This week went like this:
Sunday: ran 3 miles (day after long run; realized my hamstring hurt)
Monday: took off to rest hamstring
Tuesday: Felt great and ran 5.5 including 1 mile repeats at race pace (which I estimated around 7:00 to 7:10?). But by end of the run, hamstring hurt; I was limping by that evening. So...
Wed and Thurs: off. Gradual improvement.
I didn't want to skip my long run, but I won't be able to run this Saturday because we're doing a volunteer activity that morning (7 am to 10 am - and any time later than that, and my run will automatically suck).So I got up a little earlier this morning. I checked my hamstring out, and it was just a little sore. I put on some KT tape and headed out. It was nice out! Cool weather! I was a little slow at first because it was still dark and our sidewalks are very uneven. And then I was a little slow even after the sun came up, because I'm determined to make hills a habit. So this time, I worked in 4x5 hill repeats.I don't run the hills fast, just same effort up and down. These are short hills: a tenth of a mile or shorter. I can't believe how hard this is for me: definitely a weakness! My hamstring most certainly bothered me on the uphills, but it was much, much better. I should be back to normal in no time.
Friday: 12.5 miles in gorgeous weather with 20 short hill repeats.
Saturday will be off (again!)
Hopefully I'll be 100% by sometime next week.
Anyone with any hamstring strain success stories have any advice for me? I'd appreciate it!
No success stories, but my fave exercise to get my hammies sore (and therefore stronger) is "good mornings" -- deceptively easy. Stand and hold a 5 pound weight behind your neck, then bend forward at the waist and come back up, using your hammies. Just don't overdo it the first day you try them, like I said, deceptively easy.
ReplyDeleteHa!! Are you me? When I did a tempo workou a few weeks ago I tweaked my left hamstring. Except I didn't think it was my hamstring. I thought it was my piriformis.
ReplyDeleteCarina is right about Good Mornings.... They seem easy but they hurt so good.
I also like step ups onto a bench with a knee lift or step ups onto a bench with a back leg raise.
When we run, we are actually balancing on one leg at a time.. Who knew?!
Knock on wood, things are going better. But, I know that speed is more likely to aggravate my injury than distance...
I had that hamstring issue just a couple of weeks ago and my physio got me doing some eccentric hamstring work. I stand on my dud leg with the knee slightly bent and bend forward using my hip as pivot lifting the good leg behind me. Basically the body and good leg stay in a straight line. It's supposed to strengthen the hamstring. Also don't overstretch your hammie.
ReplyDeleteSorry you have been having so much trouble with your hammies. Are you still doing the bulgarian split squat?
ReplyDeleteAnything that lasts more than a week I would consider worth paying 50$ for a deep tissue massage (if you know a good person!) So many things have been workout out this way for me.