How often do minor injuries interrupt the training cycle for experienced marathoners?

Just a hobbyjogger here but being a master runner its seems during every marathon training cycle I end up backing off for a few day's to prevent a little nagging injury turn into a game stopper. Also racing in April just lost 3 days due to a foot issue,been averaging 60 mile week's. Half the battle is making it to the start. Good luck.

Boston wrote:

Just a hobbyjogger here but being a master runner its seems during every marathon training cycle I end up backing off for a few day's to prevent a little nagging injury turn into a game stopper. Also racing in April just lost 3 days due to a foot issue,been averaging 60 mile week's. Half the battle is making it to the start. Good luck.

I'm in the same boat, about 60 mpw and in my fifties.

I never took any time off. If something hurt I just ignored it and ran anyway. Typically I did 100-140 a week.

HRE wrote:

I never took any time off. If something hurt I just ignored it and ran anyway. Typically I did 100-140 a week.

Seriously?

You never had a swollen knee, strained calf or hamstring, or plantar fasciitis that severely altered your gait and would put you out of action for weeks if you didn't take some rest?

Amazing.

I'm interested in hearing from more people . Currently taking a few days of with a strained tendon in my hamstring, first time in two years, but it came after increasing my mileage and intensity at the same time, which was clearly stupid.

This is a good question, OP. I am a masters runner, and once per year (in winter) I get an injury that cuases me to stop running. It is in the groin or gluteus area, and should go away relatively quickly, but we masters simply do not heal quickly. It will alter my gait some (even in walking), and make me question my whole running existence, as I HATE losing hard-earned fitness. No other sport is like this, where an injury is almost bound to happen. When I lifted weights many years ago, I had not a single injury--not one. I love running, and find the gym boring, and so I hold out hope than one year, the injury bug will not get me.

Similar situation here. Not super high mileage but pretty consistent throughout the year in my running. Recently I strained my achilles and had to take a week off running. I subbed in other cardio but not the same. Something seems to happen every winter for me too, whether it's shingles or a flu that gets me to stop running for a while. Problem for me is that I seem to lose fitness almost immediately and it takes me weeks and weeks to get back into the same shape.

outsiderunner wrote:

This is a good question, OP. I am a masters runner, and once per year (in winter) I get an injury that cuases me to stop running. It is in the groin or gluteus area, and should go away relatively quickly, but we masters simply do not heal quickly. It will alter my gait some (even in walking), and make me question my whole running existence, as I HATE losing hard-earned fitness. No other sport is like this, where an injury is almost bound to happen. When I lifted weights many years ago, I had not a single injury--not one. I love running, and find the gym boring, and so I hold out hope than one year, the injury bug will not get me.

I am far from elite but do reasonably well on 100-120 miles per week.

I get some sort of pain or niggle in every marathon cycle but run through it. I have got away with this every time except for once when I hobbled through my goal race and was then out for 6 months.

The more you get injured, the more you should research--and the older one is, I suppose the more one is at risk for injuries. Some people are just injury prone, but I'd say form and post-workout routine are important, and differ for everyone. Some people like stretching and icing, many on this board post studies against such activities. Warming up and cooling down, foam rolling, strengthening problem areas (http://running.competitor.com/2014/07/training/book-excerpt-build-your-running-body_109459 is good for core, strengthening your achilles doing dips, heel walks or standing on one foot to strengthen shins, etc. etc.) can all be important. Running surface and correct shoe. So many variables. I run more miles and very rarely take time off due to pains--upping my spm was beneficial.

Ed Ema wrote:

HRE wrote:

I never took any time off. If something hurt I just ignored it and ran anyway. Typically I did 100-140 a week.

Seriously?

You never had a swollen knee, strained calf or hamstring, or plantar fasciitis that severely altered your gait and would put you out of action for weeks if you didn't take some rest?

Amazing.

Occasionally I'd get something along those lines. Sometimes I'd cut my miles back but usually I'd just ignore it and hobble through.

Yep, it is simply not the same--nothing equals running. I know exactly what you mean. I lose fitness immediately. Last year, I pounded away on the stationary bike--high heart rates and all--and still lost loads fitness. Running is a very temporary thing.

I am cuurently out of commission with a glute injury I suffered a week ago. I do no know if it is worth it to join a gym again, hit the stationary bike, and so on. To repeat the same routine as last year would be dreadful. I may just rest, and continue with some core exercises. Right now, it seems even another week off would do nothing. It hurts when I put all of my weight (and balance bent over) on the injured leg. This is always the litmus test. I do not see me passing it anytime soon.

Hobble through? Really? You could continue your training while hobbling? I have done this occasionally, and it has always resulted in worsening the injury, and then taking significant time off.

Concupiscurd wrote:

Similar situation here. Not super high mileage but pretty consistent throughout the year in my running. Recently I strained my achilles and had to take a week off running. I subbed in other cardio but not the same. Something seems to happen every winter for me too, whether it's shingles or a flu that gets me to stop running for a while. Problem for me is that I seem to lose fitness almost immediately and it takes me weeks and weeks to get back into the same shape.

outsiderunner wrote:

.

I would be willing to bet that you aren't actually losing fitness that quickly but there is a certain amount of 'float' in your step when you are getting out everyday and putting together solid consecutive weeks.

Personally, I have done the Ryan Hall thing a few times and bailed on a few races due to the nagging injuries that have the potential to sideline you long term. I feel like I am a tough runner (even if only 70mpw) but the ultimate goal is to continue to run for decades. Brings me too much joy not to.

I learned that running easily through minor injuries takes just as long to heal as complete rest and then upside to running through it is you don't loose out on cardio nor calories burned. You could cross train through it but you'll still be cross training with a slight injury - the injury doesn't just vanish once you stop running.

Another thing that is important is knowing that a marathon plan is not written in stone. You can benefit from running on that redline of almost injured followed by days of easy running followed by another heavy load of stimulus. A marathon plan written in stone is too surreal.

As far as pushing pace and distance in the same block - bad idea. The injury is natures way of righting itself. Best policy is increase intensity for days then a long run followed by easy period followed by another long run followed by period of intensity. The long run should naturally get faster as you stress and recover repeatedly.

I agree wholeheartedly--there is a great joy in running. Likewise, there is great sadness in not being able to run.

What do you mean in iregard to float in my step? This interestes me. My mileage ranges from a low of about 40 mpw to a peak of about 70 mpw..

Also another reason to avoid breaks in a marathon training is because you don't want to taper and peak too soon. If you are out cold from an injury and don't run for say 7 days you just half tapered yourself.

Hmm...are you saying that I should just try some easy running? I tried that a few days after the injury, and it did not go well...pain afterward. Perhaps I should give it another shot tomorrow? I know what you mean about complete rest being not that beneficial. I bet a month of complete rest would not heal me.

Yeah. Since you said you became injured from increasing the pace and intensity simultaneously you probably have a sore tendon and that is something that is unlike a muscle. A muscle has to repair it self and if it was a muscle strain then it would have to really repair itself - for a long period of time with proper rest. Also since you said it hurt after then run, I think you are running to fast to notice the pain. If you slow down you can feel the pain a but more and try to adjust, i.e.. slow down and you can probably find that if you run slower and shorter you will not have the pain. If you keep that up for days then it should be destressed.

Or, you can alternatively accept that you are injured.

Whatever works for you!

outsiderunner wrote:

Hobble through? Really? You could continue your training while hobbling? I have done this occasionally, and it has always resulted in worsening the injury, and then taking significant time off.

I had two theories that I operated by, and more or less still do. One applies to life in general, not just running. It's that most things will go away if you ignore them. It always worked with Mormons, Jehova's Witnesses and school board candidates so why not with running injuries? The other is that your mind is what really injures you because it finds serious training too demanding. So if you stop running when something hurts your mind learns that it can get the break it wants by making something hurt. So I thought the best way to avoid future injuries was to ignore the current one. I'm not passing this off as valid or suggesting people do it but it seemed to work for me.