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For those STers that have had major lower extremity injuries (mine is a torn achilles),I have some questions.
1. How long did it take you to get back in shape enough to do a race after the doctors gave you the go ahead to start running again?
2. Did you find that your preferred distance of race changed after your injury? (i.e. if you were a short course racer before, did you find long course to be better after recovery or vice versa)
3. Were you eventually able to get back to your previous level or have you noticed a fairly permanent change to your capabilities.
I just got the green light to start running again a week or so ago, and I was trying to decide if I will be able to do some short races this summer or if that's going to be pushing it a little.
Slowguy
(insert pithy phrase here...)
My wife had a big groin injury that at first she could barely walk on. She did nothing for a month and no running at all for about four months. It took her about three months to get to where she was but she performed even better than the year before in the races.
The secret is to stretch as much as possible and when you start again come back slowly. It's a bummer, but use your time off from running to work on your swim or ride the bike. When it was all over, my wife's running was no slower but her swimming and cycling had improved.
Still here with you slowguy. Tore mine 8/12/2004. I am running now (slowly), but bike and swim are strong as ever. My doc cleared me for full duty on Feb 1. I started walking on the treadmill shortly thereafter and have been building since then. I have found patella discomfort to be a limiter and believe it is because my soleus and calf muscles are not strong enough to cushion my footfall.
As for your specific questions, I cant answer them except to say that I have scheduled my first race for 7/25/05. I think I should be ready.
Bassman
fka: bassman
After the swim, I'm a fish outta water.
Are you working on your running on a self consturcted training plan, or did the doctors/therapists give you a program to get you back up to speed? I tore mine in Sept last year, and was in a cast for 3 months, and the therapists (keep in mind they're military, so probably more conservative than most) gave me a 10 week plan to slowly increase my running time. Kind of a 30min program that starts with 2min run/4min walk repeated 5 times, and the ratio of run to walk increases over time until, at 10 weeks, you're back to running a full 30mins.
Slowguy
(insert pithy phrase here...)
Self constructed. I started out walking for a few sessions on a treadmill. Then during one of the sessions, I tried a slight jog. It felt ok so I stopped. I did not want my enthusaiasm to push me to do to much. Over the next few sessions I would add a little more jog. I am up to an hour or so on the treadmill jogging (5.0 to 5.7 on the tread mill). I do experience mild patela irritation sometimes during my runs. Be sure to stretch before and esp. after. The limiter on my runs now is how much work my soleus (muscle below the calf but above the achilles) can handle. JUST START SLOW. No sense in injuring another body part by trying to do too much too soon and having another part over-compensate.
fka: bassman
After the swim, I'm a fish outta water.