Can’t really extend leg against resistance - pain is top third of quad - this is day 2 after a 13.1 run on Sunday and my question is - anyone vouch for any supplements or laser therapy for a faster recovery ? Cryo?
I’m skeptical and think the best thing is just decent nutrition and not doing anything to make it worse. Just checking on what it is you all do.
That’s pretty aggressive. What’s the hurry?
Hoping to run 26 first week of November
I’m not a coach, nor a PR, but to help you along and drag some advice from anyone who might come by in chime in
Was the 13.1 your longest run at that point? What’s your schedule say, and what’s coming up?
Did you go faster than usual? Was this a race or a training run? Solo or with a group?
Was this route/ course more hilly than you’ve been used to?
Sounds like a proximal quadriceps strain. The rec femoris muscle acts as a hip flexor and a frequent culprit for up tempo and hill work. But by all means that’s not the only way it can be injured. If it’s higher on the thigh it’s closer to the myotendinous junction (where the muscle tissue turns into the tendon) and has a less robust blood supply. This takes longer to heal. How long? Depends on grade of injury.
Nothing will “speed up” recovery of soft tissue except a lot of sleep, hydration, and plenty of nutrients. Maybe collagen, vitamin C, and creatine might help soft tissue collagen repair. To what extent? Unproven.
After 3-4 days and when you can walk without pain you should start with rehab. Get in touch with a local physio. And I never stretch these early. That’s a bad move.
This isn’t medical advice, but it’s what I usually offer as a consult for individuals to start managing injuries.
What I’ve learned after 22 years of being an Army Ranger/SpecOps is usually once “it” starts feeling better, give it another week or two. But most people around here are too hard headed and think it’s cool to push through an injury. Only to find themselves circle back around like I’ve done in the past wondering why they won’t heal.
Plenty of rookie mistakes - was not feeling great at mile 2 but didn’t really adjust the pace, feeling I could work it out as I warmed up. I was running at training pace and didn’t respect what my body was telling me.
At this point, still not noticeably improved. imo the lesson seems to be that longevity and recovery is a better goal than a desired time. Thank you for those who chimed in - my gut tells me it’s valuable advice