Saturday, February 12, 2011

Need Some Advice

This post is going to be simple. I did a slow (11:30 pace) and easy three miler last night. This morning I woke up with a sore right adductor. Not good. As the day has progressed, it has gotten better. Two questions:

(1) Is this my body telling me to start slower?

(2) For those of you who have been shelved due to injury/laziness for an extended period of time, where do you pick up your training? Do you have a training plan that you followed so you didn’t over do it the first few weeks?

I’m eager to work myself back to some modicum of respectability. Yes – I’m aware that it takes time. I hope you can help me with a foundation to get started. Thanks!

15 comments:

  1. SO you say sore, I take it not sore like it has been worked out (DOMS), but more like sore as in oh crap this really hurts should I stop...

    When I was injured and sidelined from running...cross training saved me. Seriously, my fitness stayed up...so on the days I just couldn't run, I still did something, so I didn't lose the habit....

    And I really eased into the miles at first until I felt strong...then I threw it all out the window and picked up where I wanted to be. This is not recommended but I am not at all smart when it comes to this stuff. I would say 10% increase in weekly miles/week is what a smarter person than I would do...

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  2. I can't help with much. But I'd say strengthen the abductor and adductor muscles. I wouldn't do weights at first, especially because you might have an injury. My physical therapist had me do something called "clams" with a resistance band. I still do them everyday. Here's a youtube clip. I do 30 ea. side EVERY DAY. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njthA4SVOT8

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  3. When 'shelved' for an extended period of time I did a lot of what I could do (walking, yoga). Then came back slowly. By slowly, I mean low mileage for what seemed like an eternity.

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  4. That's not good news, Glenn. I hope your abductor is better.
    I started back with one whole week of just three and four miles, slow. Just jogging. 5 times during the week. It didn't feel very good at all. In fact, it felt terrible. Like I hadn't run at all. The next week I started doing more mileage but no speed work for three weeks or more.
    There is a Pfizinger program for getting into running again after injury. You can google it and if you don't find it, let me know. I might have it somewhere on my computer!
    Feel better, take it slow!

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  5. Me, I just jump back in and pretend nothing ever happened... but PLEASE don't do as I do :).

    You certainly don't see like you are going out too fast - maybe it's just sore from a slip or maybe it's just being cranky. Ice and elevate and I hope it's better tomorrow!

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  6. To come back after my injury, I used the Couch to 5K program. Seemed to work for me.

    Hope you find something that works for you, too.

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  7. Oh, and I did lots of strength training. By lots, I mean some.

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  8. How about hitting the pool or bike? That has seemed to work for me through both injuries.

    Good luck

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  9. I second the bike motion. The real bike if you have to. Also, maybe doing some weights will help? I've found it has helped my running get a bit "lighter," and maybe reducing issues. But I wouldn't target the sore area in weight training just yet.

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  10. Lots of good advice here...most of which I should have taken at some point.

    I will do a shout out for strength training, even just squats and lunges to strengthen the glutes, hammys, and abductors. For Christmas I got a TRX thingy, which I was turned onto when I was doing PT last year.

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  11. I second a lot of the advice you've already received. I've beenn out for months due to injury and always came back strong by doing strength training once I got the green light to start exercising again (but not run). Have you replaced your running shoes lately? How much mileage do they have on them?

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  12. well again, just speaking off my 2010 experiences... i'd log some cross-training time and focus more on running for minutes than miles. that's how i started back up - running for x minutes and doing x minutes of xt. i hope the soreness has faded!

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  13. I am also suggesting cross-training in the form of swimming or biking. When it is too difficult for me to run or I am too lazy, I do what hurts least to get my heart rate up. I am also with those who have said strength training. Nothing new on my part. I, like the others, came back from a long rest period by coming back slowly. There are other activities out there besides running.

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  14. The cross training should help - so long as you utilize exercises that do not hit where your pain is. We have years of bike experience, but the bike hits my hips hard, so it would be bad if my abductors/adductors were flared. So make sure what you use is easy on where you hurt. If hips are a sore spot, try this Myrtl Routine http://www.runnerspace.com/video.php?do=view&video_id=8190 but start slow with it.

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  15. Ditto on what just about everyone else said. Cross train. If it gets to be too much do seek medical advice from a sports medicine doctor and not a GP. You don't want to end up like I did. If you do seek medical advice be a squeaky wheel.

    Take care!!!

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