Sunday run and injuries

I seem to be getting to the point in my training where i’m starting to experience injuries. I made it through a year and a half injury free (happily patting myself on the back and knocking on wood at every opportunity!) and then I had my hamstring tear. While that was painful it was managable with the happy side effect that I got some nice arm definition while I was unable to work my legs hard. The down side was that I lost some leg strength (and my legs were REALLY strong before!) and i’m just now starting to build that up again.

Then Sunday I went out for my long run. Last week I had a great long run and I was looking forward to a repeat of that this week. I was on a new route (because I wasn’t at home) and it was an all-pavement route (I usually do at least 50% of my long run on a trail). It started off really well and I got to the halfway point in good time, turned around and started back. Not long into the return trip my legs started to stiffen up – especially my right leg – starting at my hip, and through the hammy and even the quad. I always have a bit of stiffness (especially through the hammy where there is still some scar tissue) but this was more than normal. My pace slowed and I found myself kicking my leg up harder to work some of the stiffness out. The rest of the run wasn’t NEARLY as pleasant as the first half had been. In the end my pace was almost 10 seconds per KM slower than the week before. I shrugged it off, grabbed my post-run shake and stretched it out.

About an hour after the run I went out for a walk with my nieces and noticed some knee pain. I was a bit concerned but did a few stretches and thought it’d be ok. Then I had to drive home (a couple of hours in the car) and by the time I got home my knee was DONE. I had to hop up the stairs and walking was extremely difficult and very painful. There was no obvious swelling but I got out the icepack and popped some advil just the same. Monday I woke up and it was no better. By now I was getting REALLY worried that I had torn something and I was going to be out of commission again, only this time even more so.

Monday night I decided to test it at the gym and did some light cardio. Within minutes the pain had eased and it felt a LOT better! I couldn’t go backwards on the elliptical and the bike still hurt a bit but other than that it was great! Then yesterday I worked it a bit more with some lower body weights and dead lifts…and whoohooo – the pain is now gone! Devin thinks it is perhaps a “tracking issue” with the hammy and hip contributing. I’m thinking he’s most likely right.

So now I’m back to full strength again – but the experience has me wondering what next? That’s 2 injuries now (even if the second was more of a 2 day blip) i’m going to have to be REALLY careful to stay injury free in the coming weeks. Race season is just about to start!