Returning to Training After Serious Injury

As most followers of this blog know, in September last year I suffered a serious lower spine injury. The health specialist never really came to conclusion as to what the the actual injury was. There was talk of performis muscle tears, ruptured disc, ligaments, hip flexors, tangled nerves, you name it....they had it all coming at me. All I know for sure, is the pain was extra special (demoral, flexosil, and endrophin for a week...good times) and in was located in my lower spine. Personally, I think it was a ruptured disc that caused all the other issues listed above, if that's possible. Anyway, all this from lifting something wrong while putting it away coupled with a sneeze while reaching for something in the cubbard a week later...how crazy is that. Enough of the whining.

So....I was off what I would call training for approximately 12 weeks. No swimming or biking. However, there was light jogging and stretching and core exercises during this time but not really training. If I couldn't do that.....I would of went nuts!!

In mid November I was given the green light to return to training. On November 24th I started on a full bore 24 Week Marathon Training Program, which I have been updating on a regular basis in this blog. I have big ambitions for 2009.

The program has me running six days a week working speedwork twice a week, long runs...you name it, this program is not for the average Joe, but built for the serious Joe. Adjusting distance and intensity as you move further in the program. No point in adjusting frequency because it has me running six days a week now. No where really to go with that unless I run twice a day.

Well here we are in the middle of Week #12 of the program, presently my lower left leg/knee is a freakin mess....which all started in Week #10. I will not run in week #12 and maybe not in week #13.....we will see how the leg feels. Also, seriously wondering if I should be in this hard core 24 Week Marathon Program.

After some reflection over the past couple of days, and an e-mail today from good buddy....affectionately known as fast Eddie, or Ironman Eddie since he did complete his first Ironman last year, bastard.......that stated something like "I read about your leg injury..what the hell are you doing to yourself?".....well the devil is in the details....what the hell am I doing to myself?

Interesting questions and one that deserves an answer. So here we go....

Oddly enough, I have know experience with returning to training after a serious injury, other than what you are reading about right now. On that note, I jumped in with both feet....basically carrying the mind set that I went through this type of training in the past so I know my body has the durability factor to handle it. Not so fast......apparently there is a helpful principle one should follow when returning to training after injury....who new? Somebody once said sometimes Mike can't see the forest for the trees....maybe this is what they meant.

Principle - Comeback should be gradual, never do capacity training at the outset.

In generalities, comeback time should be equal to the time lost from training. I take this to mean that you should be ready to handle capacity training (safe training levels you could handle before injury) after you go through a gradual build comeback phase pretty much equal to the time lost in training. As a rule, it is suggested to start with 50% capacity training level and even lower if the injury lasted more than three weeks. If the injury lasted months it is suggested to start as low as 10% capacity training. Add approximately 10% per week to the program until you reach capacity training levels..this would complete the comeback phase...but be careful with intensity and frequency of workouts, really pay attention to your body on these.

The premise is that the injured area and the untrained body is out of condition with respect to both its functional ability and its ability to recover from a workout like it did prior to injury so you need to gradually and carefully recondition the body, adjusting to the reactions the body gives.

Well, simply put I didn't follow that principle and that is what in the hell I am doing to myself. This sheds some good insight into my situation and worth some time to re-evaluate my 2009 ambitions and training programs.

Stay tuned for the outcome of this re-evaluation.

Mikey