Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond
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2009-08-12 8:01 AM |
Expert 1452 Troy, MI | Subject: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond I am slow. I am overweight. I am a 44 year old female with 5 almost grown and grown children. I work full-time+. I am a part-time triathlete. I want the opinions of the triathlete community. Scenario: 14 year runner- Events since 2006: 1- marathon, 1- 10k, 1- 4 mile, 8- sprint tri's, 1- duathlon Training is a #4 priority in my life. Injuries: lower back 9/2007, calf strain 6/2008, 60% tear of head of gastroc (calf) muscle 6/2009-I will get clearance tomorrow for running but restarted at a tri on July 26. PT: calf 6/28-7/25. began yoga for my back 7/1/09 and pain free for the first time in a year and a half, success or so I thought. I have had crappy running since restarting. My run at the tri was awful, no pain but NO endurance (quarter mile run without walking). Started with a 2 min run/1 min walk plan for next run. Next run, 10 minutes straight but only 17 minutes total (again no endurance). Next training day: 50 minutes straight (I thought I was back). Weekend long run: 89 degrees, awful run but made it 10 miles, just took me forever and I walked probably 50/50. Last night- Back pain, couldn't run. I'd try and I couldn't do it. I was out and tried for 30 minutes. Worst run ever. I was self evaluating last night and I have only run a full 5k without running at a tri once, last year, my first tri 5/08. Please help me make this decision. I really value the opinions of this community. Be brutally honest. I want that. Where do I go from here?
Edited by jogo 2009-08-12 8:06 AM |
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2009-08-12 8:10 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Coach 10487 Boston, MA | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Skip the HIM and focus on getting your running fitness back slowly and most important injury free. IMO you are just building up again too fast; 50 min run then another 10 miler after a calf tear on june? Sounds too much but I don't know the details fo your injury. |
2009-08-12 8:12 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Find yourself a Couch to Sprint plan and follow that. People generally go out too hard, too fast and too long when they're starting out or just getting back into it. That's a good way to get hurt. Get Doc to okay you running, find a plan, follow the plan. Doesn't matter if there's an actual tri at the end of the plan or not, just start doing SOMETHING. come about Oct/Nov, find a winter maintenance plan and follow that until 20 weeks before a tri you want to do next year and then get a beginner's 20 week plan for that race. |
2009-08-12 8:15 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Elite 3072 san francisco | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond First of all, only you can answer the question about whether you want to restart or just give up. That being said, I came back from an injury last spring (plantar fasciitis) after giving it 2 months of complete rest by adhering to a strict run/walk for almost a full month. (increasing the ratio slowly) It is really hard for a previous marathon runner to stick to the run/walk, whether it's pride or whether it's just rushing back too quickly. Did you try this for more than the first run? From your post, it sounds like you did it the first time and then immediately tried to run 17 minutes straight? There is no shame in run/walk. Lots of people during my HIM this year were doing walk/walk! Whatever you decide, good luck to you. |
2009-08-12 8:16 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond The older we get and the longer we have "let it go" the longer it takes to "get it back". Add to that the new pains your body feels now that yo never had before and its discouraging for sure. I think you just have to start out S L O W . You have to build a base back up. Plan on lots of ice, advil, and some slow progress. But note, you will make PROGRESS. Are you trying to compete in triathlons, or complete them. There is a big difference in how you train between those two... Don't give up. Your body and your family will thank you. |
2009-08-12 8:19 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Master 1690 Metro NY Area | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Don't give up! With 5 kids and a FT job it's amazing you can do what you do! Just take a step back and don't try to do to much too soon if you are injured. I'm sure you can continue your tri training but don't torture yourself. Good luck! |
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2009-08-12 8:22 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Extreme Veteran 478 Houston, Texas | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond The half marathon can wait. This weekend you did 10 miles and it hurt - both during the run and after. That alone should let you know to keep the running slow and build up. From where you're at now I don't see an injury free way to race in 6 weeks. Get better and reward yourself with the 2010 USAF half marathon. |
2009-08-12 8:24 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Master 1927 Guilford, CT | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Don't give up, but don't tackle a half either. You don't have the base and you will most likely hurt yourself. Does it hurt less to bike than the run? I'd maybe think about doing a mixture and get some more biking or swimming in to get your aerobic base up while you are still recovering fromt he injury. Running beats the crap out of your body alot more than the other two (at least mine anyway). A coach or Dr, could better speak to that though... |
2009-08-12 8:49 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Expert 1452 Troy, MI | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond To answer everyone's pain question:: My calf is fine. It is strong after PT. I have no problems. The 10 miler was a run/walk. The pain is in my back. I hate this back thing. It was better with yoga but now I feel like it is back to where it was pre-yoga. I think the running aggravates it. I am planning a half marathon, not a HIM. I am just frustrated but it sounds like most of you would not advise the HM and rebuild. It is hard for my pride. The person who said that hit the bullseye. Keep the opinions coming. Thank you! |
2009-08-12 8:56 AM in reply to: #2343401 |
Veteran 125 West Hartford, CT | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond tmueller - 2009-08-12 8:22 AM The half marathon can wait. This weekend you did 10 miles and it hurt - both during the run and after. That alone should let you know to keep the running slow and build up. From where you're at now I don't see an injury free way to race in 6 weeks. Get better and reward yourself with the 2010 USAF half marathon. I agree. DO not give up - but cut yourself some slack. Build back up slowly - going from 17 minutes to 10 miles is a bit extreme IMO - slow and steady...slow and steady Hope you heal fast - I agree with pp that you should look into a couch to sprint and go from there |
2009-08-12 9:08 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Master 1440 | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond I was 48 when I started this stuff. I am adult onset diabeticI weighed 225 lbs and could not swim 1 lap of the pool or run more than 100 yards. I hadn't ridden my bike in over 2 years. Today I weighed 190 lbs, biked 45 minutes straight in Spinning class, got off the bike and ran 2 miles on the dreadmill. Yesterday I swam 1000 yards ( I have sum a mile straight through) And most important my diabetes is under control. I work full time and am active in our Church as well as supervising / sponsoring many senior class activities. If I can do it anyone can. might take some effort and co-ordination, but you can do it. As my Martial Arts instructor used to say: If you want to do it bad enough, you will find a way. |
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2009-08-12 9:12 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Expert 937 Traverse Cityish | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Where is the back pain at? I have been fighting pain the lover back/hip/sacrum area for the past three years but have just been sucking it up. If I kept up with core strength and chiro visits it was manageable. A month ago I started doing ART and lots of stretching, after five ART sessions I'm feeling better than I have in years and I no longer have pain when doing something as simple as sitting up or rolling over in bed. I'm down to pretty much zero Motrin and life is good. Find the activities that you can do that don't aggravate it and stick with them while you get your back working again. Once your body is feeling good, set an attainable goal and go for it. |
2009-08-12 9:13 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond You have been injured- you need to SLOWLY ease back into the miles. Looks like you are jumped back into the miles full force- bad idea with all your injuries. Now, what's wrong with walking? HUH? Nothing. If you need to do a walk/run combo to stay injury free- do it. Now when you walk, walk fast- don't walk a 15 minute mile... walk a 13 minute mile. Don't take a complete break when you walk- still work it! Skip the half mary and take care of your body. Healing comes first. Then you can start to ease back into the miles. Good luck! PS- I had a 25K scheduled in July- but I got a stress fracture at a marathon in May. You know what, I didn't do it. Since it was a looped course and my boyfriend was doing it, I did 6 miles and that I DNFed it. You don't have that option... but if you need to skip the race, skip it. Upping your miles so quickly is only going to get you injured again. Edited by KSH 2009-08-12 9:14 AM |
2009-08-12 11:46 AM in reply to: #2343352 |
Expert 994 Clio, MIchigan | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond im going to second what jorge said. you are trying to do too much too fast. I have been in that boat time and time again, partially torn achilles, stress fractures, tendonitis. I haven't had an injury free season since I was a freshman in college. Each time i come back I dont do it slow enough and next thing you know i'm limping around in a walking boot. It sucks but take your time and come back slowly.... |
2009-08-12 12:19 PM in reply to: #2344002 |
Master 2638 | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond I have to agree with the other posters about getting yourself healthy before starting half-marathon training. I've been on the DL since last October with PF (which we thought was a calcaneal stress fracture) and I'm only just now getting back to what I consider OK run shape - nowhere near last year's level. My mileage is low, I'm slow and it's very frustrating. HOWEVER. You do not want to risk re-injury. Figure out what is going on with your back and be vigilant about doing what makes it better (for me and the PF, this is daily stretching and pre-run warm up for every run). It sucks, but everyone has a limiter - sounds like your back is yours. Get your back to a tolerable condition and move forward from there. Can you bike or swim? If so, focus on those things for now - do some centuries or OWS. When I couldn't run the marathon I'd planned this winter, I signed up to be a race escort instead and rode my bike with the wheelchair racers - it was great fun. As one of the other posters said, there is nothing wrong with walking. It may not feel as good as running, but it's way better than sitting on the couch. PS: I voted for DNS but I didn't understand the C25K option. A C25K plan is not a bad option for your rehab once your back is OK. It would help you limit your desire to run more than your body is ready for and might be fun to do with a group. Edited by Mrs. brown_dog_us 2009-08-12 12:21 PM |
2009-08-12 12:21 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Elite 3471 Evergreen, CO | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Has a Dr. diagnosed what's causing the back pain? If it's a herniated disk or some such, then no HM. If you tweaked it and stretching and chiro can fix it, I would suggest keep doing walk/run training going easy and building slowly and doing core work. Many times when my lower back hurts it's because I need to stretch more. I did a HIM Sunday and my longest run over the last 3 months was 6 miles and that was the weekend before the race. I walked 60" at each aid station and ended up being less than 20' off my stand-alone HM PR. I'm a walk/run believer now. How does your back feel when you ride? You can rebuild some of your fitness for running on your bike, too. Unless you've damaged your back, I'd still train to do the race. My 1st HM I was beat by a woman doing walk/run -- she was training for Boston! |
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2009-08-12 12:26 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Expert 819 | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Find a 5k that weekend. Run a lazy 5 miles to the race and then do the 5k. Then run/walk another 5 miles. There you did the 13.1. You had a fun race. You are on your way to fitness. Plus if you walk the whole way there and back, you still get the fitness of 13.1 without all of the pain. |
2009-08-12 12:41 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
New user 219 | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond i would scale back on the running, pass on the half, and aim for a different half farther out.. If you really want the tshirt and the finishers medal, you could try a run/walk combination, just to say you did it.you're making me realize I really need to stop procrastinating, put a training plan in writing and start following it now.... |
2009-08-12 1:08 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Master 1792 | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Don't quit! Just go easy for awhile. Training is my "me" time, and although I may take little breaks here and there, I could never give it up. For your HM, do they offer a 5k on the same day? If so, maybe you could do that so you still get the goodies |
2009-08-12 1:11 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Member 148 | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaasse don't give up! The fact that the idea of giving up is bothering you enough to post, means you shouldn't give up! Don't do the half, do a 5k if you have to. If you feel bad laying off the running altogether and just swimming and biking, then pool run, much less impact for your back. Please get your back prob diagnosed, then get some treatment, you only have one body and it has to last a lifetime, not a race! All the best |
2009-08-12 1:53 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Champion 7547 Albuquerque, New Mexico | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond What do you want to be (or do) in a year or 5-years? It doesn't matter much what you've been or what are right now beyond an explaination for your current state. If you want to be an overweight, slow, 45-year old female with 5 grown/almost-grown children, give up. If you're not happy at the prospect of being an overweight, slow, 45-year-old female with 5 grown/almost-grown children, you can change the future and that is your motivation to restart. If you don't want to be an overweight, slow, injured-and-rehabbing, 45-year-old female with 5 grown/almost-grown children, restart and build patiently to become the person you want to become. With the caveat that training won't miraculously eliminate the "overweight" and "slow" adjectives and pretty much nothing (legal) is going to change the prospects of you being a 45-year-old female with 5 grown/almost-grown children. |
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2009-08-12 2:01 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Master 1390 Ferndale, MI | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Your captain says a jump from 17 minutes to 10 miles is way more than 10%, even if it is a "wun". Your summer has been compromised enough with that calf thing so step it back a notch and have fun with the short stuff. |
2009-08-12 2:55 PM in reply to: #2344363 |
Expert 1452 Troy, MI | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond gir1with1nose - 2009-08-12 3:01 PM Your captain says a jump from 17 minutes to 10 miles is way more than 10%, even if it is a "wun". Your summer has been compromised enough with that calf thing so step it back a notch and have fun with the short stuff. Okay captain. 1st it was 50 minutes of running to 10 miles walk/run. I've only had 5 weeks off and I would think some of the last 14 years would still be there. I knew I wasn't ready for 10 miles running straight. Just clarifying. I have been swimming and biking. I have been doing yoga. I have not been sitting on a couch for 5 weeks. I have had my back looked at and no one has any answers as to why there is pain. It did go away with the yoga until yesterday. I am seeing a sports medicine doc for my calf and my back. I see him again tomorrow. I am very frustrated, as most people get who have dealt with really the 1st injury that has ever sidelined me. I let it sideline me for 5 weeks because I didn't want permanent damage. I am just having problems believing that I have lost that much ground with running. My running has not been my priority because that was my strength but as I trained for the swim and the bike, my running has gone to he!!. I really want to do this HM but I don't want to do permanent injury. This season has been so awful. The only fun I had was the tri on July 26 that I did for fun with friends.
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2009-08-12 3:34 PM in reply to: #2343352 |
Champion 10471 Dallas, TX | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond I took 6 weeks off running because of a stress fracture. I got a stress fracture at my marathon. I trained doing a 3 minute walk/2 minute run combo. When I started running again after those 6 weeks I was back at square one. Just running 2 miles was very taxing on me and I was getting horrible side cramps. I have been back running for a month and have gotten up to 6 miles. I decided to try to just RUN... vs. walk/run. So far, so good. My run times are better than ever. In fact, it's downright impressive (for me!) how fast I have been running. BUT I'm still taking it easy. The most I have done is 6 miles at this point. Even last week, when I tried to go run I was so sore I had to ditch it after a mile. Running is the quickest and easiest way to get injured. You have to listen to your body and pull back when needed. So yes, being off 5 weeks... you can lose a lot of run fitness. Not all of it, but a fair amount. Good luck! |
2009-08-12 3:40 PM in reply to: #2344647 |
Expert 1452 Troy, MI | Subject: RE: Help me give up or restart, PLEASE respond Thank you KHS. That gives me hope. |
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