Yes, it was a disaster.
I'm pulling out of the SE Masters Championships. In order to perform at optimum level, everything has to be working perfectly to sprint. It's not. So, I'm out. It pains me greatly to lose this opportunity - all because I raced in a meet which I didn't need to run in. I really wanted to participate in and support this great event whose attendance has been down a bit recently.
I will be forfeiting the $77 registration and banquet fee, canceling my hotel/rental car reservations, and fortunately, since I'm booked on SouthWest, I can use the plane ticket funds for something else.
This injury is similar to one I sustained on March 26, '11 with the right ham. Then, I was able to run about 5 days later, and run fast long sprints about 12 days later. I raced my my first 400m four weeks later. This is a level one strain, no outward sign of trauma, no black and blue spots so far.
I really think this happened because my failure to do preventative resistance band work on my hams as I had done all season. I did just squats and adductor work and thought that would be enough. I was wrong.
Forward
With 3 full months to the Masters Nationals... I have time to rest and prepare for a "second season." My first outing in this 'second season' will be 6 weeks away - the Bluegrass Games - a meet where I wanted to run the 100m, 200m, 400m ... a meet where I could set the meet records for all those events.
Plan
I have to heal and retool. After some maybe 5-7 days off, I'll start rebuilding the foundation from the bottom up with endurance runs. I need to reemphasize weights and strength. I think power is lacking from my blocks starts. I need to restrengthen the hams, quads, hip flexors and adds, everything that could fail in a sprint.
I expect it won't be too long before I'm back on the track... but until then, for all those who read this blog, I'm going to do other things for a while.
Cheers.
What would be injury mechanism from a missed strength workout?
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn't a hard, and different (from your training history) very fast sprint workout, 48 hours before the meet, be considered as a root cause?
(A new workout type (pace setting 100's) would fatigue the hamstrings, making strains or pulls more likely if not fully recovered)
Strength workouts for me are done high rep & high velocity to failure, also focusing on negative (eccentric movement). This strengthens and prepares for the stress of competition, even moreso than running because it isolates and stresses to the maximum. Of course, it's hard to pinpoint the cause of an injury.
ReplyDelete