What to do when you cant run?

pint size

Hey guys

I currently have high hamstring tendonopathy which is a pain in the arse(literally!). Basically I havent been able to run for the past 5 months which is unbelievably frustrating. I was supposed to do the connamarathon (half) and the Edinburgh marathon (full) but had to defer my entry.

Im getting physio for it but I dont know when I will beable to run again so I just wondered what does anyone do when they cant run? Im pretty active and I love the high I used to get from running so I need to find something that will do the same. Ive been told I can do pretty much anything that doesnt put pressure on the hamstring.

Anyways any help would be greatly appreciated as I feel Im slowly but surely going to go mad with impatience and frustration!
Thanks!:)

Enduro

I cycle and kayak. Swimming is another obvious option.

911sc

I would say that cycling is not recommended when suffering from hamstring injury, though i could be wrong..

How Strange

OP, I've been off since November with recurring back, neck and shoulder problems. I did lots of pilates and some yoga while I was off. It's a total pain and very frustrating but you need to be patient. I'm just back out running this week.

Ask your physio what type of activities he/she would recommend you do while you're recovering.

token56

Hi Op,

I know exactly what you are going through, I've been out for, closing in on 16 months now and still not right. A large part of this I just haven't been able to anything because rest is what was needed for my injury. I have been able to do some cycling also, although given the nature of your injury this may or may not be advisable, your physio should be able to tell you. As already mentioned, swimming is normally ok for most injuries, personally I'm not a strong swimmer so this hasn't been an option for me. You could also look into aqua jogging as as substitute for running, it can help maintain fitness. But with any of these consult your physio first.

It is difficult and none of these will probably be able to full replace the high you can get from running I think but they can certainly help during your time off. Anyway best of luck with the recovery OP.

RacoonQueen

An upper body weights circuit can be great for getting the heart rate up. Lifting lightish weights, lots of reps, quickly with good form. You can even put in things like boxing and push ups.

Be careful if you're doing any core work like sit ups or crunches, a lot of people use their hamstrings a lot during the pull up phase.

metamorphosis

If you can cycles - cycle.

+1 on the aqua jogging recomendation.

Weights - can you squat?lunge? Compound exercises for the upper body like military press, pull ups are great too. Maybe a weights circuit?

Hoping you have a speedy recovery.

Jip

When I was recovering from a broken collar bone I used to go swimming at lunch time. It was a good time to go as the pool wasn't too busy, in fact usually fairly quite. However I did find it quite boring eventually and couldn't wait to get back out on the grass or road.

dna_leri

I'm on my 4th week off with a knee ligament injury and no sign of running in the next week - I can't bring myself to look beyond that.

Swimming has been recommended to me but I really can't swim and do not have the patience to learn now, however if this injury continues for a while, I may try aqua running.

For now I can cycle but I don't really enjoy it, just doing it to keep some level of CV fitness and reduce weight gain. I have started some core training, which I neglected in the past. I am using a series of exercises someone recommended here, from Runner's World I think, by Greg McMillan. Also do what weights I can without risk of worsening the injury.

I think you have got to do what you can to just keep fit during this time. I find it helps to continue to keep a training log to record activities and improvement (or otherwise) in injury. One of the hardest parts of being injured is missing out on the group training sessions or races. Might be an idea to start an injury log here where all of us crocks can contribute and sympathise (without medical advice).

tunguska

Thats a long time to be off, are you 100% sure about that diagnosis? Dont mean to play back-seat physio or anything but have you looked into the possibility of it being a Piriformis problem? I had a hammer issue aswell and it turned out to be Piriformis syndrome. Quite common amongst runners, its at the very least worth looking into.

pint size

Thanks for all the advice guys. Ive been told I can cycle although Ive to take it easy in spinning when I increase resistance and stand up on the bike as this may aggravate the hamstring. Yes I do weights for my upper body and I also do bikram yoga regularly which I think (hope!) is helping my injury!

Ive thought about doing aqua jogging but Im not too sure how to go about it. Does anyone do it regularly? I know Ill need to buy a flotation belt. Is there any shops in Dublin selling them or is it better to buy it online? and starting off, how long would I spend doing it? Ive heard its quite tough and you dont actually move much in the pool. Also do people look a bit odd doing it?!!:)

And yes I would be all for having an injury log. Its great to chat to other people that are injured and understand the frustration of not being able to do something you love!!

token56

pint size wrote: »

Ive thought about doing aqua jogging but Im not too sure how to go about it. Does anyone do it regularly? I know Ill need to buy a flotation belt. Is there any shops in Dublin selling them or is it better to buy it online? and starting off, how long would I spend doing it? Ive heard its quite tough and you dont actually move much in the pool. Also do people look a bit odd doing it?!!:)

And yes I would be all for having an injury log. Its great to chat to other people that are injured and understand the frustration of not being able to do something you love!!

As far as I know you get them in Runways on Parnell street and you could probably get a few shops to order one in for you. There are a couple of places you buy them online too. And yes you might get a few people giving you a few odd looks, but what about it just work away at it.

I'd actually love an injury log. The only thing is we would have to be careful regarding the advice people give, otherwise it will just be a pain for the mods.

And just to continue the frustration of being injured on this thread, it will probably at least another month before I can start back even jogging again.

interested

pint size wrote: »

Thanks for all the advice guys. Ive been told I can cycle although Ive to take it easy in spinning when I increase resistance and stand up on the bike as this may aggravate the hamstring. Yes I do weights for my upper body and I also do bikram yoga regularly which I think (hope!) is helping my injury!

Ive thought about doing aqua jogging but Im not too sure how to go about it. Does anyone do it regularly? I know Ill need to buy a flotation belt. Is there any shops in Dublin selling them or is it better to buy it online? and starting off, how long would I spend doing it? Ive heard its quite tough and you dont actually move much in the pool. Also do people look a bit odd doing it?!!:)

And yes I would be all for having an injury log. Its great to chat to other people that are injured and understand the frustration of not being able to do something you love!!

Joining late - so lots of good suggestions already.
Walking / jogging backwards in a pool may help recovery from an injury. For maintaining fitness - swimming itself - but dont go crazy pushing off walls if you are injured.