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Injuries

Show Profile  Paul I Posted: 23 July 2007, 7:37 AM  
Most people have injuries from time to time, but lets face it, if you are a reasonably competitve person and have made a big effort and commitments to improve, focussing on upcoming races or season, injuries can suck big time!

I was just curious about Ambers injury, its obviuosly a major set back for her this year, no doulbt she will have been feeling seriously bummed out. How easy is it to put such a set back in perspective and look to the future? Do sufferers need some words of moral boosting support?

Drawing from my own recent experiences, I had to overcome a back injury that took me away from work for over a month, as well as not one but two fairly acute achilles injuries lasting over two years.
With both of these injuries heavy training was impossible, in fact the medical people I was exposed to suggested far less running than I could accept. I tried my best to manage things with lots of core Gym stuff for the back, with deep massage and calf raisers for the achilles, while trying to run every 2nd day.
A couple of things I found was that a cycling machine was awesome for my calves and I could get a good cardio workout at the same time helping with my base fitness as I couldn't do too much running, only thing was it aggrovated my back!
As things progressed with the achilles problems I noticed that the more rest I gave them the worse they got! So as part of my on-going management of the dam things I tried to run most days. I started to be competitive again even though the problems still exist today. So it can be done.

A new set of problems have now presented themselves to me now though which is stretching my patients a bit further. After quiet plans to be more focussed on having a good season and doing my best, I started off on track. Along the way I had a bit of a rest, holiday etc, just being human. Not long after easing back to regular training habbits I got a calf twinge, then at an O race I pulled the bugger big time even though I didn't feel it coming and wasn't pushing it.
I now have been very patient with only a little swimming, cycling and jogging, but alas it looks like this one is gonna take a while. Meanwhle because of the lack of running one of the achilles has got more painfull, and I got a sore knee from I don't know where? I've put on 3 kg.

Can anyone out there offer any words of advice for people like Amber or myself on how to cope with the set back of injury and stay motivated before slipping back into the unfit, obese category.





Show Profile  James Posted: 23 July 2007, 1:39 PM  
As hard as it is, try and stay positive. Seek as many alternative forms of training as possible, variety is the key for me. Use the time off running to think about things you could be doing that with make you a better athlete upon your return e.g. increasing your muscular strength and/or power, core strength......

I'm in the same injury boat, with 2 stress fractures in my foot. So im just trying to utilize the time to improve my overall strength, doing complete body strength training that will hopefully make me a stronger athlete when i resume running. I had an injury last year of 3months that prevented me from running. So i did as much cross training as possible, and when i got back into running, found i didnt loose too much fitness, just a bit of speed.

As for preventing yourself from becoming obese/ putting on weight, just eat less! Food ingested - energy expenditure = weight gain/loss.
Simple

Show Profile  mick finn Posted: 23 July 2007, 3:48 PM  
My 2 cents Pau -! Totally agree with James; having had the sciatica in the back and foot nerve probs and recurring chest infections etc I've found the best way to keep positive is to think of an injury break as something necessary because of overload and to enjoy it. It as though your body is saying enough of the endless miles, give me a break. The talented athletes probably know (or their coaches do) when a niggle is about to become an injury and when to back off.
If its possible to keep off the TimTams then shouldn't lose much fitness, as James says, just some speed. If you spend years and years developing endurance then it won't disappear in a few days or weeks; speed or sharpness might but you can get it back reasonably quickly, I reckon.
My motivation and discipline for not pigging out is based on getting back so I can run and enjoy running as much as possible. But it helps to have 2 toddlers and no spare time to go out on the town. And lots of hills to train on = more energy consumption. I put on 15kg when living in Flatland (Amsterdam) over 3 years.
Also I notice that littel niggles pop up when resting with an injury or before a race, but they usually disappear once back in action.
Hope it goes well, think of a distant event in a year or two and make a real long-range plan...

Show Profile  Paul I Posted: 24 July 2007, 4:34 AM  
Great words of encouragement from both of you - very inspirational, thanks.
It all seems obvious but you are kind of on your own with your injury problems so it is reassuring to hear from others who have been there and done that, and how they hung in there and came out the other side.

Mick, Tim Tams are very irrisistable indeed but I will try. However can we read about your battle with the Chocolate cake in Amsterdam which resulted in 15kg weight gain, in the next issue of Amazing NZ Orienteering Tales?

I wondered what happened to you last year James. Good luck this year.

I'm off to the Gym.

Show Profile  Michael Posted: 24 July 2007, 8:23 AM  
I thought my orienteering was going to be limited when I had a series of inexplicable soleus problems over several years. They would hit without warning, often when fully warmed up and running not very hard. I went through the usual sports med treatment for the first few episodes. When that wasn't readily available (people at the O-Ringen first-aid tent take their credit cards!) I resorted to self-treatment - rigorously keeping to walking until well after symptoms disappeared. I had some quite good o-walks. It seemed to me that the recovery time under professional and DIY treatment were no different, though my background leads me to generally trust science:-))

It's quite a while since I had one of these problems. Dunno what's changed except that I'm nervous about hardout running except in the finish chute. So I've given up intervals, I run with slower companions, I mix it up with biking and (tho its boring) swimming. The role of stretching interests me. Of course the frequency of stretching reduces as the time since last problem increases.

The message. No matter how bad it seems, you too can look forward to M or W60.

PS Is Pete Squires (World Mixed Supervet Rogaine Champion team) really in the Oz Rogaine Champs? Last time I saw him he could hardly walk. That could be another source of inspiration.

Show Profile  Paul I Posted: 24 July 2007, 8:56 AM  
Prevention is supposed to better than the cure, but honestly how long can you spend stretching every potential problem area each time you put your runners on?
On of my problems is I'm not really a fan of the long slow run instead prefer the higher intensity build up, it's easier to fit in to the day. Because I keep records of my times I'm always pushing myself. It no doulbt contributes to my injury count.

Show Profile  Bryan Posted: 25 July 2007, 12:08 AM  
I tend to train and race less these days so injuries are not so bad although my knees are packing up.

Back when I was an elite I would tend to do the following with any injury:
- first 1 or 2 weeks follow the agressive approach - that is, I would have extensive physio, lots of stretching and run every 2nd day. I would usually be able to race during an injury recovery. For an ankle injury (no matter how bad - sometimes with bruising right up the calf) I found I could race and race well with plenty of strapping within 3-4 days. I also recovered more quickly than if I just rested it.
- if that doesn't work I usually follow the softly-softly approach resting for several days and trying something other than running (eg running in the water).
- if that doesn't work then complete rest for a month or more.

Once when I badly pulled a calf muscle and I had a trial in a week I was very agressive and even tried acupuncture. I was able to race in the trial at about 90% speed. Acupuncture does not work for everyone though.

On another ocassion I ruptured my calf muscle and was not able to race for several months.

Also, with injuries I've found that it is also good to exercise the muscles around the injury to strengthen them - on some occasions I've actually exercised more in terms of time spent than I would usually spend just running. (eg 2-3 hours per day doing the appropriate exercises for the specific injury).

Over the years I've had numerous ankle injuries, calf injuries, hamstrings, broken or twisted thumbs, broken or bruised ribs, once I required stitches from a deep wound in my shin which went right through my leg protectors. I've found you can race if you want to.

Exercising to prevent injuries is more required as you get older.
Yoga or something which exercises most of your muscles and limbs is probably something I should do.

Show Profile  Neil K Posted: 25 July 2007, 4:34 AM  
Vinakurov has just one his second stage of the Tour De France after a decent crash early on that left him with about 60 stiches. So harden the . up.

Show Profile  Paul I Posted: 25 July 2007, 4:48 AM  
Drug test him

Show Profile  Greg Posted: 25 July 2007, 5:00 AM  
Didn't check the latest News on the tour did you Neil?

http://eurosport.yahoo.com/24072007/58/tour-de-france-cycling-rocked-new-drugs-shame.html

Show Profile  jeffg Posted: 25 July 2007, 5:41 AM  
Yeah, harden up those veins. Vino and his team are out.

Show Profile  Jamie Posted: 25 July 2007, 6:42 AM  
that, right there, has ruined my day. I hope vino's b test is negative and there has been some stuff up. Tragic for cycling as vino is prob the most popular rider in the world.

Show Profile  RikiCambridge Posted: 25 July 2007, 6:59 AM  
Jan Benes ran the relay with stitches in his knee. Setting his team up to win, with an awesome run.

I cant remember how many stiches he said he had, but he had run into a stick in one of the middle races.

I ran on a stress fracture that wasnt healed fully.

Show Profile  SimonB Posted: 25 July 2007, 8:10 AM  
rikis the man

Show Profile  addison Posted: 25 July 2007, 10:36 AM  
Thats pretty intense.

Regarding Riki, yeah good work for toughing it out... but it does raise questions about having an event so close geographically to NZ, having a reserve that was also travelling over to the event. Would be interesting to see if you guys would have changed anything if you had the opportunity to.

Show Profile  Andrew M Posted: 25 July 2007, 11:04 AM  
The whole vino scandel is such a shocker! guttered but will be still watching tonights last stage in the Pyrenees.


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