The slow road to recovery 😬 a cautionary ta... - Bridge to 10K

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The slow road to recovery 😬 a cautionary tale on overdoing it!

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10
β€’35 Replies

Having started C25K late April I graduated and after consolidating at 30 minutes running and then 5k I worked my way over the bridge to 10k, with my first 10k run on 06/11/20 (yay, I was overjoyed.) With one long run a week, a 5k and a ' whatever I'm in the mood for by way of recovery or pushing over a shorter distance ' run, I stretched it out to 12k 04/12/20. So far so good. Did an unintentional 10 miles 17/12/20 and seemed to get away with it, not breaking any records, 12k on new year's eve and feeling good. I started January in the same pattern, looking to consolidate at 12k and gently head towards 10 miles and HM at some point. 19/01/21 I did a silly thing though 😬 I enjoy running in the evening and have well lit streets, a chest torch and appropriate clothing to do so, plus I'm not much of a morning person, so after work I set off to do 10-12k. Bearing in mind that I only started incorporating anything resembling an incline in my runs from November, and pleased that by this point I was able to run much more interesting routes and cope with the rolling terrain, I set off on a loop around a residential area which covers around 1km and has a hill. And then guess what? I ran round and round the loop.... at about 10k my hip started to bother me.....did I stop? .....no! I just thought the exercise was doing me good, thought ' you can do it!' And ran an extra K. Two days rest and no apparent trouble with the hip, so I did a couple of short runs and then set off for a longer run. Had to stop and walk after 9.5K and walk home with a slight limp. Resulting trip to physio and advice to remedy tendinopathy starting from 15 minute walks and incorporating exercises. And the moral of this tale? I forgot that I was a newbie runner, got over- excited and have learnt a lesson the hard way. If recording my experience helps anybody who reads this then I will be pleased to have stopped anyone else from hurting themselves. I am currently chearleading everyone from the injury couch 😬 enjoy your running for me VRB'S πŸ˜πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ€—

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Littleoyellow profile image
Littleoyellow
Graduate10
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35 Replies
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David_G profile image
David_G

Thanks for posting this Littleoyellow, but sorry for your injury😒 We really need to listen to our bodies when we’re out there and not be afraid to slow down, walk or stop if we need toπŸ™‚

Stretching before, after, and even during exercise might help and keeping hydrated is also important😊

Very best of luck with your recovery and hopefully you’ll be out there again soon!πŸ˜€πŸ€ž

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toDavid_G

Thank you for your good wishes David and for the advice πŸ‘I've definitely learnt to take more care and listen to what the creaky ageing chassis is trying to tell me 😬

Indielass00 profile image
Indielass00

Really good that you shared this to warn other runners. I haven’t done your distances but I live in a very hilly area and increased running up them too quickly. Got calf pain niggle, ignored it and ended up joining the IC ! Wishing you a speedy recovery!

Beatthestreet profile image
BeatthestreetGraduate10β€’ in reply toIndielass00

What is IC? Loads of folk mention it but I’ve never asked what it is? Thanks

CBDB profile image
CBDBGraduate10β€’ in reply toBeatthestreet

Injury Couch = IC πŸ˜‰

Yes, we often forget that our cardio-fitness improves much faster than ligaments, tendons and joints. I tell myself to be patient as often as I can, but my Gremlin often cheekily asks me: is this patience or laziness?

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toCBDB

I wish I'd been more patient. Keep doing what you're doing CBDB πŸ˜πŸ‘

Indielass00 profile image
Indielass00β€’ in reply toBeatthestreet

Took me ages to work it out. Injury couch

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toBeatthestreet

Take care and enjoy your running. Hope we don't have to shuffle up and make room for you anytime soon πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ‘

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toIndielass00

We live and learn Indielass. Thank you for your good wishes πŸ‘Sorry to hear that you're on the IC and hope you feel better soon. Take it steady πŸ˜πŸ‘πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

Indielass00 profile image
Indielass00β€’ in reply toLittleoyellow

Thank you. I’m off the IC now. I’m recovering from a viral bug at the mo.

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toIndielass00

Oh booo.... nasty bugs.... feel better soon, and take it steady building your fitness back up πŸ€—

Indielass00 profile image
Indielass00β€’ in reply toLittleoyellow

Thanks. As of this mornings run I’m back on IC. So going to take some more time out and get professional advice on hip and calf issues

Peter44 profile image
Peter44Graduate10

Great post Littleyellow, where have I heard this before πŸ€” our stories are so similar, you could have written this for me. ☹ I think running becomes such a way of life for us, and we just get carried away, maybe forgetting we're so new to it all, and our bodies telling us to slow up, i'm sure these enforced breaks, will be good for us, in the long run! πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toPeter44

Thanks for your support Peter. Hope you're doing ok and I look forward to joining you on the virtual road again at some point πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™‚οΈ

A very honest post Littleoyellow and full of good advice. I hope your injury doesn’t take too long to heal. Plan your recovery runs while on the IC. Just see what you can comfortably do on your first outing and include walk intervals if you need them. I managed a comfortable 2.5k for my first recovery run after a month on the IC. Do stick to the 10% rule when increasing your distance. Good luck πŸ˜‰

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply to

Thank you for your good wishes DD and the sound advice. I would really love to run 2.5k and physio tells me that some run/walking will be a starting point. Glad you're up and running again and off the IC. Take care 😁

Jools2020 profile image
Jools2020Graduate10

I’m so sorry you are on the injury couch. A cautionary tale but also you’ve been unlucky. I have certainly persevered through minor niggles. But I do take special note as I’m moving soon to an area where it will be difficult to find a flat run, so I will bear your experience and good advice in mind and build stamina slowly on those hills. I’ve been running a similar length of time to you, having started in May. Thank you for sharing.

Wishing you a speedy recovery! πŸ₯°

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toJools2020

Thanks for your good wishes Jools 😁 all it took was one ill judged step too far to upset the apple cart and here I am, waving at passers by from the IC.... good luck with your move and new start. Just think of all those exciting running routes waiting for you to find them 😁 just take it easy increasing the challenge and you'll be fine. All the best πŸ˜πŸ€—

Fionamags profile image
FionamagsGraduate10

That's a shame - sounds like you were doing brilliantly - apart from running through pain that is. Hope you're back out there soon!

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toFionamags

Ha ! I DO feel like a bit of a chump Fionamags 😁 and I've definitely learnt a lesson the hard way. Thank you for your good wishes and I'll be more careful when I'm able to get back out there πŸ‘πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

Runforurlife profile image
RunforurlifeGraduate10

Ah thanks for this, struck many chords here. Hello from the IC πŸ‘‹ and yup, am here for very similar reasons. I graduated from C25K on 4 Nov and was having time of my life with my new new found love for running and loving the progression in my fitness and mileage clocking up. This excited newbie was off! Being out for regular runs was doing my head the world of good too and I was well into the rhythm. I progressed to 7k/9k/10k and a little bit beyond. My old knee injury/fix was holding up and actually hadn't felt better in years then bam πŸ’₯ shin splints.

No running for me since mid-Jan now, physio exercises and strength and 3 times daily stretching. Shins still sore. I am not a patient person so this is killing me but I'm missing running so much, I'm determined to take this steady and get myself fit again before I can venture out for a gentle jog/walk on a soft surface. Difficult to know when, different schools of thought on shin splint recovery - anything from 6wks to 4 months 😱 Hoping I'm not at the latter end of that timescale!

Lessons learnt here, 3 times a week running was clearly too much for me and not paying attention to a strict stretching plan post-run stored up trouble with the shins and calves that then led to the shin splints. Do your stretching guys!! What is your plan to recover from your tendinopathy, do you have an idea of how long you'll be out?

Birdlady64 profile image
Birdlady64Graduate10

Sorry to hear about your IC woes. I hope you recover soon.

It seems this post is quite timely for lots of us - so thank you for posting. It has certainly made me think again about my madcap hankering for a 10k run at the weekend. I think I need to build my distance back up more slowly (again!)

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toBirdlady64

Thank you for your good wishes BL and I'm glad to hear you considering a more measured build back up to the longer runs πŸ˜πŸ‘ it's been such a joy to so many of us to be able to run over this last 12 months, and I think that the most important thing for me is just to be able to run. I'm really missing the time with my thoughts out there, as well as the time concentrating on my breath and banishing my other thoughts. Take care and I'll be back out there with you as soon as I can be, a bit more humble than before πŸ˜πŸ‘πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10

very good post and definitely worth taking note of !it's all too easy sometimes to think i'll just run through it .

hope you recover soon !

πŸ‘

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toInstructor57

I've learnt my lesson Ian, looking forward to getting back out 'on the road again' ooh that's put a tune in my head 😁 thank you for your good wishes πŸ˜πŸ‘

Instructor57 profile image
Instructor57Graduate10β€’ in reply toLittleoyellow

If i remember rightly the song was by 'Canned heat' 😁

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toInstructor57

That's the one πŸ˜πŸƒβ€β™€οΈ

Beatlesforever profile image
BeatlesforeverGraduate10

Seconding all of the above! Wishing you a swift recovery πŸ€—

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toBeatlesforever

Much appreciated Bforever πŸ‘πŸ˜

Couchphoenix profile image
CouchphoenixGraduate10

Sorry to hear your on the IC Littleoyellow, I’m taking your cautionary tale on board as your running journey basically mirrors mine, 5k, 10k, 10miles etc and I did a 12k not long ago ignoring what my body was telling me. No run for me this week, first week back at work has taken its toll. Hopefully that hip will feel much better soon and you can get back out there soon πŸ‘

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toCouchphoenix

Hope you are ok CP and that first week back at work is behind you. It must have been emotionally draining for you. Do take it steady as the running is going to be important to you going forward I know. Thank you for your good wishes and I look forward to joining you on the road soon πŸƒβ€β™€οΈπŸ˜πŸ‘

Tasha99 profile image
Tasha99Graduate10

Wow that is rather extreme! Improvements in running take months and years! Take it easy!

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply toTasha99

Lesson learned by this newbie runner, believe me ....

grumpyoldgirl profile image
grumpyoldgirl

What a great post, Loy, that's describing exactly why so many of us end up on the IC. So easy to end up there, and then a lot of hard work and patience to get off again. We can do this! πŸ’ͺ

Littleoyellow profile image
LittleoyellowGraduate10β€’ in reply togrumpyoldgirl

We CAN do this GOG πŸ’ͺyou're an inspiration on the subject of perseverance πŸ‘ one foot in front of the other on the road to recovery πŸ‘£ best wishes

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