Relentless Ambition

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21

I really hope to be back on track as fast as possible. I’ve been told what to do (i heard different stories of what i should do the next days), and I know from past injuries that completely stopping activity isn’t the way to go.
About that speed burst, maybe I just put myself in a position to run fast, I don’t know, it’s just that I have rarely felt so speedy at that point of the race.
The injury occured RIGHT after I dipped at the line, on the video it also seems like I completely stop running instead of letting go.
Maybe seeing the actual run might help you have a better idea of what happened :slight_smile: (im the one in blue finishing 1st)

EDIT: Forgot to mention that I have a slight limp today, just like after the run. Jogging right now is an impossible task, so maybe the strain is worse than I thought

//youtu.be/VJLZdxlYPMU

22

Hard to see but gee whiz you look tight. Clearly you are fast but imagine if you were looser? I bet you are not doing any hydro therapy or pool. What about epson salt baths? Those 3 things are easy, usually free ( sort of as the pool might not be free) and you can do them on your own.
A strain is a pull by the way. It’s the degree that you may not know for sure.
Likely you got injured because you were running so fast as defined by your PB.
What is your plan?

23

Sorry to hear about your injury. Having followed your training journal I kind of expected this to happen. You have done next to no upright running at full speed, so your hamstrings are not conditioned/prepared for running at PB speeds. I would avoid competitions until you are doing more speed work in training.

24

I’m very tight indeed, I will try to get looser whilst im injured, I think a whole body deep tissue massage would be a good start. Right now I’m doing sodium bicarbonate baths from time to time, I’m not sure if that is of any help because I don’t really feel a difference. Few years ago I used to buy epsom salts online but I thought it was too costly to continue. Thanks for reminding me because I just stumbled upon this: http://ebay.eu/1LdTZaB (Is it any good? 25kg for the price seems VERY cheap!)

By the way, I got ultrasound tests done yesterday and it is indeed a strain, 2nd degree I suppose/hope as the doctor advised me min. 2 weeks off training. The cut is 14mm long and 7mm large.
I realize my indoor is certainly over, I know indoor is not important but running under 7 secs was definitely possible this season, been struggling with that barrier for a few years because of injury. But yeah, I have bigger goals than that as my journal title suggests :slight_smile:

I’m getting laser therapy done today and a supplement called cissus quadrangularis should arrive today. I’m always skeptical when it comes to supplements but I have barely seen a bad review about it. People claim it has helped them recover faster from their injuries.

25

I am glad you understand you are tight. Now I would like to introduce the idea that tightness will improve with when you continue to apply the general idea of " a little bit of something often , is better than a lot of just one thing you think " might" work. " IT seems unbelievable to say that a multitude of things can help you but it’s true. But it can. Understand that you need to prioritize what you do. IN a perfect world you are able to do everything. Otherwise you do the very best you are able to do.
Espon salts are generally not so expensive but you must not be finding the best source. Try a massage therapy store and buy the salts in bulk if possible. Try to stop looking for the magic bullet or someone to tell you what you already know. If you hear a pop you know you have done damage. Okay, but now focus on getting better.
Are you planning on taking 2 entire weeks off?

26

try magnesium oil…

27

Bromelien aka pineapple extract is good also. You need to stretch not only during the day, but at night before sleep. U need to find a flexibility specialist. I have a guy I used, got a strain a few years back, had me back on the track after 3 Sessions bout 3.weeks

28

Monday 26/01 - Wednesday
Jogging impossible, still painful/discomfort.
Slight limp when walking

Thursday - Saturday
Tried jogging, not really painful but i can feel the discomfort so decided to wait a few days

Sunday 1/02
20 min easy jog, feels good to be able to do something with the legs

@Angela: No, I’m going to get physiotherapist sessions in and move as much as I can. I’m probably going to do some pool sessions next week. Swimming, running in the water etc…
The hamstring is feeling fine now, I’ve also done some flexibility exercises and massages around the injury site (my hips were quite tight)
I’m taking this injury positively because I was getting frustrated having tight hamstrings everytime I had to run fast, so there is definately something wrong. Those 2-3 weeks of rehabilitation will do me good.
If you have specific exercises or workouts that I can do in the pool, that would be awesome!

@hornblower & Chris: Have you ever tried Cissus? 2 days after taking it I could jog fine, now I have no idea whether it helped or not but seeing the reviews about it, it could have helped a great deal. My hamstrings are feeling like new, while few days ago they were still sore. It’s more of a tendon health supplement though

29

For a month (February to March) I was still injured, but I was able to do runs at 65-70% to keep my fitness levels up. Ended up eating a lot of junk food during that month though which definitely wasn’t a good idea as I put on 3 kg.
Towards the end of february my hamstrings were feeling much better, and 80-85% was possible without discomfort but I was still advised by a reputed sports doctor in my town to keep it at that intensity and not more. At first when he did a check up he said my hamstrings seem to be stronger than my quads. He said the hams are way more developed than my quads and that could be the reason why I’m having hamstring problems everytime I run fast. So he advised me to do a Cybex test (test for imbalances between muscle groups) to see if what he claims is right. I called for an appointment but had to wait until March 12th to do the test. The results weren’t shocking: Lack of quadricep and hamstring strength both in concentric and excentric, and my right leg is 15% stronger than the left one overall. The physiotherapist who ran the test said my quadricep obviously needs more strength.

Here I am now 2 months post-inury and back at 100%! Still have to be cautious though since I’m still doing the cybex therapy (ends in 2 weeks with a final test)

This is what I did from March onwards:

Week 19
Sunday 1/03
Park
Around The Lake (600m) 3x in 2 mins (5 min rest between)

Monday
weight lifting

Tuesday
4x (jog 40m -> turn back 40m @ 90% (focus on pushing) -> 15 sec rest)
10 min rest
2x (idem but 60m and 25 sec rest)

Thursday
IDEM monday but 60m instead of 40

Friday
Rest

Sunday
Park
3x30-35m uphill
2x150m uphill (stopped after the 1st one, slight discomfort at injury site)

Week 20
Monday 09/03
weights

Tuesday
10x250m in 46-48s w/ 1 min rest
10 min rest
5x250m in 46-48 w/ 1 min rest

Thursday
Cybex test

Friday
5x120m @ 90% int. , push hard the first 30m

Sunday
Park
2x30-35m uphill (4.70 & 4.70) close to my 4.68 pb of january
Around The Lake 1x all out: belly ache 250m into the run, had to stop to catch my breath

Week 21
Monday 16/03
weights

Tuesday
10x150m in 25s - 8 min rest - 5x150m in 25s (couldn’t keep up with the slimmer guys of my team. currently not in a good shape)

Thursday
Cybex therapy

Friday
3x120 @ 90-95% w/ 6 min rest

Sunday
Cones workout (length varied from 2m10 to 2m20) , good feeling on them
1x250m: 30"10 (felt very sluggish on that one but coach was satisfied)

Week 22
Monday 23/03
weights

Tuesday
Cybex therapy
Low hill 3x100m w/ 3 min rest

Thursday
Cybex therapy
Cones workout (2m20 length) , very good feeling on them

Friday
10x250m in 40s w/1 min rest (like one week ago, hard time keeping up with the slimmer guys after rep 6)

Sunday
1x150m , 10 min rest , 1x200m , 10 min rest , 1x250m(calves cramp after 100m, im not drinking enough water)

Week 23
Monday 30/03
weights

Tuesday
Cybex therapy
3x120m (target = 14.5s) 3 min rest
12 min rest
3x150m (target = 18.0s) 5 min rest

Thursday
Cybex therapy
120m - 2 min rest - 80m | 14.57 & 9.46 (wasn’t loose enough on the 120)
15 min rest
120m - 2 min rest - 80m | 13.56 & 9.45

Friday
4x40m - 4.80, 4.72, 4.75, 4.72
12 min rest
2x60m - 6.79, 6.91 (-> tried a standing start for that one)

Sunday
Rest

30

Are those times electric?

31

They are manual, first movement if i’m correct

32

Monday 6/04
weights

Tuesday
Cybex therapy
10 min jog + stretching

Thursday
3x100m w/ 5 min rest. target = 11.80
10.95 , 11.16 , 11.53 (clearly way too fast, had trouble running that 11.53 because of how fast I went the 2 previous races)
12 min rest
3x100 w/ 5 min rest. target = 11.80
11.78 , 11.73 , 11.63

That workout was hell for me, and the outcome would have been different my coach said if I had run the target times from the beginning.

Friday
3x20m - 2.70 , 2.68 , 2.67
3x30m - 3.75 , 3.63 , 3.63 (on the 3.75 I tried to push/stay low for too long. she told me to stop forcing it with faster times and better feeling as result)

Sunday
Cones/rhythm workout:
3x20m runs (cones 2meters apart)
After the third one I felt a twinge in my right hamstring/adductors so she called it a session, it’s nothing serious maybe just tightness.
The intensity is getting greater and the times are getting much faster so I knew it was matter of time before I’d feel something again

33

Monday 13/04
Plyometrics (hurdle hops, step ups, low depth jumps, multi bounds, etc.)
after the plyometric session we had to finish with 4x 75% runs. I didn’t feel like running the 4th one because I felt lazy; but I did anyway and after 20m I felt a little snap in my lower right hamstring.
Slight limp when walking afterwards, probably a small tear. I shouldn’t have taken what I felt yesterday with a grain of salt, but now I know for next time it occurs

Wednesday
Ultrasound test reveals it’s indeed a small tear. A very small one though, 4mm

Friday
Pool running. tried to not extend the hamstring too much to avoid worsening the injury
Had a good workout, I’m in good shape right now

Sunday
Hamstring feeling much better, jogged 30-45 min. w/ accelerations on hills

34

Monday 20/04
Low volume plyometrics (no distance bounding)
Core exercises between plyo exercises

Tuesday
Physiotherapy

Wednesday
Pool running

Thursday
Plyometrics
Core workout
Physiotherapy

Friday
Back on the track with running drills (no B-skips yet)

Sunday
Running drills
6x80m runs @ 80-85% w/ 3-5 min recovery

35

Monday 27/04
Low volume plyometrics (no distance bounding)
Core exercises between plyo exercises

Tuesday
Physiotherapy
4x250 target 35s w/ 5 min rest (in trainers)
35.30 - 34.10 - 33.90 - 37.60 (my legs were so heavy I could barely lift them)

Thursday
4x150 target 18-18.3s w/ 5 min rest (trainers)
17.6 - 17.8 - 17.9 - 18.10
Good feeling on them

Friday
Medicine ball drills
Hurdle drills
Aerobic capacity @ 75% : 100m - jogback - 200m - jogback - 300m - jogback - 400m

Sunday
5x100m target 11.80s (trainers)
Didn’t get timed but she found them to be pretty fast, technique was good too

36

Monday 4/05
Weights
2x10 box jumps
depth to ankle hops

Tuesday
150 - 120 - 100 - 80m (8’ rest. all done with trainers and a running start. approx 5m)
no time, 13.03, 10.80, no time
on the 80m coach said i could put on my spikes to get the feeling back as it’s been a while and haven’t had any hamstring discomfort in days. she told me to go slower than on the previous runs though
but after 20m I felt some tightness so I stopped immediately

Thursday
Still a little sore from tuesday, did a 10 min jog and some box jumps and fast stair runs.

Friday
120m - 100m - 120m - 100m - 120m @ 85% intensity

Sunday
Drills and fast feet work inside cones
5x runs inside cones
Lactic acid work:
250m - 2’ rest - 150m : 30.8 - 18.9s
15 min rest
250m - 2’ rest - 150m : 30.4 - 19.3s

I’m very happy with these times. I didn’t run the 250’s as hard as I could to prevent anything bad from happening.
Last year when I was in 22.50 shape on the 200, I ran similar times but in spikes and the 2nd 250m was always much slower.
Coach noticed I respond much better to long runs compared to short sprints at 100%, less chance of injury aswell !

37

Monday 11/05
Weights
3x10 step ups
depth to ankle hops
distance bounding

Tuesday
4x100m in 11.70 w/ 5 min rest
11.65 , 11.57 , 11.80 , 11.75 , 11.65

Thursday
250m - 10 min rest - 200m - 10 min rest - 150
29.90 , 23.90, / (my calves were cramping up 50m into the run, definitely going to drink more water from now on)
coach was satisfied with the 250m, we should be looking at a 28.50 - high 28 with spikes on

Friday
10 min jog followed by 5 mins of 15s on/ 15s off

Sunday
Drills and fast feet work inside cones
5x runs inside cones 2m20 between them. ran them in spikes FINALLY, coach was really satisfied with my technique
but the most important thing is I didn’t feel any discomfort in my hamstring. looking forward to next week

38

Monday 18/05
Low volume plyometrics
Weights

Tuesday
Tempo
100 - 200 - 300 - 400 - 300 - 200 - 100
Jogback same distance

Thursday
various starting block drills ( like starting onto a pole vault pit)
6x block starts over 20m. good feeling on them despite not having used blocks in over 4 months

Friday
2x120m in the curve (200m to 80m) with starting block
13.50 , 13.30

Sunday
depth to ankle hop exercises
Lactic acid session:
250m - 2’ rest - 150m
28.47 (pb) and 18.80 (accumulated that is 47.27 which is exactly 2 seconds faster than last year when I was in 50.8 shape)

39

have you competed? I’m sorry if i missed any post pertaining to races. What have you run? Times??

40

I haven’t competed yet, my season opener will be at the European Champions Clubs Cup in Slovakia next saturday, I’ll run the 100m extra race & possibly the 4x100. can’t wait !