oh no..8 weeks to A race...depressed about pain...

Dawn Cass

Hello...have been fighting with hamstring pain since October on and off...and finally someone has taken a look via Ultrasound and tell me it's tendinosis....not tendinITIS....but OSIS...which seems to be more severe, damage at the cellular level of the tendon.  

Question I have for others...anyone gone through this?  I can run, but with pain...swimming and cycling don't seem to bother it.

Just did Boulder HIM and came in top 15% of AG, and took 40 minutes off my last PR....leg hurt on run but clearly not stopping me.

Thoughts if you have been through it.  I have now done PRP and taking a week's rest.  In a week max I need to start back training if I am going to do A race on 7th September.

Pretty depressed and looking for opinions from others.

Let me know. 

morpheus

Don't know how much $ you have invested in the Sept race.



If you can scrap the running until you are completely healthy, you should. Keep swimming. Keep biking (though it still works the hammy, just not with impact so less 'trauma', meaning bike intensity could become an issue)



I had been fighting nagging injuries like calves and hamstrings for the last few years. Patching together short stretches of progress only to have another setback. It did negatively affect every A race I had. Did lots of therapy but would always reinjure. So, I know this depression you speak of.



After I slogged thru the end of 2013, I made a commitment to taking 2014 off and use it as a recharge year. The details of how I'm training (plans, etc) aren't relevant here but I can tell you that it's working.



It's July and I'm finally getting to a point where I can run 4-5x week confident that I won't get hurt on any given run. Right now, frequency trumps everything else. I limit myself to running just 1x week with risk (either intervals or technical trail runs). The rest are no pacing, no watch, no buddies, just run easy and safe. Being honest with myself and in tune with how my legs feel.

So, if you have to grind thru the Sept race, you know you are capable of finishing what you started. You can do it. It's not the best scenario for you but it is the reality of where you are. Sometimes, we have to play the hand that's dealt to us. After that race, take 'more time than what you think' to recover that leg. What's the rush? Wouldn't you rather come back healthy than quickly? Which is more important in the long haul or the big picture?

And, finally, regarding the depression.... Yes, it sucks, however, we aren't pro's so there is zero pressure on you to compete on a bum leg. Shake your head, laugh at your Terry Fox stride, enjoy the badge of toughness that you show. Keep it in perspective. This is supposed to be for fun. Remember when you started. See if you can remember that first year of tri for you.



Good luck. keep us updated.





Chris

Dawn Cass

Thanks Chris, your post helps and does put things into perspective. I know the right answer is to get healthy however as you know, every day is a bit of an addiction to the next workout to get fitter/faster, etc. when you stop that, you really feel something is missing.

A race is actually drivable from where I live and hotel can cancel within 14 days so overall the biggest cost is the race itself.

I am now 5 days after PRP and complete rest. The dr recommends 2 full weeks of nothing and then see how things feel.

Will keep you posted and keep in touch on your end as well. Are you racing now or still taking time to recover?

Dawn Cass

....see that you are taking this year to recover...any helpful hints on how you keep motivated through it all let me know! I can imagine that stepping down the frequency and intensity feels odd....your brain says you can do much better....your body says no way!? Any hints on keeping your sanity, do let me know!

Thanks again.

Dawn

rlh2000

Dawn, my hip started hurting in mid-March, and it completely shut down my running. I am a PT and went to a PT, but still no luck. It would keep seeming like it was getting better, I'd start rebuilding my run very conservatively, and then it would flare up again and I'd have to shut it all down. I think my luck has finally changed, but I get the frustration/depression. This is what we do. We don't know how to fill a weekend without it. For me the biggest annoyance was the uncertainty. I had an MRI that came back clear (well, showed lots of other unrelated issues) so I couldn't put a name on it or have any guidance on how long it might take. I didn't know if it might feel better tomorrow or months from now. THAT was the most frustrating. I tried to tell myself to focus on what I can- this can be a year of swimming and biking and I can get awesome at those. But yes, always good to also remember perspective, we are still so so so healthy compared to so many people, and while we can't do the running we want, we can still do a lot. Hang in there!

morpheus

I finally recognized that when I drop $ into races, I grind thru workouts with injuries cuz I gotta stay on schedule. I finally accepted that I needed a year where every race was small, penciled in, last sec registration. I've yet to race this year and I'm happier for it. No pressure this way. No expectations for PR's or AG climbing. No keeping up with the Jones's schedules or races.

I've been able to continue to improve on my bike, concentrate on the right things for the swim, and patiently make it back to consistent running throughout the week.



How do I stay motivated to continue to get my butt outta bed at 4:30a or put in several hour on the weekend when there's no real A race on my horizon? I do it because I can. What a life this is! We're doing things that we used to call 'playing'! If I continue to stay in pretty good shape for all distances, then I can drop into a focus plan 12 weeks before a big race and get a little more business like. Otherwise, it's all about consistently showing up. And, the more consistent we are over the big picture, then the more it becomes reasonable to rest a day for fatigue or soreness or injury, etc. If my calf is tightening up, I take a couple or more days off of running. I want to know that my next run will be safe. I've learned to recognize that my tired legs that feel like concrete before a run is the first sign that I'm about to reinjure. Then I move to an ez spin to substitute for that missed run. It has been critical to learn how to be honest with myself regarding how my run legs feel. BUT....I'm not clouded by the fact that I might have a race that I HAVE to be ready for. If my leg hurts or I'm tired, I adjust. And, now, after several months of this, I'm really happy with my fitness. I could use a little more run endurance but I'd say I could drop into a HIM next weekend and have a pretty good day.

Then, there's the question of being a Soul Triathlete. You wanna workout, right? Stay fit? Be an a$$kicker? You've seen what multisport training does for you. You know it's a great way to lean up. What if we told you that there were no other races? Ever! No option to race?!?! No race to sign up for! Would you still swim bike run? I would. I do. I enjoy it. We don't have to get a Tshirt or a medal to validate that we can do crazy a$$kicking stuff.  That's my angle on a year like this when someone might question why do I continue to do this when I'm not racing.

So, get that leg better so you can get back to having fun. Take your time and make sure it's right. The SBR will always be here waiting on ya. It probably won't be the last injury you ever get so learn how to flow with this kind of stuff.



Sorry, if I gotz a bit zen there!



Hang in there!

Dawn Cass

Hello Chris, got very zen there but love it. Everything you mention is spot on so thanks for the perspective!!

Let's keep in touch!

Dawn