Forums >General Running>Coming Back to Training After 4 Weeks of Recovery from Surgery
On February, 2014, I will have surgery to resolve some non-running issues that have been plaguing me for years but mostly since October, 2013. The issue is causing me severe pain and is currently interfering with running preventing me from racing and training to the best of my capacity.
After surgery, I have to be 2 weeks off work and 4 weeks off running, weight-lifting, and core workout. In fact, apart from a week of walking and moving, the doctor has instructed me not to do anything for 4 weeks, so that recovery can happen and I can get back to training as soon as possible.
During the last three years, I have run 2300+ miles a year, this year a bit lower than my usual because of the constant pain I have been since October. I run 6 days a week. I did 12 marathons in 2013 and plan on doing at least 3 more before surgery (yes, 12 and 3, not a typo). All for fun, since the pain does not allow me to attempt a good or fast race. So, I'll be coming into surgery with a good base (not as good as I would've had but for the pain) and the last few weeks prior to surgery will be in the low to mid 50mpws.
So, once I get the go ahead from the doctor to resume running, how should I build up back to where I was prior to the surgery? I assume the base building will not be as long as the first time I build to 50-60mpw but I don't want to overdo it in the first 4 weeks of running and be back at the doctor with internal bleeding. So, I was considering something similar to the Pfitz post-marathon recovery schedule, which has something like 13 (3 runs that week), 24 (4 runs that week), 30 (4-5 runs that week), 35mpw (5 runs that week) (all recovery runs for the first 3 weeks and starting strides in week 4) until it gets you back to 45mpw. Is that a good build up after being basically in bed for 4 weeks or is it too low (or aggressive)? I understand every situation and person is different, but I wanted some suggestions for a comeback. I have already penciled a race after surgery which will be at the end of August (a half marathon) with my next marathon in December, which I think it's doable.
Thoughts? Thanks!
Damaris
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Earlier this year a confluence of excess snow on my local trails and cataract surgery put me out of running for the better part of three months (prior to which I was running roughly 120-150 miles per month). Here are my comments and observations:
It sounds like you're in better shape than I was when I had my surgery so your recovery will probably be faster; even still, were it that I was in your shoes, I might be inclined to not set my goals on a specific plan and just let my body tell me how much (or how little) to run.
Keep us posted on your progress.
Fat old man PRs:
Lord of the Manor
Hi D -
That seems like a reasonable plan, but I would watch myself very closely and not be shy about taking things down a notch if there are any problems of any kind. Assuming your doc knows how much you run, etc. - it wouldn't hurt passing the plan by the doc.
As a general proposition I have found that once a base has been built up, when coming back from a few days or weeks off it doesn't take long to bring things back to where they were before. Base doesn't go away overnight, or even over a fortnight.
Again - caution and patience should be your watchwords. And to the extent that your doctor knows anything at all about running, his or her input on your rebuilding plan would be worth seeking out.
And good luck with the surgery.
If I could make a wish I think I'd pass
Thanks, guys. This is definitetly a penciled plan but I need to have a plan and change it as I feel; otherwise, I will stay on the couch after surgery forever with the mojo lost on the fields of Mordor.
Although I am afraid I will gain weight, some of the issues that will be resolved include losing weight, so it might not be a surprised if I lose at least 10lbs instead. But hoping 4 weeks won't give me an extra size, sigh.
shipo, glad to hear your eyesight is back to normal.
Bob, my doctor runs some, but it is not a consistent runner. But he is mindful of my running mileage which is why he said: you could technically be running within 2 weeks but if you really want to get back to your normal of 50mpw quickly, take the full 4. I think that sounds reasonable, although I am sure I'll be playing with my mind within 2 weeks trying to convince me otherwise. Ha.
Hey Damaris,
I'm having surgery on Jan 14 and will be off running for about 4 weeks. I'm interested to see the replies here. I sure hope I don't gain weight while recovering. Ugh!
Good luck!
Hey Damaris, you are hard core, lady! That's way cool. However, this is something that I've had some experience with twice in the last 4 years or so, and in my case it involved my knee, which as you might imagine can be fairly important for running.
My advice (worth what you paid for it): Go freakin' slow slow slow. Of course, you can listen to your body, but 13-24-30-35 sounds a little rapid to buildup to me. In 2012, having mostly learned my lesson from 2009 when I tried twice to come back too fast, I did it like this: 13-20-26-29-29-33-40, and then sort of see-sawed my way up to 70 mile weeks by about 4 months post-op and then was blessed to put up an ostentatious marathon time at almost exactly 6 months post op. The point is, patience, patience, patience. Let the miles come back to you slowly and before you know it you will be slaying those marathons again. But if you get in a hurry you just risk another setback. Maybe your plan is fine, but I certainly wouldn't go any more aggressive.
Best of luck!
- Joe
We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.
I had major surgery a few years ago and was able to come back pretty quickly. Maybe the difference for me was that I was able to walk and began walking right away. It was tough -- I had been streaking for over 2 years and coming up on 1000 days so mentally it was a battle as well. I ran consistently up to the surgery including the morning of my surgery and only spent 3 days in the hospital. Anyway, I started walking daily working up from 1 mile to 4 miles the first 4 weeks. I then started adding a mile run combined with the daily walks. My recovery was very easy I believe because of my fitness. I hope you have the same luck as me. I was able to complete a very tough 50k 3 months post surgery.
Most important, listen to your body! Good luck to you!
Sara
MM #2929
Oh about the weight gain, that was a concern for me as well. My plan was to lose weight before the surgery since I would not be exercising as much. Recovery from surgery apparently burns a lot of calories and I had no issues keeping the weight off. In fact, 2.5 years later I still weigh 6 pounds less than when I started.
I think doing the Pfitz post-marathon plan – keeping in mind you might have to scale it back and those are recovery paced or run/walk miles - sounds reasonable.
FWIW, I had a surgery on August 1, 2011. I started running about a week after the surgery and looking back at my log, I wish I would have taken that whole month off. I don’t think running through that level of pain did me any good physically and mentally I know it was pretty demoralizing. I was running about 50-60 mpw before my surgery and would guess I could have run 30-35 mpw that first week of September with no problems if I'd taken the time off. So, my piece of unnecessary advice (since you already seem willing to take it from your doctor) is to take the four weeks off. You probably could run sooner than that but you'll probably avoid looking back on a log that includes entries containing troubling things like: pain is now only a “3 out of 10”, “tempo run aborted”, and “took 1 Advil at mile 4” (I know, Trent. I know).
From looking at my log, it really didn’t take me long to build up to some nice mileage, though, so if that’s your main concern, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. Again, I was running about 50-60 mpw before my surgery and was back doing 40-50 mile weeks a couple months later. I didn’t gain much weight either but my weight doesn’t fluctuate more than about 5 lbs. even when I don’t exercise. However, it took a good five months for my speed to come back. Even with that mileage I wasn’t getting close to my pre-op PRs until December. My body really needed all that time to fully heal and then loosen up again. The upside, though, was that worrying about whether my “mojo was lost on the fields of Mordor” – - made me want to run even more. It lit a fire under me and I came back from the surgery more focused and determined about getting better, faster, stronger than I was before it.
My blog is JT Running DC. It's awesome. Guide to Washington DC Area Running Routes. Guide to the New York City Marathon. Guide to the Boston Marathon. Guide to Running Gear. Guide to Running Clothes.
The upside, though, was that worrying about whether my “mojo was lost on the fields of Mordor” – - made me want to run even more. It lit a fire under me and I came back from the surgery more focused and determined about getting better, faster, stronger than I was before it.
True dat. My experience also.
And I love the phrase "worrying about whether my 'mojo was lost on the fields of Mordor.'" That I will certainly use
Damaris as you know I had the same surgery almost 2 years ago except mine was not laprascopic.
I will honestly tell you that if you are having a hysterectomy that you will not and should not be
In bed for 4 weeks. I was 50 when I had mine just 3 weeks after a full marathon. I went on my first 2 mile walk
5 days post surgery and was walking 10 k by the 14th the day.
I also think you have enough running experience to judge for yourself how your body feels when the time comes to
Run again. No one can tell you what that will be. That is exactly the advice my obgyn gave me and it proved to be true.
I felt like I could run by week 2 but I purposely waited 4 weeks to allow for plenty of good healing time then just did a few short
Easy runs per week. Had my surgery Feb6 and Did a half 13 weeks post surgery off 7 weeks of 20mpw and ran a 2:01 and felt fantastic.
Ran a 7 minute marathon PR of 4:20 in late Sept 7 months after surgery.
I was much older than you and the modern hysterectomy is not such a huge ordeal. You are young and should bounce back
Quickly just don't try to "schedule" your recovery and focus on mileage so much as how your body feels each day.
Like everyone says take it slow. I started off with core work. Then I would do 15 min on bike until that stopped hurting, then 15 min on TM till that didn't hurt anymore. As a high mileage runner it might take hours before you feel any pain when you start back running so be careful.
Thank you, guys. Much appreciated. Glad to hear similar experiences and how you bounced back. I am not worried about speed coming back since mine has been gone since October, but I would like to have some normalcy post surgery and it looks like it's the norm. Thanks!
Sounds like you are having the same surgery as I did. They tried to do mine laparoscopic but could not due to previous scarring and surgery.. I think you will find that doing anything, even a slow walk, will help with the normalcy feeling. Just doing something and getting out of the house helps.
Thanks. Still hoping they can do it robotically and laparoscopically, but it depends on how aggressive the damage is and how much they end up removing. It was supposed to be a normal fibroid surgery that has turned into a partial hysterectomy due to endometriosis and maybe a full. I hope he can fix it all because the pain is now blinding and never ending and I cannot wait to come back to running pain free. He is allowing me to walk after Week 2, so I will discuss it with him closer to the surgery.