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Monday, July 9, 2012

Rebuilding

I've been pretty much out of commission for three months. Following the Boston Marathon (April 16th) I admitted I was injured - I think admitting is the first step to recovery, right? Or is that AA? I get my addictions confused sometimes. 
Truth be told, I was injured since December, but it was just so mild, how was I to know it was osteitis pubis?
Anyhow, I've taken 4 weeks off running and about 8 weeks of very light running. I will see another specialist Wednesday, but in the meantime I have been religiously doing my physical therapy. At my second PT appointment the therapists stepped it up a little, since my healing had not progressed nearly as quickly as they initially predicted. And now? I am starting to feel mildly better. I can run with only mild pain (still not pain free) and after a run I am not completely lamed like a few months ago. I've missed a lot of running, though, and that means a lot of fitness.
Um, ouch. I pretty much lost April, May, June, and July. 

I'm hopefully heading into the rebuilding stage: rebuilding my body and rebuilding my fitness. I'm sketching out a come-back plan, and I'm taking it very easy.
Edging up to a whopping 40 miles next week if all goes well...
I'm creeping back up in miles slowly, and I'm building in days off (running replaced by weights and yoga for runners). For now, I won't do double digit miles two days in a row, and I'll play it safe with speed. I have observed that speed increases pain. Oddly, short, fast sprints (100 or 200 meters) feels fine, but 800 meters at 5k pace is agony. Last week I dropped out on the 1000 meters repeats our group did at the track. 
I might have to readjust this plan after Wednesday (the new doctor might have me take more time off, hopefully accompanied by a miracle drug), but for now I'm creating plans that build strength and reduce stress. Once I have a base back, I'll work on reclaiming speed and endurance.
Have you ever been injured and out for more than a month? What are your come-back tips?

5 comments:

  1. So sorry that you're battling this injury...extremely frustrating I am sure. Better to have it healed than to risk pushing yourself too much too soon and therefore end up losing more months because you have to be sidelined. I know you probably hear that a lot but I think it's good to remind ourselves of it. I am sure you'll be back better than before once you are all healed and healthy. Good luck with your PT. Happy Monday! :)

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  2. You'll get back into it - promise! Being injured sucks. The only advice I would have is to try to not get discouraged. It was a lot harder for me mentally getting back into it. Every twinge I felt, I dissected. As my pace wasn't back to 'normal', I berated myself. I personally had a harder time mentally, than physically.

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  3. I was just told yesterday that I need to take four weeks off from running for a persistent case of plantar fasciitis. I found a sports medicine place near me and they started Graston and Active Release Techniques on me and it seems to have helped already....but I don't want to have to do this again. So I'm going to suck it up and join a gym in order to keep up my cardio (though I hate exercising in a gym) and stay off the streets. I'll be interested to hear what your comeback experience is like.

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  4. I was out for just about 6 weeks due to shin splints, then a long slow build back. I kind of did the same as you - no double digit runs close together and I even went as far as not running more than two days in a row. I did strength, which was also limited because my legs hurt. Then I dislocated my elbow as soon as my shins were feeling better, so I could only do leg strength. Always something! I really just took it slow and steady, and still am very cautious.

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  5. http://espn.go.com/espn/story/_/id/8132777/david-fleming-importance-athlete-butt-espn-magazine

    A great tongue in cheek article about butts, lol. But it does seem to say that larger butts=more power, haha!

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