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Stretching calves BAD, Stretching groin GOOD?
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Runners seem to be stretching less and less before runs - because too much stretching makes muscle less responsive? I need to know if the groin muscles in the thigh will be less injury-prone with MORE stretching.


Back on 7-26-19 I was in a 5 mile run feeling great & running faster than usual & had to make a sharp turn to avoid an obstacle & strained a groin muscle in my rt thigh. After a 2 minute walk I was able to jog back 2 miles to complete the run. Rehab(?) took only 2 weeks - I was able to run speed & hill repeats, and a 9 mile run. Unfortunately I didn't stay on my rehab exercise - merely kettlebell sumo squats and never stretched my groin-thigh muscles much at all. Then 3 miles into an 11 mile run, having ventured down an extremely cambered paved road for 500m or so, I surprisingly(??) restrained the same muscle. I had dragged 2 fellow runners out to run with me at 4:15 in the morning so, after walking for 3 minutes, I resumed at a 10' pace and was able to complete the 11 miles. With a minor adjustment to my gait, there wasn't any discomfort.

Once again I am 2 weeks out and, having rehabbed more thoroughly & having done a short hill run, am ready to try a 7 mile easy run tomorrow morning.

So won't extensive stretching of my thigh groin muscles guard against a restrain? PS, I'm 62. Other rehab exercises?
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Re: Stretching calves BAD, Stretching groin GOOD? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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I surprisingly(??) restrained the same muscle.

Nothing surprising about that at all. Groin strains are notoriously difficult to recover from, and equally notorious for reinjury. 2 weeks isn't really time for anything to change structurally to inprove your injury resistance. Its barely enough time for an acute injury to heal.

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Once again I am 2 weeks out and, having rehabbed more thoroughly & having done a short hill run, am ready to try a 7 mile easy run tomorrow morning.

Not likely. The outcome within the next few runs is likely another reinjury.

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So won't extensive stretching of my thigh groin muscles guard against a restrain? PS, I'm 62. Other rehab exercises?

No. Plenty of data showing that stretching does nothing to prevent injury.

You're doing nothing to address your underlying issue. You've strained the same tissues two times in a row, now. 1. Because you aren't giving yourself adequate time to heal (just barely pain free). 2. You've done nothing to address the strength imbalances that are the likely underlying cause of the strain.

A return to running hills and speed work, and runs lasting an hour or more is going to take 6 weeks or so. Especially, at 62, when you don't heal or get stronger as fast as someone half that age.
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Re: Stretching calves BAD, Stretching groin GOOD? [Tom_hampton] [ In reply to ]
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thanks for the response Tom. I am addressing my strength deficiencies in the groin area plus with kettlebell exercises & the usual run exercises likes lunges, scorpions, spidermans, planks, etc. But I have some confidence that the original strain was primarily caused by a very abrupt change of direction at an elevated run speed and a lack of suppleness in that area. The re-occurence seemed to be caused by the very steep road camber & being just shy of 6 weeks out from the initial straining. Per your input, I'm expecting that I can complete 6 weeks of avoiding both the abrupt changes of direction & higher speeds while building adductor strength and resilience. And I will avoid that steep cambered road though it's weird that hill running has been congruent with my rehabbing.

It's just that I had the outside hope of hearing that others might report a quicker healing time than 6 weeks since after 2 weeks I really feel like it is good to go. Would you say there are other exercises I should add in for a strengthening of the adductors?
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Re: Stretching calves BAD, Stretching groin GOOD? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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Why is stretching calves bad?
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Re: Stretching calves BAD, Stretching groin GOOD? [lombardi3g] [ In reply to ]
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See my other post here...

https://forum.slowtwitch.com/...ost=7035462#p7035462

But, please see my caveats in that post. I'm not a doctor or a PT. Just another patient.
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