I was primarily a high mileage runner before injuring my foot a couple of months ago which, coupled with lockdown, got me on the turbo trainer. Fell in love with TrainerRoad and really got into it.
Got the SSBHV1 and on Saturday, completed week 3 of the SSBHV2. However, during one of the intervals, my hamstring pinged and I’m thinking it’s probably a grade 2 tear from my research. Either way, I can’t cycle and after running on it this morning (not a good idea), there’s not much I really can do.
I have no idea how long this is going to take to heal, but my instinct is that it won’t be overnight. I was wondering if anyone could share any advice on getting over this psychologically, and if anyone has any good comeback stories!
The positive way to look at it is if you tore your hamstring riding a trainer then you almost certainly have some strength or mobility limiters or muscle imbalances (quite probably related to your foot injury) and this is a great time to address them. Plus if you’ve gone from being a high volume runner to doing HV TR plans then your body could almost certainly use a rest!
I’ve had a few examples of coming back well from an enforced break. Got knocked off my bike and put in hospital with broken ribs and a badly bruised hip, and did my first 70.3 (on a new bike from the insurance payout!) 3 months later. Slipped a disc in my back skiing in January a few years back, was practically bed bound for a couple of weeks, but back on the bike after a month and set an IM PR in July.
I sympathise with you ! I have had many injuries in my life and know how it affects someone who loves/needs to excersise.
To help you deal with the psychological issues , my advice would be to consult a physio albeit remotely, if they are not yet willing to see you, and get info on the best and fastest way to recover and rehabilitate your injury. There will be things you can do . You are not resigned to sitting in cardy and slippers with your feet up. You could make a program to work on your upper body, and core conditioning. Also, if walking is possible, do a short walk each day .(as long as doesnt hurt your injury!) This lockdown is frustrating, and Im fed up with it, but it won`t last forever. If you can chat with friends /family and share your feelings that will help too. Take care, and healing thoughts
When i got hit by a car and was out of action with broken ribs is used to walk lots. I’d get up early to enjoy the dawn still but instead of a run or a ride i’d walk 5 or 6 miles. It’s not as good, for sure, but it keeps you sane and slightly fit.
Depending what you got hurt it could be weeks or could be months…
If is a fracture, months. If it is PF, maybe not so long.
I have a good buddy who is a fast runner who injured his knee last year while attempting a fast downhill mile. Now he has gone from doing 100 mile weeks to maybe 30 miles and doing a TON of Zwift. He is doing like 10 hrs a week.
My point is that as long as you keep cycling your endurance will persist. Your running will suffer for sure when you come back (it uses different muscles) but within a few weeks/months of ramping up millage you might comeback even stronger!
Just remember, just because you got hurt, doesnt mean you need to stop working hard. Use the same motivation you had as a runner to been a cyclist and you will make it!
Sorry to hear about your injury. It can be difficult - keeping motivated is key.
6 years ago I broke my knee (ACL + Meniscus) and had to give up running. Took up cycling instead (indoor, Trainer Road) and lost loads of weight (20kg) and become fitter (fitter than ever). Returned to occasional running - and my running was actually better than before (fastest 5k times). So cycling definitely helped me. Hopefully it will you, too.
But 18 months ago developed hip pain - turns about to be a labral tear. Cycling cut right back, weight back on. Sad times. Slowly getting back to it now, albeit with continued hip pain.
I’d get some medical advice from a sports medicine doc. Maybe an ultrasound could diagnose it? Maybe a therapy like PRP (platelet rich plasma) could move the healing along faster?
But here is my two cents based on what I’ve read - you were an injured high volume runner and then jumped into a tough HV TrainerRoad plan. That doesn’t sound like a rehabilitation strategy. It sounds like a grind you into the ground strategy. You may be the type of athlete that doesn’t like to go slow.
This may be a time to reflect on overall training strategies so you don’t keep getting injured. I suggest googling “Mark Allen MAF”. MAF is a low intensity training strategy designed to keep one injury free. Polarized training also comes to mind. Strength training can help with muscle imbalances and keep you injury free.
Sorry if I’m reading more into what you posted. Best of luck with your recovery.
In addition to some of the advice above, I’d get your bike fit evaluated. Popping a hammy during an interval could be a sign of a poor fit / high saddle position.
I feel your pain. Had a few different injuries over the years. I’m a triathlete now but I’ve been mostly high mileage runner until it got me to yet another injury. Last year I had a stress fracture in my foot. Couldn’t run for 4 months. I swam instead, and introduced cycling after 3 months when I was sure that it’s healed enough. After next 4 months of training my running was better than before the injury. I figured that maybe my body actually needed a break to regenerate and after giving it enough time it just went to another level. Other takeaway is that you don’t have to run 80k or more to get faster. With cycling and swimming, 30ks of running is plenty for me.
Sorry to hear that you’re injured. It’s really tough to have to wait for an injury to resolve. I don’t have any personal advice to give, but I can share this link:
Carrie Cheadle is a really terrific sports psychiatrist with all sorts of fantastic suggestions and coping ideas. My team had her speak at our camp this year, and while we didn’t focus specifically on injury (we focused on how to address personal issues and develop ways to move forward), I found her talk incredibly useful. We also had a zoom meeting with her on coping with the whole COVID-19 shutdown/loss of season, and that was helpful and healing to many on the team. You might find something useful in her podcast, in their FB group, on this link, or even in her book.
The only thing I can say is: celebrate the small victories. I’ve seen this from friends with terrible injuries, and just know that you will be back!
Hamstring injuries suck. If you can, go see a physio, if not then be gentle with it - don’t run, don’t stretch it, ice it, elevate it, let it heal properly. Give it a week or so and see how it feels - if it feels good then take the build up slowly.
I pulled my hamstring playing (amateur) American football 18 years ago - I tried to keep everything up and come back quickly but it took over 8 weeks before I could cut properly off my left leg. It caused me issues for the rest of my time playing team sports, and it can still cause me problems.
It’s worth checking your bike fit, because I’m not sure you should be tearing a hamstring on the bike. It’s also worth making sure your core and back are good - I’m pretty certain my hamstring issues originated in my back. You may be able to do core exercises without putting any strain on your hamstring.
Also, be careful when coming back from a foot injury. If it affects your mechanics, you can end up with problems further up your body that have no obvious cause and are really tricky to fix.
