Fine line between HTFU and injury

sully708

My legs are killing me

posted: 3/18/2008 at 6:42 PM

I strained a groin muscle a couple of months ago during an 8 mile run. I felt some pain early in the run but decided to HTFU and gut it out and wound up really straining it bad; I was out of action for about 4 weeks. During evey run I think we all feel little pains and pulls and we have to figure out what is minor and what can develop into an injury. During my run today I felt a tightness in my groin area again but this time not as bad as a few months ago so I finished my 5 mile run. How does everyone figure out that fine line between HTFU and taking it easy to avoid injury?

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brerfootbill

posted: 3/18/2008 at 7:26 PM

Well, this isn't very scientific, but so far it has worked well for me. If I feel pain (sharp, hurting, etc.) I always stop. But if it's a minor ache or soreness I'll probably continue, knowing that if it gets any worse at all I'll stop then. I try to stay aware of the little "twinges" or "pulls" I get occaisionally - especially if they last for more than one run - and maybe warm up longer and/or do some extra stretches afterward that gently address that part of the body. Hope this helps! Smile

Formerly havanarnr Goal HM < 2:00:00 Half Fanatic #846 "Ninety percent of running is half mental"

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog, it's too dark to read". - Unknown

VictorN

posted: 3/18/2008 at 7:39 PM

If the pain gets worse during the run, it is something to worry about. If it gets better, or comes and goes, I'm usually OK. That's my basic rule...your mileage may vary. A lot of it is just personal experience. I know what pains I can run through and what ones I need to worry about. That varies for each runner and sometimes the only way to learn is to make mistakes. I know I've made my share. The other good rule: when in doubt, leave it out. Or in other words, if you are even questioning whether you should run, then perhaps you shouldn't. Victor

milerBonnie

posted: 3/19/2008 at 6:58 AM

Quote from VictorN on 3/18/2008 at 7:39 PM:

The other good rule: when in doubt, leave it out. Or in other words, if you are even questioning whether you should run, then perhaps you shouldn't. Victor

I agree with this. Precautionary days off or easier days than planned are a good idea. Look for patterns in your log too. This makes you more objective. Last time you hurt yourself you had a race early in the week where you felt the signals of an injury followed by a long run of 8 miles (according to your log). If your plan is to keep the same pattern this week, you might want to skip that long run and go easy for a few miles. Just a suggestion. Having strained muscles before it has been my experience that sometimes they do twinge and feel weird when you start ramping things up again. I think you have to be very cautious that you don't re-strain because that muscle is still trying to regain strength and flexibility to match the other side. Recovering from an injury is not a good time to HTFU I guess. Smile

Fine line between HTFU and injury (Read 480 times)