Beginner
I started running yesterday for the first time, and honestly, it was much harder than I expected. I could only run around 200m at a pace of about 8:30 before I became extremely breathless and my legs started trembling. After resting, I tried again with shorter intervals — around 100–150m of running followed by 200–250m of walking — and somehow completed a total of 1.8 km with an average pace of 11:04.
The problem is that now I have intense pain in my left leg to the point where I can barely walk, sleep comfortably, or continue my normal routine. I really want to get into running .
I understand that some soreness is normal for beginners, but I don’t want every run to leave me unable to function the next day. Could experienced runners suggest a proper beginner plan for:
building stamina gradually,
improving breathing,
avoiding severe soreness/injury,
and increasing continuous running distance safely?
Also, is this level of pain normal for a first run, or does it sound like I overdid it too much?
Any advice on pacing, recovery, warm-ups, or beginner mistakes to avoid would really help.