My Situation

im very new to all of this sprint training and what not, but i am looking ahead to the track season in the spring (this will be my first track season) and thinking of how i should start training…right now its the basketball season, so training is difficult (but definitley not impossible) with intense 2 hour practices 3 days a week and games 2 days a week…but on top of it all i have some of the most messed up hamstrings ive ever witnessed…it is some sort of overuse injury from way back in march or april (i think) and went undiagnosed just getting worse until last week when i went in to get a deep tissue massage, the massage helped a lot but it was $40 and we dont have the kind of money to make it a regular thing…the guy said i should try taking baths with epsom salt on a regular basis because he thinks my problem is some kind of lactic buildup in my hamstrings (im not entirely sure of what he meant) but my bathtub is currently out of service and im limited to showers so soaking in epsom salt isnt a possibility…i cant really tell if the hamstring problem is limiting my stride-length, but it may be because i dont feel like im as fast as i was (last year i could do the splits no joke, no it is difficult to touch my toes)…anyway, i am very hesitant to lifting and because i feel like my hamstrings need to be fixed, but at the same time i dont want to not train and go unprepared for my first track season…sprint training will be real problem too because it is now snowing in michigan, although i will most defnitley find a way if sprint training is what i need to do…but my question is what should i do? should i train now or wait til my hamstrings are 100%? and if i train now what kind of training should i do?

any ideas at all? any input is appreciated

I personally would get my hamstring(s) sorted before even attempting any sprint training. You run the risk of doing some serious damage if there is a minor injury there. What I do recommend is search the archives of the site, cos there’s SO much info here you can’t really fail.

Sounds like they are bothering you a lot. It could be a number of things. Have you talked to your school trainer? If you have not I would suggest that you do that. Is there any sort of lumps or anything unusual that you feel in your hamstrings? Strength training might not be a bad idae for you, even though you think it might be. Doing light squats or leg movements can somtimes help break that scar tissue up. Then that will free up the muscle.

since you only can use a shower. Try doing a contrast shower. That means you switch from hot and cold. You just go back and forth. That will help the muscles regenerate faster

my bathtub will up and running again in a few weeks so i can do the epsom salt thing then, i went to a massage therapist and he said it was an overuse injury and some kind of lactic buildup…the massage helped but it was $40…i think i will wait til my hamstrings are 100% before i start training again