1/2 marathon in one week and not ready.
cocolo89
Posts: 1,169 Member
So I'm running my.first 1/2 marathon in a week from tomorrow. I have a big problem, I haven't been able to do normal training for 3 weeks because of a back injury. Prior to my back injury I was running 8/9 miles. I tried running this week and was barely able to get past 6 miles. I didn't want to push myself too hard cause my lower back is still pretty tender but I just HAVE to do this run. I absolutely don't want to back out of it. I have no idea what to do and if I'll be able to even run it. hahhaa. Has anyone else been in a situation where at the end of training for a run they had a set back for a few weeks and ended up being okay during the day of run?? I will most likely run/walk.planning to atleast run 7 miles and run walk intervals the rest. Is this do-able?? I just hope I don't trigger my back injury again.cause the day after the run we will be driving out of state 2000 miles. I'm so stuck.and confused what to do. They also have a 10k but I've already done 4 10ks this year and was looking for a challenge. Any input of advice is appreciated and any pointers as to how I should pace.myself would be great. Sorry if I'm not making sense, I'm so stumped on what to do. I am going to try to see if I can run walk atleast 9 miles today. Is that a bad idea??
Yours sincerely,
A confused runner
)
Yours sincerely,
A confused runner
) 0
Replies
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I would not be pushing myself with a back injury that was still causing me pain. Sorry. I know it's horrible contemplating backing out, but that's what seems most sensible to me.0
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How long have you been running? How was you base before the injury (were you running 20 miles a week prior to that and how long)?
If you already have a really good base you may be able to pull it off. However, I'm not sure the risk of injuring your back is worth it. It would really stink traveling with a bad back.
My advice would be to skip it and allow your back to heal.0 -
I wholeheartedly agree with dewd2 and yesimpson, let your back heal. There will be other races to conquer after you are fully healed. Good luck!0
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So the head says don't do it, as above.
Been there, this time last year with far too little training in the four weeks before the race. I did it, but developed ITB syndrome that stopped serious training for a month afterwards.
If you feel you have to do it, then plan to run/ walk from the start. Thats a bit more manageable than breaking yourself in seven miles thendeath march in.0 -
In a car for 2,000 miles with a bad back sounds excruciating, I would back out. It's just not worth it.0
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If you really, really want to do it. Walk the majority, run the minority, and stop for really good stretching sessions, frequently.
Soak in a warm bath as soon as you can when it is over, and get a good nights sleep.
Driving 2000 can also be a challenge for your back. Make a plan to pull over and stretch about every hour, definitely before it starts bugging you.
Cheers, h.0 -
I would suggest that you ask yourself -- what if you can't run for months after running your first half with a back injury, then driving all that way? What if you exacerbate that injury to the point where it nags at you for years?0
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I think its totally doable...race day atmosphere will get you a couple of extra miles just with the aid stations and crowd support. Go slower and you can run further, don't let the race start push you into going out too fast.0
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I think its totally doable...race day atmosphere will get you a couple of extra miles just with the aid stations and crowd support. Go slower and you can run further, don't let the race start push you into going out too fast.
That race day atmosphere. A miracle cure for back injuries.
Jesus. Where do they get these people.0 -
Pushing through without adequate training is one thing. Pushing through with a back injury is something else entirely.
Only a complete idiot would attempt the race under these conditions.0 -
OP: I sprained my ankle pretty severely three days before my second half marathon. I ran it anyway. And I PRd. And then I spent six months in physical therapy before I could run again.
There are ouchies and there are injuries. The injuries are the ones that you need to watch or they'll eff you up long term.0 -
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UltimateRBF wrote: »
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There's what is physically possible, and then there's what's wise and will allow you to enjoy being running again in near future. They are not the same thing. Yes you can almost certainly manage to run, for a certain distance which you can't probably can't really determine right now, but it's not like something is chasing you that wants to eat you or like this is the last half marathon you can ever enter. There will be other races, which you can do fantastically in when your back is in better shape.0
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I really don't think I would take the chance.0
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I wouldn't risk the back injury. You only get one body vs. there are many, many more HMs you can run in the future. Choose wisely!0
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There's always another race........there is no race that you HAVE to do.
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Of course you don't want to back out of something that you've worked for...but you really have to think if what might be the ling-term consequences. There really are more important things to consider. You don't want to do something that could potentially make your injury worse and protract your recovery. There's no shame in being smart about your long-term health.0
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I understand wanting to run despite less than optimal circumstances. You've been training and looking forward to this. But you don't "HAVE" to do this or any race.
Whether it is wise or not depends entirely on whether the stresses are likely to exacerbate or re-injure your lower back. Only you can advise on that.
Did you injure your back in the first place from running? (If so, then your answer is already clear: don't do the event. Go cheer instead.)
Did running your 6 miles make matters worse (then NO, don't do the event), or did you pull up intentionally to avoid problems? (wise)
I've skipped races and gone through with races. I really wish I skipped my last marathon (years ago) because I'd not hit the right level of training and at 18 miles started limping. Finished it, poorly, and paid for it for a couple months. Frustrated with myself, I backed off of running, something I love, instead of recognizing it was my own fault. Don't do that to yourself if you are likely to hurt yourself again or worse. Be honest, don't buy your own BS like I did!
Older and wiser now my objective is always to avoid injury, but if I do have an issue, I don't want to make it worse. It's just not worth it because as others have said, there is *always* another event. If you simply don't know whether run-walking the event will make your injury worse or cause re-injury, then IMO you should assume that it will injure you and therefore skip the event.
THAT ALL SAID... If after a rational assessment you decide the stresses are not going to cause re-injury and you decide to proceed...I will most likely run/walk.planning to at least run 7 miles and run walk intervals the rest.
@MeanderingMammal gave you good advice - do the run walk intervals right from the start. You'll be reducing the stresses on your body from the get-go rather than letting them build.
Also:
- do not try to run race pace. Stick to your training pace. Finishing without injuring yourself is the key for this event if you determine it wise to proceed.
- Skip the 9 mile walk. You will get zero training benefit, this close to the race. Walk, yes, no doubt you've been told that's good for your back, but make the walks much shorter.
- Dial everything down and focus on being as well rested as possible. Maybe practice your run-walk approach to stay limber and be ready for event day, but keep those sessions short. Again you aren't trying to improve your fitness now, that ship has already sailed.
- Do whatever else you are to do to promote healing. Get rest. Hydrate. Eat properly.
Finally make a sane sane go / no-go decision using your head, not your heart, and have fun either way. If you decide to forgo running the event, go cheer!
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I think its totally doable...race day atmosphere will get you a couple of extra miles just with the aid stations and crowd support. Go slower and you can run further, don't let the race start push you into going out too fast.
Is that something you can get in a bottle? Do they market that like get skinny quick pills?
OP this is a bad idea. There is no reason you HAVE. To run the race. If for some reason it's a group thing plan to walk more than you run. But I don't see it ending well in any situation.0 -
Ok, now that I've put forward a "it depends" answer, I'd like to cover my a$s and state that what I really want to say is NO.
The main reason I want to say NO is that, if I were to put myself in the OP's shoes, and place such a question on this forum, I would want someone to challenge me and suggest that I probably do not know my body well enough or I wouldn't be asking the question in the first place. I would want someone to point out that I'm thinking with my HEART not my HEAD, as evidenced by post number 1. That's not a good place from which to make a wise go / no-go decision regardless of the situation.
But, in case the OP decided to go ahead despite all advice, I wanted to back MM up on his run-walk suggestion (excellent idea) and also make clear that the OP should avoid looking to build fitness at this late stage. It's far too late to build fitness. Even if uninjured it would be too late - at this point only a week before only taper/race prep makes sense now.
PS OP: I exacerbated a hamstring tightness issue while on holidays and had to drive from Montana to Vancouver BC via Seattle and was in pain the entire time. It's no fun at all being stuck in a vehicle for *very* long time if merely sitting causes you pain. Think hard about that before deciding what to do.0 -
To risk aggravating an injury for what, a finisher's trinket and a t-shirt?0
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There is swag? Well of course, run it! (just kidding)
Not that it matters, 100% of the races I've entered this year have zero swag.
It's the OP's first half. I get that as motivation. I doubt the swag has anything to do with it.0 -
There is swag? Well of course, run it! (just kidding)
Not that it matters, 100% of the races I've entered this year have zero swag.
It's the OP's first half. I get that as motivation. I doubt the swag has anything to do with it.
I get the whole "challenge" thing, I really do. I do best with a HUGE, hard to achieve goal. There is a time to push yourself, there is a time to play it smart. I've had under prepared races where I finished, while feeling totally and utterly crushed (I do not recommend). I've had beyond miserable races I've pushed though. I've also had back pain. I don't mess with back pain.
I would vote, like most of the others, that this is the time to play it smart and not do it.
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My philosophy is don't mess with back injuries. I understand how disappointed you must be. I had to bail out of a Spartan race earlier this year. I'd trained for solidly for months and got sick in the days before it with a chest infection. I was super bummed but I couldn't breathe properly on the couch let alone carrying a sandbag up a hill coveted in mud in winter. It sucked I couldn't race with my team but that's life. There's always another race.
It's possible you could do intervals the whole way and be fine. Or you could do more significant damage that could sideline you for months or years. It's your call.0 -
I ran my first half in May and dealt with lower back pain (disc compression/SI joint issues/spasms) for the final month leading up to the race. I had twice weekly chiropractic adjustments, did tons of stretching, bought an inversion table and used it religiously, and kept running as much as I could handle. Although my chiropractor strongly advised against it, I did the race anyhow.
Because my training had been somewhat sidelined by back pain, I didn't have enough practice with fueling and hydrating on long runs and ended up essentially bonking around the 10th mile and doing run/walk intervals for the final 5K. I had done a couple 10-13 mile runs in training but not enough to really figure out how to push past the wall. After the race, I was incredibly frustrated with my performance and didn't feel that awesome sense of post-race satisfaction. Because I didn't allow my back to heal properly, my gait changed and I developed IT band issues and recurring knee pain and dealt with those all summer.
In hindsight, I regret pushing myself to run that half. My performance was disappointing and I ended up with other injuries I could have avoided had I listened to my body and my doctor instead of my stubborn heart.
OP, since you're conflicted enough to pose your question on this forum, I believe you already know the correct answer but don't really want to accept it. Perhaps it would be helpful to register for a different half taking place a few months from now.0 -
Did you injure your back in the first place from running? (If so, then your answer is already clear: don't do the event. Go cheer instead.).
Yes my injury was caused from one of my long runs, I was running on adrenaline rush and did too much too fast and couldn't walk for a week and my lower back is still tender 3wks later.Did running your 6 miles make matters worse (then NO, don't do the event), or did you pull up intentionally to avoid problems? (wise).
It was definitely hard to run it cause I lost a lot of training but it didn't cause me any pain so I figured I must be healed up.Older and wiser now my objective is always to avoid injury, but if I do have an issue, I don't want to make it worse. It's just not worth it because as others have said, there is *always* another event. If you simply don't know whether run-walking the event will make your injury worse or cause re-injury, then IMO you should assume that it will injure you and therefore skip the event..
Ya my head is.telling me no, but Im having a hard time accepting that answer.
Good advice. I'll have to see how I'm feeling by end of week and see if I'll do the 1/2, I may jus go for the 10k (they have 2 runs that day, a half or a 10k, but I am signed up and paid for the 1/2,)
- do not try to run race pace. Stick to your training pace. Finishing without injuring yourself is the key for this event if you determine it wise to proceed.
- Skip the 9 mile walk. You will get zero training benefit, this close to the race. Walk, yes, no doubt you've been told that's good for your back, but make the walks much shorter.
- Dial everything down and focus on being as well rested as possible. Maybe practice your run-walk approach to stay limber and be ready for event day, but keep those sessions short. Again you aren't trying to improve your fitness now, that ship has already sailed.
- Do whatever else you are to do to promote healing. Get rest. Hydrate. Eat properly.
Finally make a sane sane go / no-go decision using your head, not your heart, and have fun either way. If you decide to forgo running the event, go cheer!
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