Firstly I assume running queries go in this forum…
I did my first hammy in January this year (high in the left leg and somewhat low grade). My list of injuries can be summarised as follows:
In the last 5-10 years (my 40’s) I’ve had multiple instances of calf strains in both legs.
Right knee has had a history of inflammation type injuries going back perhaps 15 years. Lots of crackling noise which a recent physio put down to possible bursitis. Left knee has no noise and rarely ever feels pain.
Right knee also had a low grade tear of the medial meniscus from doing a lot of body weight squat jump (rotations) and mogul type exercises. Granted I may have had imbalances contributing.
Haven’t trained running seriously for about 12-13 years. Each time I start to build either a calf would pop or the right knee general soreness would increase. Since the meniscus tear that’s also been at the forefront.
It’s only the last few months (since seeing the physio for the hammy tear) that I’ve done any form of rehab type work. He was talking confidently about being able to put pain behind me. I also contacted a high-profile trainer who advised they had suffered a meniscus tear that full folded back, but chose months of rehab rather than surgery, and who claimed they returned to high-level competitive ultras with no pain. The way I feel know, that just seems unbelievable.
So I suppose my question is whether people have managed to run pain free at a high-level (for them) after feeling like they needed to give it up for good? I don’t carry any extra weight, so it’s not like there’s more burden. But I am certainly older. I’d love to get back to banging out sub 4 km’s again.
Those sound like the type of injuries that do have chances of recovering and rehabbing from back to full recovery, but it does get harder as you age up.
If I were you, I’d try a super gradual build, like 2-3x slower of a mileage buildup as you’ve ever done before, and with the cushiest shoes and with zero emphasis on speed. Start with like 1 mile every other day or less, and see how that goes, and then you can really slowly add slow easy miles.
I wouldn’t add any moderate or hard running at all until you can run at least 20 very easy effort
miles per week for a sustained period without being injured.
The good part is that this doesn’t all have to suck. Running slow in itself is quite enjoyable (find some great parks and roads), and still does great things for physiologic coordination, balance, and likely bone density (which is why pro cyclists are starting to run on their off days). Even if you can no long bang out sub4 kms, enjoy the process of getting back to running and you might be surprised at how it’ll turn out.
I thought might running days were close to over 5 years ago (mid 40ish) with a flare of bad ankle arthritis and assorted calf/hamstring strains like yourself, but I built it back up slowly with supercush shoes whenever I can, and a gradual buildup, and it’s been amazingly better since. I put a high emphasis on not being injured, but I still run quite hard regularly since I’ve built it back up. No more stupid stuff or epic heroic run workouts anymore, though (which is a better way to train anyway).
In short, yes. I don’t have time right now for the long drawn out story. But, the cliff notes is 2001-2005 trained for IM at 20-30 hrs per week, running 60-80mpw. Developed various overuse injuries in knees, ankles and feet. In 2006 I was permanently sidelined with debilitating ankle and feet issues that no one could figure out a diagnosis for … Let alone treatment.
After 10 years of rehab and various home remedies, I was able to VERY gradually return to regular exercise. In 2015/6, I picked up the BarryP approach to running. Trained for and completed numerous triathlons (mostly Oly dist). For the last several years I’ve been a runner. I run 40-80 mpw, 6 days. It takes time, and patience. But, it can be done.
I would double that to 40mpw, and a year of injury free running. One could argue about 30 vs 40. But, 20 is not near enough…even for someone who ISN’T known to be injury prone. There’s plenty of fitness to be gained from 40mpw of just easy.
40mpw in a BarryP style week is 4,8,4,8,4,12. That’s no less than 30-40 minutes on the short days, and 90-120 minutes for a long run. That’s a solid week…and can build a lot of fitness without any tempo, threshold, speed work.
I wholly agree on the gradual build. 10% per week is way to fast for an injury prone runner. I personally built at a rate about half that fast.
Yes, absolutely. Rehab work is usually pretty individual. And, I guess I took your comments about seeing a physio as indicative that you were already getting that.
For running, there are a lot of various stabilizers that can generally use some specific training. I’ve presented that list a few times (at least the ones that made a difference for me)…it was before the snap, though. I’ll see if I can locate that post. In particular all of the hip stabilizers, ankle stabilizers, and dynamic core exercises…make a huge difference in terms of a) good running form, and b) (relatedly) injury prevention.
People talk a lot about having good running form. But, its almost always a bad idea to make concious changes to your form. Your form is a manifestation of your stabilizer strength. Improving your core, and stabilizers will have an unconcious impact on your form…which will help to reduce your risk of overuse injury.
Found it. For background, I ran a race knowingly injured. I pulled my groin (and maybe tore a pelvic floor muscle) during the practice swim the day before the race. I took pain meds to get through it…but, paid the price afterwards (6ish months of rehab).
If you’re not meeting caloric needs, muscle, tissue and bone loss is going to happen, especially if you’re training. If you want to build the muscles, tissue, and bone, rather than just be at stasis, you’d need more.
I realize the reply might be, to eat according to the calories spent during workout… but we’re not exactly measuring precisely what his body needs to do to strengthen itself.
It’s worth reflecting on the building blocks you’ve been supplying your body and wondering if they are wrong, not enough, etc. if you keep getting injured.
that’s your problem right there… I’m still doing rehab exercises now that I started nearly thirty years ago. For the latest set of exercises, I asked my nice PT how long I’d need to do them, sort of jokingly, she replied ‘oh not long, just as long as you want to keep running’.
After enough miles and years the prehab rehab and general strength exercises take as much time as running, there is no way out of this. pain-free isn’t going to happen, but manageable levels of pain are quite attainable.
running for 50 years now (and they haven’t caught me yet)
age ranked 99% on ultrasignup that’s a statistical artifact of course, still looks impressive if you just cite it…
that’s a statistical artifact of course, still looks impressive if you just cite it…