Hamstring injuries need to be rested. They need to be massaged relentlessly to help get the muscle back into the shape it was before the injury. They are very easily damaged. And I've sadly learnt this the hard way.
Previous readers of this waffle will know I tore my muscle during the middle of a rugby league match I was refereeing in October 2012. It was torn again five weeks later when I returned to light training too early.
Since then I've struggled to regain the confidence I once had. Having sat out all of December, January and February, except for a couple of swimming lessons to regain some flexibility and perform a few stretches, I've done nothing in terms of actual exercise. I was forced to miss the Rugby Football League match official's fitness test twice, before and after Christmas.
Once March hit I decided it was time to get myself back into some form of shape, and this meant starting to redevelop my confidence running on foot. I take stretching and warming up far more seriously now, so I did a lap of the field at Bennetts Rec, Padgate.
I was knackered after that!
I then spent a good 15 to 20 minutes stretching myself off, covering all the muscle areas in my legs. Hamstring, quads, groin and calf. Unfortunately after two more laps I began to feel cramp within both of my calfs. I did a quick warm down and home, there is no need to overdo it at this stage.
Two further attempts were made to do consistent laps of the same field through out the week, and progress was made slowly. Until I went back to weekly training in Wigan with other officials. It was then I realised I couldn't sprint!
Looking back, I realise wasm having a confidence issue. After tearing my hamstring twice within five weeks, and without the assistance of professional sports rehabilitation specialists, I realised it takes an amateur picking up an injury like this a lot longer to recover from than a professional sports person. All the facilities and help they need to recover are provided by the club or governing body. Whereas an amateur is forced to pay through the nose themselves for treatment.
I was given some advise from Aileen Mills, a former Commonwealth Games athlete, all round legend, and Saint due to the amount of patience she can hold. Especially when I turn up to training. It was Aileen who taught me all the leg stretches I know now. Because of her, using images of beautifully toned and tanned women, I can identify the different stretches that have aided my recovery so far.
Supine Hamstring Stretch
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| Source: Stack.com |
Inner Thigh Stretch (Personal trainer not included)
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| Source: Bodybuilder.com |
Single Leg Raise
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| Source: Diyhealth.com |
Standing Hamstring Stretch
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| Source: Teachpe.com |
I did. And a day before the final fitness test of the year for ungraded referees, I was able to sprint half the length of a football field.
It was the boost I needed, although it was fair to say I was nowhere near fit enough to pass the test the RFL had laid out.
The Yo-Yo Intermittent Test involves running 20 metres to the sound of the bleep (like a bleep test) but with additional cones placed five metres behind the starting point. The subject runs 20m forward, then returns to the starting point before walking around the cone placed five metres behind from the start.
There are various levels the subject has to complete, and the higher the level the subject drops out at, the better their endurance will be.
Of the seven people that took part, I was the first to drop out at level 14.4. Not surprising, I knew I would fail.
So why did I take part in it? I wanted a level to which I could use as a starting point for the remainder of my recovery. I needed something to judge myself on, and see how bad my fitness was in comparison to how it should be. Considering I only did light training on foot for three weeks, I did better than I anticipated. But the destination along the road to recovery is still quite a way away.
In fact it took my leg five days to recover from that early week's activity. So more rest is required before I get back out there.
But I am still committed to cycling for Joining Jack, and with six months to go I'm on track to be there at the starting line fit and ready to go!
@nickwoody89
(* and damage to the gracilis muscle, which has actually been main cause of my time off. But its a muscle no one has heard of, and its easier to say hamstring!)
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