Two Weeks Enforced Break

[Markeaton68]

Just thought I’d share this story as it seems fairly common for niggling injuries to force us off the road. This was the first enforced layoff for me having graduated in 9 weeks and consolidated for a month or so. Started to vary my route and tackle a few ⛰ which is when I picked up a groin. So two weeks and two days later I wasn’t sure how I should tackled the run. Read a few posts (thank you) and decided to run until my body told me to stop. Thought I might make 3km but actually felt okay through to 4k and it was caution to protect the injury and not lack of stamina that stopped me. I wanted to say the advice often on this forum that you don’t lose too much conditioning over two weeks is true. Just hoping now to build back up to 5k over the next week. 😀

[Ruby69 Graduate]

Thanks for this. I just picked up leg/hip injury pulled muscle maybe after being over the moon after reaching 5K so this is good to know.

[Markeaton68 Graduate in reply to Ruby69]

No problem. If your 68 is a year thing then we’re also the same age!

[Ruby69 Graduate in reply to Markeaton68]

I should change my name I’ve added another year since I started this!

[Mikew84 Graduate]

Hi Mark, sounds like we had a very similar experience. I started C25k last Oct and finished just before Christmas. Did 2 weeks of consolidation runs then moved up to a few 5k runs (best one in 35.5mins) but then had really bad knee and opposite ankle pain so had to stop around mid-January. Like you I had changed my route to include more hills and kerbs etc which I think didn't help.

I tried a couple of short runs after about 2 weeks but was still getting pain afterwards. It's only this week, six weeks after I initially stopped, that I have been able to run 'properly' and without setting myself back again. I've done a couple of 3k runs with no ill effects so will start trying to build it up again - I was very pleased when I got to that 5k milestone!

[Markeaton68 Graduate in reply to Mikew84]

It’s frustrating after all that hard work and patience isn’t easy when you’re worrying about loss of condition. Sounds like you’re on the road to recovery as well 😀.

[Mikew84 Graduate in reply to Markeaton68]

I hope I am recovering, but I fear I may have spoken too soon! I just tried to go out and run again but couldn't actually get started because my knee started to hurt like it did before:(. So maybe my running earlier this week has set me back again after all. Very depressing - starting to wonder whether I've done something that's not going to heal by itself...

[Markeaton68 Graduate in reply to Mikew84]

I ran with a thigh support as added insurance today. Are you using a knee support? I play tennis with one (when the government allows it) and it makes a big difference.

[Mikew84 Graduate in reply to Markeaton68]

Thanks Mark, yes I am using a knee support, and running tights to keep it in place. I've also been doing knee exercises and using my rowing machine in recent weeks to give it some non-impact exercise.

I guess I just need to give it more time - frustrating though as before C25k I used to be one of those people who couldn't see why you'd want to run, and now I can't see why you wouldn't want to! So it's a bit galling that I can't.

[Markeaton68 Graduate in reply to Mikew84]

Yeah I get it.

[TwiggyL Graduate]

Such a timely post!

I could not walk next morning after graduation last Saturday. IT band. Exercising at the moment and walking, the pain gradually goes away. I just pray that recovery will not take too long.

[Markeaton68 Graduate]

Hopefully it wont be long. I didn’t see any improvement in a week and a half then quite quickly the pain eased.