Hello all, this is my first post but you seem a real friendly board so here goes...

I want to take up running. I'm under 30 and not new to exercise, I play an hour of football on Tuesday's and Thursdays and went for my first jog on Monday night, I mapped out a 2 mile course and walked for spells due to tired legs (football doesn't prepare you for sustained running/jogging does it!!).

I didn't go running on Wednesday because I don't want to over do it and my calf muscles were a bit tight after my first run and footy on Tuesday.

This brings me to my first question. I really want to continue playing football on tuesday and thursday because I enjoy it so much, but as a beginner runner, what days should I run? I'm hoping to go through the summer playing football and doing 2 runs a week, maybe building up to 3 runs a week.

If anyone has any advice, about anything I should know, I would love to hear from you.

Thank you.

Way back I used to play Sunday park footie and do footie training on Tuesdays and Thursdays.......I then started to run but found doing both difficult.........for some reason people kept wanting to kick me on Sundays!!

I'm sure it can be done but until you focus on running only you'll find it difficult because you need to train specifically to run well.

Of course you'll be able to do some training runs which will help with footie fitness but if you want to run fast/do longer runs you'll need to train for the same and that will impact on the football...well it did for me anyway.


Welcome to RF btw!

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One small step for man.....

Welcome to the forum Shorts

As you may have noticed, it's a little quiet in here at the weekend...much busier during the week, so you'll get more input then.

But all I can say, speaking from an experienced runners point of view is don't try and do too much too soon with the running, listen to your body and just do as much as it allows you to without getting too sore.

So you were right not to go on Wednesday.

Maybe run on a Friday and a Sunday and later on add in the Monday as a third run.
I'd say a shorter run on Friday and slightly longer on Sunday to begin with. But just do as much as you feel.

I found joining a running club was the best way to get going....Stourbridge Running Club where i live were astonishingly good with me!