Every runner has experienced muscle soreness at one time or another. Most of feel like we need to “power thru” these achy, stiff feelings. But when is it a signal to stop running?
In the beginning of your workout regime, it may be very hard to tell the difference between normal workout tiredness, and a real injury which needs medical treatment. In general, routine workout soreness feels achy, stiff, tight, or tired… but an injury causes a sharp pain. If you feel a sharp pain you should always stop and evaluate. What is causing the pain? Does it stop when I stop running? Do I feel it when I walk? Is it getting more or less painful as I go? Believe it or not, you will soon become very good at self-assessing your pain. “Oh, that’s just from these new socks… it will go away in a bit”, or “Oh, that blister on the back of my heel is acting up again”. You’ll know what causes the discomfort and how to fix it. But, if it’s a new feeling that doesn’t go away in a short amount of time- listen to it. Stop running. If it doesn’t feel better tomorrow, go see a doctor.
Like all runners, I’ve got my war stories of how I ran thru some tendinitis… or shin splints… or lace burn… or any number of uncomfortable situations, and felt better for having the stamina and discipline to “tough it out”. But, I’ve also done some dumb stuff and set my training back for weeks because I didn’t listen to my body when it needed help.
You may not find this extremely helpful right now, but you will eventually get an intuitive feel for what you can work thru… and what needs a doctor.