Rest Is Not the Answer

Week of Mar. 12 ~ 18

Thanks for the nice comments after the Tokyo Marathon.
So I rested for 16 days after the marathon, hoping that the hamstring/butt/piriformis? pain in my left side would heal. Tried a run on Wednesday night and the pain was there — in fact, it was worse than it had been before the marathon. So much for the value of rest. Well, maybe if I rested for two months it would clear up, but who's going to rest for two months?

Actually, I think that some injuries respond to rest, but others don't. Hamstring and related injuries are ones that don't. It seems that an active, aggressive approach is better: easy running, stretching and exercises. Plus whatever massage, acupuncture, etc. treatments you prefer.

So I'll try that and see what happens. And actually, it had been more annoying that debilitating — I did run a 39-minute 10k and 3:08 marathon last month.

Training is the problem, especially speed training. Which is too bad, since that is what I wanted to start doing. Well, we'll see how it goes.

Wednesday
Easy warmup, then 600/1200/600/1200/600/1200/600 on the track. Only running at 5:00/k pace, but that was probably too fast. It was rather painful.

Thursday
Easy 4.8k while timing the high school track team on a track. A few laps at about 5:00/k pace. HS and butt felt better than the day before.

Friday
11:30 - machines and abs at the gym.
8.5k run with the kids at about 5:00/k pace for 4k, then 5:30 or over. Both HS sore. Then more abs and machines in the school weight room.

Saturday
Rest

Sunday
10k easy in 56:56. Hamstrings only slightly sore.
Weather: 10C/50F with light rain.
Weight: 62.5kg (down from 63, so gained 2k, 4.5lbs after the marathon)

I was also told about an icing method, a good alternative to an ice bath, which I cannot handle. You just turn the shower to cold and run it on your hamstring (or wherever) for 45-60 seconds, then switch to hot water (or prepare a hot bath and get in that) for 45-60 seconds. Do this four times. You have to suck it up to get through the first 10 seconds of cold. After the second time, your leg gets kind of numb, so it's a bit easier. This is supposed to be effective, so I'll do it after every run.