the right routine..

Question
Hi Greg,
Have another couple of qestions for ya...I have been jogging for 21 days straight. It has been very hard on my lower legs. I need to know from you how many days should I jog a week. I am trying to lose weight but at the same time have made a lifetime commitment to jogging. I enjoy it but find that my legs start to hurt which prevent me (like this evening) from jogging...so I walked for 45 minutes instead. I have heard you have to have some kind of rest time but I enjoy it so much that I dont want to sit out a day. I know that in time I will figure out a routine that fits me but where do I start if I am wanting to jog and or walk at least 6 times a week. I need assistance in starting a good routine. I dont want to jog only 3-4 times a week but is that what I have to do in order to rest my legs so that I can be 100% on the days I am able to jog? Please HELP! Thank you so much, Kari

Answer
Kari,

21 days straight is not good. For starters, you have to give your body adequate time to adjust to the pounding it is taking. You body can adapt over time, but not overnight. The 10% rule is a common guideline for how most distance runners increase their mileage over time (that is, you should not increase your weekly mileage by more than 10% from one week to the next).

3-4 days a week of running is fine for where you are now. Mix in either walking or some other form of light cross training on 2-3 of the other days. This will keep you active but also give you body time to rest and recover. Over time you can add in more days of running, but for now, give your body time to acclimate and keep your regimen simple enough so you can be consistent with it.

Hope that helps.

let me know if you need anything else,
Greg