PP42's Senior Year Training Blog

[powerplant42]

I'm injury prone because I was an idiot after I first got hurt sophomore year. I didn't allow my body to heal correctly, and now I'm stuck with recurring chronic tears in my hamstrings and have subluxations all the time.

When I do get a tear, it can typically be fixed pretty quickly with the right massaging and icing. Chiropractic is the only thing that works for my back.

I am also lifting to strengthen my hamstrings and back.

[rainbowgirl28]

Have you found a chiropractor near your college yet? If there is a chiropractic school in the area, sometimes you can get adjusted by students for super cheap, especially if you are a student yourself.

[powerplant42]

Not yet, but I'm going to ask my chiropractor if they know anyone next time I go, which will be soon.

[KirkB]

If there is a chiropractic school in the area, sometimes you can get adjusted by students for super cheap, especially if you are a student yourself.

You get what you pay for!

If I needed brain surgery, I don't think I'd go to anyone in med school ... or fresh out of med school. I'd prefer someone that already has a track record of SUCCESSFUL brain surgeries.

Is chiropractic care not covered by extended health plans in the states? I get full coverage here in Canada. Alternatively, if you're on a varsity team, does THEIR medical coverage not include chiro?

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

College track teams do not usually cover chiropractic. You are required to have your own health insurance, the college program only acts as a secondary health insurance, and they're generally only going to cover injuries you suffer once you're there.

[vault3rb0y]

When i kept getting hurt this year, i was fortunate enough to be sent to world-renowned physical therapist who found that nearly ever muscle attaching to my pelvic girdle was hard as a rock. I had been stretching for years, hitting all the major muscle groups- hamstrings, quads, glutes, hip flexors (or so i thought), calves, etc., however i stretched each muscle only about 30 seconds each and i didnt specifically stretch out groups like my IT Band, hip rotators, Psoas muscles, or my UPPER back (why stretch that, when my lower back is whats hurt, right?). I was lucky enough to be getting physical therapy at the same time i was taking functional human anatomy, so i learned how to stretch each of these muscles.

The reason i tell you this is because unless you have a professional showing you how to avoid injury first hand, you are taking shots in the dark. It would be like trying to learn the pole vault from a coaches advice over the internet- it can help, but it's just not the same.

My coach is also an exercise physiology Ph.D, but he was not there at every second of our training this year, so when he told me to "stretch", I stretched the way i knew how. When he found out how i stretched, he told me that 30 seconds is really only enough to "piss your muscles off". He has since given me a very detailed warm up and cool down, and has told me my goals for the summer are to 1.) GET HEALTHY 2.) Get physically fit in terms of mileage/vascularization/flexibility/metabolism 3.) Get mentally prepared for the season. As for your base training, I think that you would be ok to be doing what I am doing right now, while still avoiding injury-

This is what i have done since my season ended:

Took 1 week:
Off, doing whatever I want (static stretching every day)
Took 2 weeks:
1mile run at 8:30 mile pace 3-5 times a week (i would not go faster than this, but no slower than 10min/mile either), followed by 45 minutes of stretching (each muscle approx 1 minute). This is basically to heat up your muscles before you stretch, because you get a much better stretch when you do so. I was also on vacation (which you should do at some point as well).
Take 3 weeks:
Get a 5 min warm up, including dynamic stretches. build up from 2.5 mile runs 3 times/wk, to 4 mile runs 3-4times/wk. Follow with 45 minute stretching still. Total mileage for the week should be between 10-16. This is what I am doing at the time of writing this post. Also include abs, at least 100 reps (so 5X20, 10X10, 2x50, whatever)

IF it takes you longer to build your mileage up to 10-16 miles/wk, take your time and take longer, following the 5% rule per week. I am only progressing after 3 weeks beyond that because i have been doing this for 2 years already.

He has not told me what will come next (which i am fine with!) But i know that we will work some light lifting and drills into the routine until we start school. Eventually i assume we will have a 6 week cycle including approx:
3x4mile runs/wk
1x8 light pole runs/wk
Form running (A-skips, High knees, etc) 1/wk
Body-weight strengthening: Core workouts/lunges/bodyweight squats/gymnastics) 2/wk
LIGHT Weightroom conditioning (because I tend to progress too quickly with squats): Squats/powercleans/deadlifts/pulldowns/pullovers/bench/etc. 2/wk

There you have it, that's an idea of how your summer should go in my opinion, because that's how mine will go. It would be a good idea to make yourself a training log and track your progress, and don't increase your mileage more than 5% per week, and start light with all the other drills, following the same 5% increase in volume per week, thats the general rule for avoiding injury. Remember that your #1 goal is to be healthy, and #2 is getting fit. Don't let #2 get in the way of #1.

*NOTE: I asked for all these workouts, and they are all completely voluntary, none of my coaches have told me that i MUST do this. *

[powerplant42]

Thanks for the advice!

I've been doing nothing since my "performance" at Regionals... A little "stretching", but I'm guessing nothing nearly enough. I'll send you a PM and we can talk more about it...

I've decided it might be a good idea to start doing some swimming... Yay or nay?

[KirkB]

Yay. A change is as good as a rest ... like they say.

Kirk

[rainbowgirl28]

Swimming is good, but some light jogging is better. It's unlikely to hurt you to swim, but doing something on your feet, as long as it's not reinjuring the injury, is better.

[vault3rb0y]

Yea swimming is a good idea. The reasons my coach gave me for running were:

1.) Keep/Increase metabolism high
2.) Increase vascularization and therefore recovery time
3.) Keep legs in a "bouncy" mode

Swimming will do the first two, and if you are innefficient swimmer it might do so even MORE so than running (calories/hr and heartrate). You will just be missing the effect of bouncing on your legs constantly. But it's a great refresher mentally to get away from running if you need it. However for you it will also give you a decent base for your arms as well (assuming you go freestyle) because you actually use some of the same muscles for swimming as you do for Rowing or controlling the impact of the box, with your lats and triceps. I say thats a good idea at least for a couple weeks. You might even do BOTH, like 3 days swimming, 2 running. Then you are getting all 3 things above, plus:

1.) Mentally refreshed
2.) Upper-body base

Just don't get a shoulder injury!