It’s been a miserable few weeks or maybe even months of not being able to run. But you finally got the “OK!” Yaaay! Whether you’re coming back from a stress fracture or a bad case of plantar fasciitis, you’re probably wondering where do I start? I should be able to pick back up the same weekly mileage I was running before my injury, right? NO! Slow your roll! You don’t want to risk re-injury, do you?
Here’s a few things to keep in mind as you’re coming back from injury.
Run-walk intervals are your friend!
Depending on how much time you had to take off from your running, your aerobic capacity and muscular skeletal system adaptations may have decreased. This means you will need to slowly introduce your body back to running. The best way to do this is by introducing run-walk intervals into your training. If you’ve been able to keep non-impact cross training in your routine, this may progress faster than if you didn’t. Adjust your run-walk intervals to the severity of your injury. For example, say you had a femoral stress fracture – first start by building to about 30 minutes of walking. Then start super easy with ratios of 1-2 minutes of running to 8-9 minutes of walking, for three times. Gradually increase your running time, while decreasing your walking time. Avoid back-to-back running days until your body is stronger to allow for more recovery time.
Depending on the severity of your injury you’ll need to adjust your mileage increase. But it’s always safe to start on the lower mileage end, and build from there.
Don’t compare your post-injury paces with your pre-injury paces!
Hitting those faster paces you hit so easily before injury may not be as easy to hit as they used to be. But give it time! Your body needs to readapt to the stress of running again. This can take 6-8 weeks for your muscular skeletal system to adjust. You’ll be back to those pre-injury paces before you know it!
Don’t stop using ice!
Ice may have become your friend at the initial onset of your injury. But it will also help as you embark on your epic comeback. Icing your injury area about 15-20 minutes after your workouts can aid in decreasing any inflammation that might occur after workouts. Amazon has all kinds of ice compression contraptions that can help any injury you might have.
Prioritize your nutrition as you continue to recover!
Your first instinct may be “I’m not running as much, I don’t need to eat as much.” While that may be true, your body is working overtime to repair whatever damage was sustained in your injury. This additional work your body is doing underneath requires additional calories. To cut back on calories at this point would only hinder your recovery.
If you’re not already taking a calcium supplement, it’s always helpful for runners, particularly women, to be including that in their diet.
Additional protein also helps your body heal itself and prevent break down of muscle tissue. Ideally you’re getting this from natural food sources, but supplementing with a protein powder is also an option.
Collagen is a major structural protein found in connective tissue in the body. As you get older your body’s collagen production decreases, thus so does your recovery time. Supplementing with additional collagen can assist in the recovery process.
Vitamin C, BCAAs, and other supplements have been noted to help in injury recovery too.
Most of all, be patient! Your EPIC comeback is underway!
You’ll get there. You will come out a stronger, better runner through the entire process. You’ll learn more about your body and running than you knew before! You’ll also have a renewed appreciation for the fact that you GET to run again!
As always, listen to your doctor and physical therapist for guidance based on your specific injury.
