Pain during and after "races"

I wondered if any of you could help... I started running last June and have completed the MoRunning 10k in Greenwich in November (1:04) and the local Colchester Santa 5k (28mins). Both were new to me as I have not run any races before and both were quiet hilly runs (especially Greenwich). I run three times a week and average two 5k runs and a 10k run as part of my training and have followed coaching program's to get me running and to get me in shape for the runs - especially the 10k. I always start with a 5 minute warm up walk and end with a 5 minute cool down walk. I did attach before both runs and did the aerobic exercise in the Santa run to get warmed up. I am not sure what I am doing wrong though as after both runs I am left with pain in my lower back and groin - this isn't something I experience when running on my own. What could be the cause of this and what could I do to help it? I am training on hills but am not sure if I am simply trying to run too far too fast at the beginning of the races... My friend has convinced me to run a half marathon in October and although I am looking forward to the challenge I am worried that I may cause myself some damage if I keep getting this pain during and after races. Any help you could give would be gratefully received.

Hi Keith,

It could simply be that you're pushing comparatively hard in the races.. but an important question is about your stretching.

The next comment assumes that when you posted the word "attach" it was actually a autospellcorrected version of stretch??

I know you can't type every detail, so this might be nothing... but you seem to say that you normally do a 5 minute warm up walk before your training runs.... but you specifically mention that your stretched BEFORE both your troublesome race-runs.

It is no longer recommended that you stretch before running.  Your walking warm up is good, and if you have a troublesome area, then making sure that your warm up includes movement of those muscles is a good thing too. But don't stretch muscles until they are thoroughly warmed up. I had persistent minor groin pain until someone pointed this out to me. I was stretching my cold groin muscles before exercise, thinking this would prepare them for the football / running...  without thinking of the consequences of  stretching cold groin muscles !

So, it is important to do a 'dynamic' warm up...  and at the end of your run, do a dynamic warm down (as you're doing)... but follow it up with static stretching - to reconfigure your muscle fibres.  Searching YouTube is one way of finding a recommended programme  of stretches.

That could help you with your declared problem... and might even offer an explanation as to the cause, if you thought that additional cold-stretching was a good thing prior to your more intense races (which is exactly what I used to do)...  rather than limited (or zero) cold stretching that you've done prior to your training runs.

Good luck with it.

Thanks for that - this is the routine I am doing when I "train" so I should just ensure I do that when I race.

Many thanks for confirming this for me