasn't at your stage of running- prob about 6 or 7 of couch to 5k. It happened after a hideous cold but long after I was feeling better with the cold. It was really dispiriting but did get better with time.

• week 6 or 7, that should say

just take it easy - your body is asking for more recovery time, it will come back, but not right now

Thanks, it just feels like it came from nowhere. One day I could run, then I couldn't. I guess I'll just keep trying. Might try the treadmill instead. At least then I have to physically slow it down so my legs can't just stop running!

personally, I wouldn't force it right now - your body is communicating with you

YOu say yourself this isn't how you normally react to a physical challenge, this is different

I am a runner, and I recognise the difference between "really really want to stop!" and " body says stop NOW" and it sounds like you are getting the second one

I agree my body's communicating, just not very well! I think it'd be easier to just accept and take a break if I knew what had happened.

But you're right. There's not much point forcing it if it's not working. Maybe I'll take a week a two off then might go back to week 5 or 6 of C25K. It's harder to stop when Denise is telling you that you can do it.

go slower. post covid last summer I'm still not back to under 6min/k.
I had to really make an effort toow down, my legs seemed to have a different speed to my lungs iyswim.

I get weeks like that, then I get it back after recovery. How about doing running and switching to weights or swimming for two weeks. It won't make much difference to your fitness

Stopping even

Yes, I had/have this. I suddenly can’t run. A couple of weeks ago, I went out to do my regular route and ended up walking most of it. I definitely had the “stop now” message. I felt terrible afterwards and I haven’t tried since. The funny thing is that I still manage regular gym session without any problems.

I was running regularly for a couple of years until January 2022, when I got Covid. I got back out there when I recovered - it wasn't even a very bad dose - and was doing ok, but then I seemed to find it all starting to get a bit much. Around April/May (so quite a few months after I had Covid) I just stopped, as I was hating every minute of it. I think Covid was the trigger and I just needed to give myself a decent amount of time to recover and build up again gradually, instead of taking up where I left off! A lot of stuff was going on in my life at the tail end of last year and I'm only now finishing C25K after a couple of false starts and feel great now ... finally!

This happened to me. I was training for a half marathon and suddenly couldn’t run even a mile without stopping. I put it down to putting on a couple of pounds over Xmas. Turned out I was actually anaemic. Only realised when I went to donate blood and I failed the finger prick test. Once my iron levels were back to normal my running improved but I did have a couple of months off and had to do couch to 5k again.

It's such a relief to see that other people have had the same. I've never had it happen like this before. I mean, I've had the odd bad run but not usually weeks of them! I think the consensus is lay off the running for a bit. I'm going to try some weights or cross training for a few weeks and hopefully get it back, even if it means doing the last few weeks of C25K again.

I got Covid September 2021. Not a runner but walk/ gym etc. I just couldn't get my legs to move. Doctor said complete rest except 15 mins walk each day..no more. Get a good vitamin and eat lots of blueberries etc. I also saw an osteopath twice. My first good day was Christmas day exactly 3 months later. From then on l was fine. Get a complete rest. Our bodies suffer more from Covid than we think. Pamper yourself for a while. You will get back to normal but if you push it you may actually make it worse.

Covid is absolutely notorious for bad impact on running. I've lost count of the number of running buddies who say they've been affected, and it often lasts weeks sometimes months. Both loss of form and resistance to exercise in general.

The common bit of advice from those afflicted is to rest. You can't, it seems, push yourself through it. You need to give yourself a complete break and start back small

You need more rest! Go for walks instead and then build that up slowly into running for small amounts. You’ll get back to where you were, it just takes time.

I seem to have this problem generally, perhaps because I live in a hilly place but I can never convince my legs not to stop! I’m not sure I’ve ever managed to run 5 km without stopping, yet on a flat route / treadmill run 5 km between 25 - 27 minutes. And have run several marathons … With lots of brief walking breaks. No idea if it’s my legs or head.

You may indeed need rest if you’re used to being able to do it without stopping and I know we all have our own goals as to how we want to run … but I realised I wasn’t any slower for my walk breaks and eventually I realised that to me it didn’t take matter. I was clearly still running. Are you a lot slower with walking?

It's cold too. I know running in intense heat is incredibly bad but my best running times are always in warm weather.
I'm muddling through post covid and think it's slowed me down too. I'm doing weights and HIIT too, but they aren't as affected.

I’d get your thyroid levels checked…happened to me. Was regularly running 15-20k a week and over the course of about a month a could hardly muster enough energy to run 1k. I had overactive thyroid. Was treated successfully…back to running relatively consistently then started to struggle again a couple of years later. Got thyroid tested and it had gone again.