Fast Running Blog

So I have had a hamstring injury that appeared out of nowhere last Monday (ok on the heals of 102, 100, then 82 mile for the prior three weeks), and I stopped running for a week.  Today (my Wed) I just ran 30 min pain free on the TM! Yay!  So I have a workout tomorrow I will do in the pool midday.
I would like feedback on my plan for running--getting back.  My tentative plan is to run 40 min really easy on the TM Thursday night, cross train Friday, and then run 20k Saturday, this is all assuming no pain.  Then do next week's workouts on the road (Tuesday fartlek) and on the track (Thursday 1,000m but not very fast, HM-M pace), then do a 32k easy run next Saturday, then do the Standard Chartered Marathon 8 days later (hard workout pace, not racing).  I hope this all works out.  The real goal is PR in Boston April 15th, but I need to get back on track.  Does this sound like a good plan for this week and in general?

Hey Michelle - in my experience (both from when I tweaked my hammy in the fall, and coming up w/ creative solutions for Andrea to get in quality workouts despite hamstring issues last spring/summer) I think that you're probably safe doing marathon pace workouts... and maybe down to HM pace, but any faster than that, and you're putting the hamstring at risk. It doesn't take much to send it back over the edge. Progression runs are a great way to sneak into some faster miles as well. I'd avoid any type of stop and go interval work for the time being. This could be a good time to get in some high level aerobic work (which will be a very good thing if Boston is the ultimate goal).

You have 10 weeks until Boston...that is still a lot of time, especially with the current fitness you are already at. Even if you took another week or two off, you would still have 6 solid weeks of training.

That being said, I urge you to try to find the source of the hamstring strain. Have you developed an anterior tilt of your pelvis? Are your glutes firing properly? Can you see any form problems that might need correction? Or maybe it's just an overworked hamstring.

I got a hamstring strain in Oct 2011 and was able to run the marathon at the end of November with no pain. It required a total adjustment of workouts - no more speed training because that irritated the hamstring the most. The focus was purely marathon pace or progression runs. I stopped running if there was any pain in the hamstring (I could usually feel the hamstring right before it twinged). I wore compression shorts for every run and iced/massaged 3-4 times a day. Heat prior to running. Training revolved around managing the injury and never over-stressing it.

You have developed a great base and are arguably in the best shape of your life. Try not to worry as much about specific mileage or targets and instead try to go off feel. The goal each week can be to get in two quality sessions and one long run a week...if the hamstring is acting up on a planned workout day, switch the workout to the following day. Flexibility is key with injuries. I think you'll be able to get through this and still be in the best shape of your life. Keep positive!