In my last post I talked about how I tried to deal with the
uncertainty of coming back from injury, the things I had learnt from my injury and
how I planned to get back into marathon training after missing out on London
2016. I don’t want to get too bogged down in how to recover from injury, that’s
more for your osteopath/ physio to deal with. I am more concerned with how to
follow a marathon plan, whilst you are still getting back from your particular
injury. These are the top 10 things that I have learnt from trying to train
whilst still coming back from an injury:
1) Don’t be afraid to step back and ask
yourself why you are training for a particular type of sporting event. It may
not sound very helpful as the first bit of advice when coming back from injury,
but it’s definitely something that allows you assess what you can and can’t do.
What I mean by this, is that if you have had a serious injury then you may not be able to train like you used to.
When I was trying to recover from my calf
injury I took up a lot of swimming and considered doing a few swimming
events in the Summer, because I was worried I still wouldn’t be able to run by
then. Therefore it’s worth looking at what other type of sporting events you
can get into if you can’t train like you used to.
In my opinion the main aim of recovery is to get over your injury and
stay fit; stepping back and reassessing what you can do is one of the first
ways of doing that.
2)
See
what other types of training you can do. If you think you can’t train like you used to,
then it is worth considering what other types of exercise you can do to
supplement your running in preparation for the marathon. A good book to use if
you are in this situation is Run
Less, Run Faster; they even have an app
if you want to use your iPhone to help you with your training. The authors of Run Less, Run Faster essentially argue that
you can do 3 key running sessions a week (a track, tempo and long run- at
marathon pace) and then supplement it with cross training. In this case
cross-training being cycling, rowing and swimming. I think this is a great way
of being able to get back into marathon training, when you are still nervous
about doing a lot of mileage through running. I found swimming and cycling to
be particularly effective for me and they didn’t put too much strain on my calf.
3)
Reduce
the scope, but stick to the schedule. Whether it’s a busy work day, your
injury is playing up or you just feel too tired. Sometimes it may be good to
still do a particular session, but just ease off on how long or hard you go
for. This means that you do not feel bad for not doing any training but do not
aggravate your injury.
4)
Be
realistic about what you can achieve. Many runners talk about this on a
regular basis (e.g. SMART
goals); however I think this is critical when you are coming back from injury.
The key thing would be to start small, e.g. 5ks, and then progressing to longer
races. It is important to remember that some people have leapt straight back into their
training after they have been injured, so it is dependent on how you recover
from an injury. That said it is not a bad thing to adjust your goals to what
your body has gone through.
5)
Think
about the long-term. This really builds upon point four. If you are injured
then can you really achieve what you want to in a 3 to 4 month marathon programme?
Maybe it could be in your next marathon training programme that you try to
achieve a particular goal rather than in this one?
6)
Get a
second opinion. When you are about to begin or in the middle of your
marathon training; it’s sometimes difficult for you to see where things can
adjusted, reduced or even increased. If you know someone who has a good
knowledge of running, there is no harm in getting their view on how you should
train. In my case it has enabled me to recognise that whilst my calf is still
recovering then I should focus on a slightly reduced mileage for example.
7)
Look
for a sustainable recovery plan. Once you have established what you think
you can achieve in your next training block, it’s good to think about what is
possible on a week by week basis. This is especially important when you have
been given a rehabilitation programme to do alongside your running. Therefore
look to create a plan for yourself that you will definitely commit to, rather
than a plan that is ambitious but you miss consistently.
8)
Periodise.
This is an important in any runner’s
toolbox, essentially getting you to look at how you prepare for each of the key
races throughout your running year. If you are a marathon runner you may only want
to ‘peak’ two to three times a year, whereas a 10km runner may have many more times
throughout a year. Where periodisation is useful for injured athletes is to
have a four week cycle; with the first three weeks using to build a particular
aspect of your running (tempo, sprint or distance work) and then to have the
final fourth week at a lower level of intensity. This should hopefully help
your body to recover and avoid any future injuries.
9)
Take
a break, have a kit-kat… or do something to recover. You may not feel great
going through your marathon training, and it's safe to say that your injury will quite likely flair up at some point. My
calf tends to be particularly troublesome after track or tempo sessions. I will
usually try to ease off any hard training sessions that week and/ or try to
take a break during that week. I would also definitely recommend getting a massage, once you find you have a niggle.
10) Enjoy your recovery. It may not sound
like a great piece of advice, but I found it particularly fun charting how I
have got back to where I used to be. I think it can definitely help engender a
more positive attitude, by showing how much you are improving since your injury.
It’s given me a certain level of confidence about my running for the future.
I hope these tips have been of some use. Please let me know what
you think of these tips or if you have your own.
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