I know that everyone was worried about how my hip might do on an actual run after the massage I had on Tuesday. Well I was told to not do too much activity for the next couple of days post massage, so I didn't (well I went to martial arts class on Wednesday night ... but I did try to take it easy). On Thursday night I went out for a 4 miler on some trails near my home. The plan ... Do four miles. I did not have a speed in mind and just wanted to get the mil age going in the right direction.
Mile 1: Just tried to work into a flow. I could still feel the hip but it was just a ever so tiny little voice (I would guess it is about 90 to 95% recovered. First mile 10:38
Mile 2: I was trying to just keep the pace of mile 1, I didn't want to push just to maintain the pace. I started to go a bit faster and the tiny voice turned into a little voice. There does seem to be a speed component to this injury. Second mile 10:29
Mile 3: Mile three has some ups to it. It is no massive thing but you have to do some climbing and I am not the best at this yet. I am much better than I was though. Third Mile 10:40
Mile 4: I was just trying to maintain my pace and not push too hard on this one. Fourth Mile 10:38
I ended up at an average pace of 10:38 over 4.10 miles. It was good and the hip was fine, I am sure everyone was worried, but I am fine. I do believe that this is a manageable injury. I just have to be smart about it. The rest of the week holds 4 miles tonight and 20 miles on Sunday. Yes, I know 20 miles but that is really it. Starting on Monday, the beloved taper.
Showing posts with label injury management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label injury management. Show all posts
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
A massage story
I mentioned that I had scheduled a massage to try to work the kinks out my lower back and hip from overuse due to this crazy marathon schedule. I will say that it was affecting my spirits a bit. I was a little down, no, no, its o.k., now. So I went for my massage on Tuesday after work. I will start by saying that I am not much of a comfort person. I have a deep seeded belief that too much comfort is a bad thing. So, for me to go for something like a massage is a remarkable thing in its own right. I did go, so maybe I am overcoming some of my innate stubbornness, unlikely.
The masseuse was a good and did a top to bottom sports massage. I had a few muscle spasms in the small of my back and buttocks during the massage. I took this as a sign that things were being worked out. Nothing good ever came without a little pain along the way. I think all told the whole thing lasted about 50 minutes. I hear some people, mostly at my office, talking about how awesome a massage is. I suppose it is fine and as long as it is useful for you who am I to argue. I can't see myself as a regular. I was a bit looser after than before and I think within 2 hours my hip and lower back were 50% better than when I went in. That is what I wanted. Yesterday, I think that total was up to 65% and today I would put that at 85%. My hip is still a small bit of trouble; however, it is 10 to 20% of the problem that it was. I will call that a success and I thank the fine woman who helped me out with that. I can see myself doing it again for this type of injury but as I said I am not the type of person who would be doing this on a regular basis.
To minimize the chance of injury going into the home stretch, I have decided to switch to trails. There are some gentle trails close to my home with little challenge in terms of rocks. This will give my hip and lower back a chance to recover more fully before the marathon in Mid-May. I have my 20 mile run this weekend and this will also be done on trails. The time will be slower but I will be recovered for the marathon and that is the point. Start the race healthy and leave it on the course, no regrets no what ifs. I read in one of the runners magazines from one of the top runners, better to be under trained and healthy than over trained and injured. I will keep this in mind over the next month.
The masseuse was a good and did a top to bottom sports massage. I had a few muscle spasms in the small of my back and buttocks during the massage. I took this as a sign that things were being worked out. Nothing good ever came without a little pain along the way. I think all told the whole thing lasted about 50 minutes. I hear some people, mostly at my office, talking about how awesome a massage is. I suppose it is fine and as long as it is useful for you who am I to argue. I can't see myself as a regular. I was a bit looser after than before and I think within 2 hours my hip and lower back were 50% better than when I went in. That is what I wanted. Yesterday, I think that total was up to 65% and today I would put that at 85%. My hip is still a small bit of trouble; however, it is 10 to 20% of the problem that it was. I will call that a success and I thank the fine woman who helped me out with that. I can see myself doing it again for this type of injury but as I said I am not the type of person who would be doing this on a regular basis.
To minimize the chance of injury going into the home stretch, I have decided to switch to trails. There are some gentle trails close to my home with little challenge in terms of rocks. This will give my hip and lower back a chance to recover more fully before the marathon in Mid-May. I have my 20 mile run this weekend and this will also be done on trails. The time will be slower but I will be recovered for the marathon and that is the point. Start the race healthy and leave it on the course, no regrets no what ifs. I read in one of the runners magazines from one of the top runners, better to be under trained and healthy than over trained and injured. I will keep this in mind over the next month.
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