Delay through injury

[FlyKEW]

Hi everyone. I was supposed to start week 3 on Monday but it appears I have very weak hamstrings and the previous runs have made them incredibly painful, to the point of not being able to sleep. Mostly my fault for not stretching after the runs but does anyone have any tips on how to build the hamstrings up? The lower are by the knees is fine, it's near the top where there seems to be little muscle. Any advice appreciated as I want to get back on track with week 3.

[Sadie-runs Graduate]

Well, in the first instance, rest up a bit. You should never run through pain, especially in the hamstrings, as you don't want to pull anything and be off running longer!

As well as getting in the habit of stretching after your runs, why not visit our Strength and Flex forum for some tips on how to strengthen hamstrings? Lots of knowledgeable folk on there, so if you put up a post you will be sure to get some great advice. I have noticed such an improvement in my running since doing exercises for my glutes, so worth looking into that too. We have to support our bodies as best we can so it can cope with the efforts of running.

Our bodies are such wonderful machines, and they let us know where our weaknesses are, so that we can work on them and improve!

All the best to you.

[FlyKEW Graduate in reply to Sadie-runs]

Thank you for that, didn't realise there was so much preparation in getting fit to run!! 😩

[Sadie-runs Graduate in reply to FlyKEW]

You are welcome. A little bit of strength work goes a long way though. And it doesn’t have to be time consuming - I do squats when I am waiting for the kettle to boil, and calf raises when I brush my teeth. 😂