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Fri Apr 27, 2012 1:05 pm

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Junior Masters Athlete
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:42 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Eugene, OR

I just found this forum and this is my first post. I wonder if any of you can help me out?

I am currently a 42 y/o M and tip the scales around 175-180. I was a hardcore competitive swimmer in HS and some of college. I ran cross country junior and senior HS years mainly to mix things up a bit. PR 5K 16:50 -ish. Off and on in my 30's I ran some 5k's PR 18:50, a few marathons PR 3:14 and last fall a 1/2 marathon in 1:36.

Eugene winters can be wet and miserable so I spent most of this winter in the gym doing Olympic lifts and bulked up quite a bit. I also got pretty strong with leg and back exercises. I figured I might stop fighting my genetics ( I'm naturally stocky and muscular- like a linebacker... not exactly a distance runner's build ) and try sprinting. I started going to the track 2-3 times a week and started doing some sprint 100's on grass and some other short sprints to supplement my weight training. I LOVED it!!! I was beginning to question why I ever trained distance in the first place. Track intervals were SO MUCH FUN!

I started to incorporate some longer intervals (200's 300's) into my regimen and had my eyes set on the summer masters track season to run some 100s and 200s, maybe try a 400..... until .... I was doing some 200 repeats at the track and POP! There went my Left hamstring about 2-3 inches up from the medial tibial insertion. 2 weeks out and it is still black and blue.. While it doesn't hurt to walk .. running is still totally out of the question. So, I have pretty much convinced myself this season is over. :(

Do any of you out there have similar stories? If so, how long does this type of thing take to heal? How did you re-incorporate running and are there any rehabilitation tricks you are aware of? How do I prevent this from happening again as I really don't think I tried to do TOO much too soon?

Thanks for your help!



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Tue May 01, 2012 10:13 am

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Master Masters Athlete
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:37 pm
Posts: 108
Location: Lafayette, OR

Sorry to hear about your injury especially at a time when your enthusiasm for the sport was high. My neighbor recently got back into track but tore her plantar at her first meet. It was very discouraging for her but she's hoping to get back out there soon.

As far as injury/prevention advise, I recommend active rest for another 2 weeks. You still have bruising and each hammy is different but you should be able to jog in 2 weeks. You say you can walk so I don't think it's a tear from the insertion point. Have you seen a sports doc?

Based on my experience (and I've strained many a hammy through the years), it's going to take a month to 6 weeks to just be able to stride out without pain. But, in sprinting, the mental part is more important because you want to be able to explode out without thinking about it. This requires lots of rehab to be sure you can do a complete contraction without pain. Ultrasound is great to break up the scar tissue and prevent re-injury. Stretching, of course, but look up PNF stretching...i find it works better for me vs. static stretching.

In reading over your post, I wonder if your build along with the increased weight lifting had something to do with the pull. Maybe add light plyos for strength training and reduce the weight work. I also tend to overload my left hammy on 200's because of the curve. Maybe try 200's on road straights for awhile. How was your warm-up for those 200's? I ask because most sprinters don't go into their actual sprint workout until a half hour to an hour of stretching, drills, form strides, etc. Sometimes I envy distance runners in that they can just jump into a 10 miler without the prep work.

It's still early so you should be healthy for the summer meets. Hope this helps and I'm sure others can offer additional advise.



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Thu May 03, 2012 8:09 am

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Master Masters Athlete
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Joined: Mon May 14, 2007 10:03 pm
Posts: 317
Location: Eugene, Oregon

Dang bro, that blows! Number one rule of masters track (IMO), avoid injury. I hope you come back quickly. Eugene has lots of PTs and LMTs and such to help you heal.

_________________
M45 PRs: 100: 12.04, 400: 54.83, 800: 2:23.5, 5K: 19:27



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Fri May 11, 2012 2:04 pm

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Junior Masters Athlete
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:42 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Eugene, OR

Thanks guys.

The bruising is going away and it is actually starting to feel (dare I say it) somewhat normal! I did a light jog the other day and it felt "ok". I think you are right about 6 weeks before I dare try striding on it. I have actually been using the "stick" on it at night which feels good and I think it is helping break up the scar tissue a bit. This week I am going to try some more light jogging and very mild stretches.

I also think I will cut back on the weights once I start hitting the track again. I think that definitely had something to do with the injury. I did a heavy leg workout the day before I injured myself. hindsight is 20/20 , eh?!

BMo, do you have any recs for PTs and/or LMTs in Eugene?



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Fri May 25, 2012 9:27 pm

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Junior Masters Athlete
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:42 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Eugene, OR

So here I am about 5-6 weeks out and I'm RUNNING!!! :mrgreen:

I started doing Latif Thomas' Pre-Season High School 400 program ( I know, I'm far from High School but he says the program is Masters applicable as well). The volume and intensity are VERY low but it is working great to ease me back in to training. The leg is feeling fine so far. I'm just being REALLY careful with the intensity - no 200s faster than 35 seconds - 100's at 60% of max intensity. I've started back with weights as well but also ... lower volume, lower intensity. Hopefully this will work out OK...hamstring tears SUCK!



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Mon May 28, 2012 9:19 pm

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Master Masters Athlete
Joined: Tue Jul 14, 2009 9:37 pm
Posts: 108
Location: Lafayette, OR

Awesome! One month and you're back out there. Keep rehabbing, slowly increase intensity and we'll see you at the Hayward Classic on July 14th!



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Thu May 31, 2012 6:23 pm

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Master Masters Athlete
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:53 pm
Posts: 143
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL

Great advice from fidel and BMo. Lots of warmups before sprint work, rest between hard workouts, and take it slow.

Good luck to you liddytime.



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Fri May 17, 2013 3:03 pm

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Junior Masters Athlete
Joined: Sat Jun 09, 2012 2:53 pm
Posts: 4

I pulled my hamstring about a month ago. It was a Grade 1. Oddly enough, during my warm up I had felt really good. It was the first time I had felt like I had my mid-season speed back. I was having my first timed run of the spring in the 100 meters and actually set a personal best (old-age 55-59), despite pulling the ham 3/4 of the way through.
I iced it, and the next day started foam rolling on it. I was surprised how much it improved overnight. I continued to walk on my treadmill slow enough not to over-stretch it. I also worked on the elliptical.

About a week later, I could foam roll on it and could move it through it's range of motion without pain, I tested it on the track. I ran a workout with nothing over 400 meter pace and it felt fine.

After 3 track workouts, I thought I would try a 100 meter repeat workout from blocks. The first two went okay, but on the 3rd one I pulled the hamstring again, only worse, probably a Grade 1.5.

This is frustrating because I thought my warm ups (about an hour's worth) and strength routines were good enough to prevent injury. My first meet is about six weeks away, which makes it worse.

I am toying with the idea of switching from being a 100, 200, 400 meter sprinter to a 400 / 800 runner, where I don't have to run at top speed, but it's a little late in the season to switch energy system training.



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Fri May 17, 2013 5:07 pm

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Master Masters Athlete
Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2007 9:53 pm
Posts: 143
Location: Gulf Breeze, FL

You have got to give Hams time to heal - it doesn't sound like you gave it enough time before trying to push it.

I have had 2 ham pulls over the past 2 years and both times were when I tried to pick it up a notch by running 25-30m flys at 95-100%.

The last pull was 3 weeks before a senior meet that I really wanted to post a PR. I was pushing the training and felt a small pop when I did the 3rd fly. I was able to walk and foam roll for a couple of weeks and jog a little. I decided to try the 400m instead of the 100m in the meet. I taped the ham with some kinesiology tape, did a very long warm up and ran the 400 with a slower take off. I made the distance without injury but about 6 seconds short of what I wanted. Afterwards, I took several weeks off before starting back with track workouts. But, probably no more flys.

Good luck to you,
Tony



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Sat May 18, 2013 8:23 am

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Junior Masters Athlete
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 12:42 pm
Posts: 4
Location: Eugene, OR

Yeah, healing takes time. Especially for dinosaurs like us!

So far this season the hammy is behaving itself, but I have moved up to the 400/800.



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