Off-season rest vs injury

Kildafornia

Hi folks, I'm taking a break from tri training to do the P90X programme, logic is to add some strength training and give the tri muscles a break. I swapped some of the cardio in the programme with tri stuff to keep cardio fit and, while the workout is great and tough and keeping me fit, my running has turned to muck.

I did London Olympic in August, but today I had to stop after 2.3k with sore knees. They have been getting a bit worse since starting P90X. I don't think the programme has anything to do with it, except that I have only been going for 1 run a week since starting, is that likely to leave you prone to injury? I feel like it takes ages to warm up, and after a few K I start to feel the impact, even on grass, until I have to stop and walk. Pretty frustrating!

My runners are 10 month old asics nimbus (mild supinator). I have had tendon probs last winter which is gone (under stretching). I have a 'crunchy' knee too (chondromalacia patella) but this feels different, more on the outside and a little under the kneecap.

It's all a bit long-winded but I suppose my question is what to do? I reckon it's either rest up with no running for a few weeks, or run more frequently (2-3/week) but for shorter distances, increasing by the 10% rule. Any thoughts or pity for me?

Kildafornia

I thought I'd add my own progress here in case anyone else finds it useful! I went barefoot (well, minimalist shoe) after reading 'born to run' by Chris McDougall. I stripped right back to 1km runs, 2 or 3 a week, increasing by a km or two a week. I'm up to 5k runs now and no injuries in sight touch wood. It's probably a bit early to tell yet but so far it feels like the asics are for the skip

BobMac104

Kildafornia wrote: »

I thought I'd add my own progress here in case anyone else finds it useful! I went barefoot (well, minimalist shoe) after reading 'born to run' by Chris McDougall. I stripped right back to 1km runs, 2 or 3 a week, increasing by a km or two a week. I'm up to 5k runs now and no injuries in sight touch wood. It's probably a bit early to tell yet but so far it feels like the asics are for the skip

Nice fair play. Hopefully it lasts for you. What you running in these days?

Kildafornia

BobMac104 wrote: »

Nice fair play. Hopefully it lasts for you. What you running in these days?

Sorry I never checked this post for a reply! I now run 5k intervals once a week in vivo minimalist shoes, and 10k slow pace, once a week in my asics nimbus (neutral gait). The asics are nearly two years old, but because I now run landing on my forefoot, the lack of bounce in the sole is actually an advantage. They provide more protection while I get used to longer runs in the vivo.

To anyone starting out barefoot / minimal, my top tip is: take your time. At the age of 36 and running only a couple of years, my feet are very used to being in a shoe. they need months of short runs to train the micro muscles you need.

wrstan

what kind of surfaces do you mainly run on?

MrCreosote

I'd say if you dropped back to 1k a few times a week, and built it up slowly as you did, you'd have gotten the same results with or without the barefoot running malarkey.