The Slow Walk back to Fitness

spurscormac

Finally starting a training log. Don't know why, hope it will keep me going on recovery from a double hamstring pull.

Had a goal of Kinvara HM on Mar 1st, but that looks like its out the window now.
Probably focus instead on the Craughwell 10miler & Great Ireland Run once I get back to actual running.

Mon 3/2: Pain from hamstrings is too much (injured Jan 18), but seems like over the weekend it got worse - book physio appt.
Tue 4/2: Physio identifies large knot in left hammy, smaller one in the right. Stretches, massage, dry needling and exercises. Prescribes exercises, 20 mins power walking per day and a return next Monday.
Wed 5/2: AM Exercises, feels tight. PM 20 min power walk in the rain followed by exercises. Feels better, surprised how much the walking fired the muscles.
Thur 6/2: AM Feels better this morning, if I continue on this hopefully I'll work out the knot.

PaulieC

welcome back. Try to not do any 60m sprints this time eh ?

spurscormac

PaulieC wrote: »

welcome back. Try to not do any 60m sprints this time eh ?

Thats the plan. Gonna stick with the longer stuff 5k plus.
I'll never be at the pointy end, but I tend to stay mostly injury free.

spurscormac

Thu: 6/2 Lunchtime pilates + physio exercises, PM 20min power walk
Fri: AM physio exercises, lunchtime collected Brooks free shoes on a weeks trial - #canonlywalk

spurscormac

Fri: 7/2 AM Hamstring exercises, PM 20 minute power walk + hamstring exercises
Sat: 8/2 20 minute power walk + 2 sets of hamstring exercises
Sun: 9/2 20 minute power walk + 2 sets of hamstring exercises
Mon: 10/2 AM Hamstring Exercises

spurscormac

Mon 10/2: PM Physio Appt, more needling, massaging & stretching exercises.
Tue 11/2: First running steps at lunchtime... 10 x 30secs jog/shuffle, 30 secs walk surrounded by 10min power walk warm up & warm down. Later tonight will be more stretching exercises.

spurscormac

Tue 11/2: Hamstring Exercises done, but did some damage on the new calf exercises, felt something bad in left foot.
Wed 12/2: Woke with pain in left foot, thinking back, I was doing drop heel stretches from a step to stretch the calf. Problem was I didn't keep weight on other foot on the step and had whole bodyweight on left foot. Seems to have caused inflammation of plantar in the foot.
Thu 13/2: Same problem, didn't do anything while I wait on it to heal.
Fri 14/2: Still bad enough at work, but use of voltarol is helping a little.
Sat 15/2: Not as sore as it has been, no exercise, but did go to Connacht match - a win, woohoo.
Sun 16/2: A good bit less pain, so did some hamstring & calf stretches - won't do any power walking yet.
Mon 17/2: Much improved, did exercises in the AM, but won't tempt fate by trying any walking yet, probably leave it to tomorrrow.

spurscormac

Tue 18/2: Some stretches
Wed 19/2: Stretches in the AM, Physio appointment in evening. Given the all clear to slowly build it up over the next 3 weeks.
Thu 20/2: Stretches AM, Lunchtime pilates session, stretches in the evening
Fri 21/2: Lunchtime 2 X 10 mins jog, 5 mins walk, 2.2 miles running in total at a very easy pace. A little discomfort afterwards, but not much.
Sat 22/2: Away all day, so this was a rest day.
Sun 23/2: Morning "Long Run" of 3.5 miles with the dog. Felt a bit of discomfort in the left foot afterwards, but a soak in a hot bath relieved it, along with some voltarol during the day.

Need to take it very easy on the comeback now, don't want to overdo it and end up back on the physio table.
#babysteps

spurscormac

The past week consisted of:-

Mon: Rest day with some stretches
Tue: 3.5 miles @ 7:55 pace, followed by half mile warm down @ 8:58. Felt tough, but good to go faster, evening stretches.
Wed: 5 miles @ 8.20 pace, again felt good at a nice steady pace, more stretches.
Thu: Pilates Session, hamstring stretches in the evening.
Fri: Hamstring stretches but mostly rest.
Sat: Rest and another Connacht bonus point win!!!
Sun: Early morning 9.6 miles at an easy 8:51 average pace, followed by lots of relaxation. Felt it a bit on the plantar afterwards. but improved through the day.

spurscormac

Mon: Rest Day
Tue: First Session back at track. Mile warm-up, drills, then 3 x 1 mile, 6:42, 6:52, 7:00, then a 2k warm down. Found the pacing difficult, haven't run that speed in a long time due to injury and was finding it hard to keep an even pace. I also should over time be able to run 3 x 1 mile at closer to 6:30 without much problem, but I guess that's just the general fitness and speed loss.
However, I felt much better afterwards and this morning than after any of my 3/4/5 mile runs since injury. Don't have any tightness in the plantar and no hamstring soreness.

Lunchtime easy run planned to shake out the legs anyway.

average_runner

I am very Interested in reading this log. Myself is coming back from a grade 2 tear to hamstring. Physio now says its fully healed, but sometimes i get a pain in it. For example I ran grand yesterday no problem, but Sat day it was sore running.

Have a scan coming up to see what it is.

spurscormac

average_runner wrote: »

I am very Interested in reading this log. Myself is coming back from a grade 2 tear to hamstring. Physio now says its fully healed, but sometimes i get a pain in it. For example I ran grand yesterday no problem, but Sat day it was sore running.

Have a scan coming up to see what it is.

Luckily enough for me, my physio reckoned it wasn't torn, just pulled, so I got dry needles and massage over 3 sessions.

First few runs back felt a little weak in the left hamstring (that was a worse pull than the right one), and also felt soreness on the plantar due to an issue I brought on myself by doing a stretch wrongly causing the damage.
Thankfully not feeling that at all after last night.

I've racked up the miles quicker than advised, but I think that was more on personal feel than anything else, if I'd felt worse, I'd have backed off a bit.

Given you had a proper tear, I'd take it slower, but I guess it's down to how you feel yourself. Maybe some grass runs would help if you have somewhere to do them.

Micilin Muc

Just wondering if you run with GCH? I'm considering joining a running club in the area from the summer onwards ...

spurscormac

Micilin Muc wrote: »

Just wondering if you run with GCH? I'm considering joining a running club in the area from the summer onwards ...

Yup, sure do. New members more than welcome. We have track session in Dangan on a Tuesday night, so that's probably the best place to come to ask in person.
Alternatively, the Fit4Life sessions cater for absolute beginners through to the fastest group who run @ roughly 8min mile pace, so if you're not at the pointy end of things in races, this might suit you to train with a group at a pace that suits you.
You could also get in touch through the email addresses on our website.

On a separate note, why wait til the summer ?

Micilin Muc

spurscormac wrote: »

Yup, sure do. New members more than welcome. We have track session in Dangan on a Tuesday night, so that's probably the best place to come to ask in person.
Alternatively, the Fit4Life sessions cater for absolute beginners through to the fastest group who run @ roughly 8min mile pace, so if you're not at the pointy end of things in races, this might suit you to train with a group at a pace that suits you.
You could also get in touch through the email addresses on our website.

On a separate note, why wait til the summer ?

Thanks a lot Cormac! Fit4Life group sounds good as I'm not quite at the pointy end yet. Waiting til summer as I have my wedding and honeymoon coming up in the next few weeks. Thanks a lot again!

spurscormac

We'll let you off so Micilin for the time being.

Latest on my training...

Wed 5/3: 3 miles @ 7:50 average pace.
Thurs, Fri, Sat: 3 days off, the body needs it sometimes after long working hours.
Sun 9/3: 5k charity run, with no real idea how I'd do, but I wanted to test out the legs in a race scenario.
Started out well, on pace for 20min after the first mile, but pace dropped off after that, just don't have the fitness or speed to keep going at that pace yet.
In the final km, some guy went past me by about 20 yards or so, but my competitive streak kicked in & I held him there until we approached the final turn into the finish. Pulled up on his shoulder & passed him around the bend towards the finish straight of ~100m. He kicked back & pushed me so I went again, he came at me again & I went to move up a gear to finish him off, but as I did I could feel my calf tighten. After the trauma of 6 weeks out, I just eased off the gas & let him pass me by rather than risk another injury for the sake of 1 place in a fun run. Crossed the line in a few seconds over 21 mins, which considering my current state, am happy enough with to start the year.

A 6 miler planned for tonight, looks like I'm back to normal training schedule.