I've gone full force into the fitness lifestyle since about 2 years ago. I'm 48 years old now. I've gone from a couch potato back then to a full blown fitness enthusiast. I run 6 days a week and lift weights 3 times a week. I'm following a high protein, medium fat, lower carb diet. I've lost more than 55 pounds and look better than ever. However, for the last few months, I've been getting nagging soreness in my muscles, feet, and knees. Is there anything I should change up? Am I doing too much?
Over the years, I've worked with a number of distance runners- the majority of which were the seasoned veterans who through reading or other methods, realized that strength training was a major key to improving their performance and preventing injury.
I'd noticed that the runner's that I'd been working with had several things in common. Although they were in what they considered "tip top condition" for running a marathon- almost all of them had bad posture, were generally scrawny, and their faces- especially their skin looked like hell.
The posture and "scrawny" issues were dealt with during the strength training exercises we went through. The rest was an intake issue.
Being that you're running 6 days a week, this may be excessive. The telltale signs are there, as you pointed out. I'd scale back a day or two on the running and see how your body adjusts. The next thing I'd do is make sure you're getting enough antioxidants from fresh and frozen fruits and fibrous vegetables. You may also want to take some antioxidant supplement powder. Make sure to find a brand that contains a full spectrum of fruits and vegetables.
See, when you're putting your body through the incredible pounding, stress and oxygen consumption, you're building up tons of free radicals in the body. The more you train, the more you make. These free radicals are charged up molecules that like to scrap with your healthy, vital cells, like a game of Arkanoid.
This scrapping can lead to the breakdown of healthy tissue in the body- muscle, joints, cartilage and skin. If you've ever had an up close look at a seasoned marathon runner, chances are you've seen this damage first hand. These free radicals need to be quenched with antioxidants to decrease the damage they cause.
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