Returning from injury - Advice? Experience?

lauraeisenman1

Hey runner friends!

I'm getting back into consistantly running (3 days/week) after suffering an injury last fall. A friend and I trained for the Twin Cities full and two weeks before race day, I found myself with a fluid-filled knee. I chose not to run to prevent any serious damage.

It's three months later and I want to take another stab at running a full marathon. I've been lifting, doing cardio ever since and haven't experienced any pain during my short runs. I plan on running with a brace (preventative measure) and continue lifting to strengthen my knees and body.

Has anyone been in this place? Words of wisdom? Advice on training?

Thanks in advance!

lporter229

The best advice I can give is to take it slow. I would advise slowly building up your base to at least 30 miles per week for 3-4 weeks before you start on a training plan. And listen to your body. Take rest days if you need them. It's better to miss a run than to miss a bunch of runs because you are injured.

nicolejo143

Last May I sprained my ankle very badly. Two months later, I tried to run again but I was still having some pain. So I went to a doctor and was told not to run. I had to go to physical therapy. I went for 7 weeks, and I was almost fully recovered when I sprained it again! I was feeling strong, I wasn't having any pain and I wasn't worried about my ankle at all. I was simply just walking down the sidewalk when I stepped on a crack, my ankle gave out and I fell and resprained it! 9 more weeks of PT! My therapist made certain that I was strong enough to run again before I was released. But it wasn't like I could just go out and run 3 miles after that. My physical therapist told me I had to start out with short runs, and start out only on flat surfaces. I had to gradually work my way back into the my routine, which for me took me about 6 weeks or so. It was a very frustrating time for me, but it was worth it to not reinjure myself yet again. Better safe than sorry! Even if you don't feel pain, your knee could still be weak so be extra careful!

alikonda

lporter229 wrote: »

The best advice I can give is to take it slow. I would advise slowly building up your base to at least 30 miles per week for 3-4 weeks before you start on a training plan. And listen to your body. Take rest days if you need them. It's better to miss a run than to miss a bunch of runs because you are injured.

Taking it slowly sucks when you're full of enthusiasm, but it's the best way to avoid subsequent injury. Kick up the cross-training if you want while carefully limiting high-impact activities. I found it helpful to spend a lot of time on elliptical at the beginning of my training plan, slowly transitioning to spending a greater percentage of time actually running. Keep your mileage increments small and, as previously mentioned, listen to your body!

vcphil

I feel your pain. I was training for chicago 2014 but I ended up getting injured. I am not sure what fluid in the knees means but it sounds serious. Have you seen a sports specialist? What did they Advise? Are you in the Minneapolis area? I ask because I am :-)

I think like others said, don't Rush into it. I don't know what you were doing during peak training, but I would do 1/4 of that honestly..Even if you register for TCM again tomorrow when it opens, rememeber October is 8 months away- you have a lot of time to get back into the shape you were in in September.

My husband trained for TCM in 2010, but he got injured and ran NOTHING until March 2011 and was able to train and run TCM 2012.. However, he experienced a cycle of njuries because I think he didn't take enough time to recover.

fleetzz

I feel you. I have been out for 3 months, doing physical therapy and got the ok to start running again--same stupid pain returned. No advice, though since I haven't been able to run again.

CarsonRuns

I would suggest that maybe you work on an intermediate goal first. Do a 10K or HM this year and slowly build your base. Running a marathon isn't the end all, be all.

GiddyupTim

As the others have been saying, do not expect smooth progression. I was not running for about six months (a bit more, actually, if you consider some, painful running before that) with a torn ACL and then surgery. My road back was pockmarked with little niggling injuries -- plantar fasciitis, tennis-player's calf, etc., etc. I don't think I was imprudently pushing too hard. It's just that part of you is still able to go, and you still have a runner's mind, and much of your is no longer use to that kind of abuse.
I would start to feel a bit better and I would go out and go a little farther, or a little faster, and, BAM! Something would happen and I couldn't run for a week...two weeks.
But, you'll get thru. Don't worry.
I think probably Carson's suggestion is wise. (Of course.) It reminds me that we had an article in our newspaper about a year ago that interviewed all the prominent, local, road runners. Some are quite well known and have run in Olympic trials, etc. Some have done the Western States ultra.
Anyway, the article asked: "What is your favorite race distance?"
I expected they would all say the marathon, because they all run so much, with maybe a few 10k votes.
Almost to a runner, they said the half-marathon. They said it was a good, long race that taxed them and left them feeling spent, but -- unlike the marathon -- not beat up afterwards!