Marathon - Record times!
My friend just ran the Chicago Marathon and posted a new person best. This got me thinking, how is he accomplishing this progress without ever getting hurt?
The answer has to be STEADY progress.
I was of the mind that a runner can pick a pace goal and train to that goal without problem. Afterall, marathon training is about 18 weeks in length. For example, I thought I could increase my pace by a minute per mile. I went from nine minute miles to eight minute miles. The problem was I started having all types of injuries, the last one with my hip.
My friend made a big increase in his personal bests, but it didn't happen quickly. He dropped his time to 3:28! Great job! The previous best was 3:45. (Hey he got to run a marathon 17 minutes faster!) The process took him about a year to accomplish.
I wouldn't characterize his training as aggressive at all. He simply would run a little faster during the training runs. He easily can hit seven minute mile pace during his runs. He doesn't seem force the pace however.
Injury free progress is made by training at a comfortable pace and letting the faster splits come to you. Pushing yourself beyond your capacity could only lead to a break down.
I guess I was thinking my mind can overcome my body. That has only led me to the sidelines.
Feel like running again....
My goal is to run Saturday morning.... Anyone taking bets?
I was talking to a co-worker that is now a running machine. (Nice job!) I'm inspired!
Will I fall over dead by Saturday afternoon? Will I make it a mile without need oxygen? Will I simple say forget it and sleep in?
Doctor Visit Results
I visited my doctor at Northwestern Hospital yesterday to try to get to the bottom of things. They poked around and determined that it is probably a muscle strain in my hip. To be sure I had an x-ray done on my hip to look for a stress fracture. Today I found out that came up negative.
They said the strain couldn't be treated with heat or ice it is too deep. The advice was to incorporate some new stretches and see how it feels. I'm cleared to run. If the pain comes back, physical therapy would be the next step.
Now I have to figure how to ease back into training. I'll be updating my training program to help me get going again.
Doctor Appointment Set
I'm heading to the doctor to get a professional opinion and hopefully get back running soon. The problem is that the appointment is for next Monday, Dec 12.
As what typically happens, I have not had as much pain in my legs. My back is feeling stressed though. I'm tempted to get some runs in this week if my back feels better.
My Injury is with my sciatic nerve?
It has been a few weeks with very little improvement to my injury. I hip has a sharp pain occasionally - especially when I sit for too long. My thighs and groin areas constantly have a strange inner pain.
I am looking back at my log and things are making sense. 1: My 9 mile run resulted in me burning out my hamstring. 2: After that I had some bach spasms. 3: My hip and legs started hurting.
I think a visit to the doctor is in order since rest isn't helping.
Some content I pulled from coolrunning.com:
Sciatica
Description:
The sciatic nerve is the longest nerve in your body, stretching from the end of your spine all the way down to your feet. When it gets pinched, it can cause pain anywhere along its length. You might feel pain in your lower back on one side, in the lower buttock, or down one leg, possibly all the way down to the foot. It is common for sciatica to be confused with a hamstring pull, and it is important to determine which you have, since stretching the hamstring muscle can further aggravate sciatica. Try this test: lie on your back with the painful leg up, knee straight. Have a friend flex your foot, bending it down toward your knee. If you have sciatica, this will be very painful, marked by a burning sensation or a feeling of electric shock down your leg or in your upper back.
Likely causes:
Your sciatic nerve is pinched. It could be caused by a pelvic tilt or by pressure on a disc, a cushion that separates your vertebrae. For a variety of reasons (a muscle spasm for instance, or more seriously, a degenerated disc), one disc may stick out so that it's not centered between the vertebrae.
Remedy:
You can't do much for this on your own, though it will help to keep good posture and avoid slumping (strengthening your abdominal muscles with bent-knee situps can help with this). Stop running and see a doctor. While whatever is causing the sciatica may be relatively harmless (tense or spasming muscles), it could also be a degenerated disc, which requires serious medical attention.
In the meantime, take anti-inflammatories (ibuprofen, for example) and try hot baths or the steam room. Sciatica is something that can hang around for months or may just flare up and disappear. It's not uncommon for it to come back, but it could also be years before it does so.
Hip and/or Buttock Pain
(Piriformis Syndrome)
Description:
Pain in your upper leg, buttocks, hips or lower back -- all radiating from the piriform muscle, deep in the buttock. The back section of the buttock on the outside may be sensitive to the touch.
Likely causes:
The piriform is the muscle that helps your hip to rotate. Tightness in the back or hamstring can make the piriform's work difficult and cause inflammation. This swelling in turn often causes pressure and inflammation on the sciatic nerve as well (see sciatica, above). Prolonged sitting can aggravate the injury, as can a tight lower back.
Remedy:
Icing and anti-inflammatories will help with the pain and swelling. Vigorous massage of the knot in the muscle will help it to relax and ease the pain. Meanwhile, work on strengthening and stretching your hip, hamstring and lower-back muscles. For stretching, focus on the hamstring stretch, the hip & lower-back stretch, and the hamstring & back stretch. For strengthening, try side leg lifts.
Day 21 of 88
3 mile run.
I'm back on the trail again. My hip feels okay - I could feel it though. I went nice and easy. One reason is to not stress out my hip, the other was I don't think I had a choice! Wow, my endurance really disappeared. My legs were two logs and my lungs must have shrunk. I'm sure I'll be back to normal before long.
Total time: 30:00
Avg time: 10:00
Injury!
Injury has halted my progress. I've missed days 17, 18, 19 and 20. Basically last week is gone. The problem is my right hip right below my hip joint. I'm not sure what it is but at first I thought it was a muscle strain. It must be something else! I still feel it, but I'm going to start running again this week to see how it reacts. I'm starting to believe that this is an injury that isn't going away anytime soon but I may be able to run through.
I've never had an injury that has caused me to stop running before. Usually laziness is the cause of that.
