Hamstrings on strike: they've decided they need a rest

OK, so I overdid it; I admit it.

I was tired, too tired, going into Friday's track session. We adjusted the workout accordingly, but then I felt a little warning twinge in my left hamstring. I jogged it out. Then, on my final 400m, I was on pace for 72 seconds when right on 300m I got a much more insistent twinge and stepped off the track.

Yes, definitely a slight strain in the left hamstring. And I brought it on myself by being, well, just a little too enthusiastic with the non-running exercises. I ind of decided off my own bat that I really needed to do more strengthening and flexibility exercises. So I've turned the house into something resembling one big exercise circuit.
As my home office is at the top of three flights of stairs, there are plenty of opportunities for going completely ovcer the top with hopping, bounding and eccentric stretch and strength exercises.

I also got completely inspired by a visit to www.runningdvds.com, following up a flyer I picked up in my Greenland Trail race goodie bag. Coach Jay Johnson and colleagues have put together a marvellous exercise and drills DVD: "Building a Better Runner: Building from the Ground Up". I started experimenting with some of the exercises. They felt good. I did more.

Wednesday I took an extra rest day as this was scheduled as an easy week. So by Thursday, which should have been an easy day to prepare for the quality work on Friday morning, I was climbing the walls. So I kicked off with Jay's "Pedestal" routine before breakfast; this is tough, but the exercise that's relevant here is the one where you lie on your back supporting yourself off the ground on elbows and heels, then raise one leg in the air. This makes your hamstrings SCREAM. In a nice, helpful, way.

Midday I did the full "!Tempo warm-up" from the DVD and then went for an easy 6-miler -- the only thing I was actually SUPPOSED to be doing. The warm-up, if you're not used to it, is more like pre-exhaustion!

Come the evening, I still had energy to spare, so I did some more freestyle exercises and core work, plus some sprints on a stationary bike.

Then I was too pumped up to sleep easily. So, come 7.30am the next day, yes, I was a little tired. What I also now know is that hamstrings are predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibre; they tire comparatively easily and need lots of rest. What they don't need after a day of stress is what they were about to receive: speedwork.

So, it's two days of rest at least for me, while the ART, ice, laser, ultrasound, herbal anti-inflammatories, enzymes, magnesium and anything else I can think of to throw at it takes effect.

Eventually I had to come clean and explain to Ric Rojas what I'd been up to. Strange though it may seem, I'm not actually coaching myself, after all. Ric took the story in his usual philosophical manner and didn't give me a hard time. Just the admonition that I really don't need to be doing all that extra stuff, and a classic piece of Ric advice: "The next time you feel the urge to do something like that, just have a nice nap instead"!