Some Help Please...

[GGHG_Cadet]

So I'm in a tough situation and I'm hoping for a little bit of help. I was accepted to RMC back in February and since then I've been training regularly in order to make sure I'm fit enough to get through RMC. I was running, going to the gym, and training for rugby. I stopped running on my own in late April after a bad case of shin splints which I saw a doctor about, but I continued to play rugby because I had no problems on the field. The doctor ordered me orthotics, and told me to stop running for a few weeks while my shins rested and my feet adapted to the orthotics. Just as I was ready to start running on my own again, I injured my knee playing rugby.

I was tackled normally, went down and came up injured. There was immediate swelling on the outside of my right knee. I went to the hospital where I was xrayed, and the doctor told me I could have stretched my ACL but I would have to come back after the swelling had subsided. For the next two weeks I applied RICE, and took an NSAID for the pain and swelling. On my follow up appointment I saw the Orthopaedic Surgeon for all of 10 seconds, he gave me a brace for my MCL and sent me to get an MRI. By this time my knee felt fine for the most part other than a little tenderness on the outside of my knee. I felt as if I could run, and start training normally again but I didn't get a chance to ask the doctor as it was so quick. My MRI has now been scheduled for June 29th, and my results will be ready on July 3rd. I feel that it is too late to start training again for RMC, I will have just under 6 weeks to prepare myself for RMC. Running is a weak point of mine and I don't think I can get to an acceptable level in that time. I am continuing to train my upper body, so that should be fine.

I am seeing a sports doctor for a second opinion about when I can start running again/ the extent of my injury, but I fear he won't be able to tell me anything without the MRI results.

My questions are-
1) If I have only six weeks to get ready for RMC...what is the best running plan for me? Can anyone recommend anything they think would help me? I'd like to focus on pace and endurance as I do need to improve both.

2) Has anyone had any similar experiences? Can you give me other advice?

3) I haven't informed the CFRC about my injury yet, and I don't plan on doing so until I see the results of my MRI. Should I let them know, seeing as it could result in a change of my medical category?

Sorry about the long winded post but I'm really nervous and worried at the moment. I am looking for some piece of mind as I prepare for my final exams, and as I embark on what I hope to be a long career in the CF.

 

[Elwood]

Tough situation, man. Hopefully you'll be recovered in 6 weeks. I've had a lot of leg injuries playing football, and all you can really do is let things heal.

You were asking about running in your post, so maybe I can help because I'm in marathon-training mode right now. Remember that running is a high-impact sport, especially for the knees and the hamstrings. You should be thinking about doing other cardio workouts like cycling or swimming, and a lot less running. In fact, my running program has two days of the week where I don't run, but do a different form of cardiovascular work instead.

Why not just stick to an easy to medium 5k run twice a week (or better yet use a treadmill) and then focus on building up your cardio more with cycling, swimming or using a row machine? Remember that you're just getting ready for basic; it's not like you have to get ready for the olympics or the Boston marathon in six weeks. Save your knee, let it reast and heal, because if you hurt it more, you can risk missing out on RMC.

 

[shlindz]

My questions are-
1) If I have only six weeks to get ready for RMC...what is the best running plan for me? Can anyone recommend anything they think would help me? I'd like to focus on pace and endurance as I do need to improve both.

2) Has anyone had any similar experiences? Can you give me other advice?

3) I haven't informed the CFRC about my injury yet, and I don't plan on doing so until I see the results of my MRI. Should I let them know, seeing as it could result in a change of my medical category?

Hi GGHG_Cadet,
If you have 6 weeks to train further (<--- key word there) you should be fine. You have been training all this time. Taking a little medical break will inherently disrupt your training. However, it will not completely nullify all the work you have done so far. When you are medically cleared by your doctor to start training again, do not start up where you left off. You need to start slowly as if you just began training. Of course it will only take a short while for your body to get back into the swing of things. You just don't want to risk another injury by jumping into a heavy regimen. 

My advice for building endurance depends on the endurance you're trying to build. What I mean is, where is your weakness. For example, I can run forever without tiring my leg muscles, but I run out of breath quickly. I need to build on my cardio endurance. However, my husband can keep chatting away while he's running without losing his breath, but he can't go long distances because he needs to build his muscle endurance. There may be many successful exercises that help with both of these areas. Although, I have only tried and tested one. The shuttle run is a perfect example of listening to your body and targeting your weaknesses. You can set up a 20 metre shuttle run on the sidewalk in front of your house or almost anywhere. I play the beeps through my car so I can hear them loud enough. You can search this site for a good link to an mp3 version that includes music. Every other day I try and test myself. The beeps offer an increasing pace that helps with speed work and a record of your endurance. By pushing yourself to get to that next level or beep really builds up your endurance. Furthermore, by quitting the test when you miss 2 beeps keeps you from working yourself to hard.

As for informing the CFRC. You should have done that by now. It important for you stay straight with them. You never want anything to come back and bite ya in the behind because you withheld information. Give them all the information up front and let them be the judge. Remember they have been through this with more than one person before. I'm sure you would prefer being delayed a little, rather than booted for injuring yourself further.

I hope I have helped a little. I will state I am not a doctor! I am not in anyway, shape or form a medical person whatsoever!
Take care,

Shlindz

 

[scoutfinch]

STOPPPPPPPP!!!!!

You can only get advice on something like this from your physician.  ANY runner worth their salt, with any experience at all, will tell you this.

No one who has posted to you above has ANY professional training that would qualify them to give you advice.    Ask your doctor to recommend a physical trainer who deals with rehab and sports injuries... preferably knees.

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

I feel fine now, little to no pain but I've stopped all running and strengthening of my legs until I get further advice from a doctor. I know that no one can offer me better advice about my injury, but what I'd like to hear is training tips. I have 6 weeks between when I receive the results of my MRI and when I have to report to Kingston, if its bad news then I'll let the CFRC know and they can decide what they want to do with me, if its good news though I need to implement a running program that will get me in good shape for RMC, but allows me to progress from a long lay off. I suppose I will just have to see a good physio who can recommend me a good program...but any further advice would be helpful!

BTW Shlindz, it is my cardio endurance that I'd like to work on. My legs always outlast my lungs.

 

[scoutfinch]

Talk to your doctor.  No one here should be giving you any type of training 'tips'.  Once your injury is fully healed, then you can start getting advice from the great unwashed; but until then, your training requirements are specific to you and your injury.  Every injury is different and requires specific treatment.  Talk to a reputable trainer (who is unlikely to give you any advice until you have atleast a preliminary diagnosis in hand) to see what you can do to maintain your conditioning while injured. 

I have run for over 25 years.  I have run healthy and I have run injured.  There are lots of things I could tell that I have done in the past but it would be irresponsible of me to do so because your injury is unique to you. 

 

[GeorgeD]

In your place I would seriously listen to scoutfinch. I have a problem with my left shoulder for a long time and recently I tore a ligament, when the pain went down I figured I could start weight training without talking to a doctor, and on my first workout I made it worse. In my opinion  you should strengthen your leg by following your Doctors advice, everyone has an opinion, but the doctor knows what to do while the rest only guess.


An Injury is not a joke, it can set you back a long way and its not worth the risk of not going to RMC due to aggrevating it.

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

I have run for over 25 years.  I have run healthy and I have run injured.  There are lots of things I could tell that I have done in the past but it would be irresponsible of me to do so because your injury is unique to you. 

In your experience, after such a long lay off (for me by the time they tell me whether I can run or not it will have been 3 months without running on my own, and 2 months since the last  time I did any sort of cardio training) how hard is it to regain your prior conditioning?

I understand that it will probably vary depending on the severity of the injury, the level of prior training, the individual person etc. but would you be able to ball park it for me? At this point I'm just looking for a little reassurance. I know I'll have to wait it out, and go on the advice of medical professionals - and thats the plan, seeing as I don't want to make anything worse but waiting around with no information about anything is agonizing.

Thanks.

 

[scoutfinch]

My general rule is that 3 weeks is the deal breaker.  If I miss more than 3 weeks, I re-start my training from the beginning and add to it as I can.  Conditioning is lost quickly but can be recovered fairly quickly if you return to running gradually.  The worst thing that you can do is to try to pick up where you left off... it almost guarantees re-injury.

Like I said, talk to your doctor.  He/She will likely okay you for alternate forms of conditioning which will make the recovery/rehab period easier, both mentally and physically.  I cannot stress enough how important it is to follow your doctor's advice.  DO NOT try to jump back into where you were before.

By the way, your fears are absolutely normal.  Take a look at this article:  http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0NHF/is_2_20/ai_86649573

Or even better, see if you can locate a copy of Tim Noakes' Lore of Running and read the chapter on Injury.  (Although the name appears quite folksy, it is a running physiology textbook.  While I find it fascinating, I wouldn't recommend anyone else spend the $75 on it.  See if you can find it at your local library or go browse that chapter at your local bookstore.)

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

I don't mean to seem so panicky and desperate to jump back in, but its a stressful time for me. If I am not fit enough for RMC I may be unable to attend university at all next year seeing as the acceptance deadline for universities has passed. I could very well be SOL.

From the way it feels, I don't think it is major though and I hope I'll be fine. I'll probably be a drag on the runs, and unfortunately I'll struggle more than I wanted to. I'm hoping that they'll start us off at a much lower level of running than I'm thinking of but who knows.

Thanks for your help scoutfinch!

 

[PMedMoe]

If you bring paperwork from your doctor and/or physiotherapist, I'm quite sure they will understand and put you on limited PT as (or if) required.  The most important thing is to make sure you are properly healed before you do serious (or permanent) damage.

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

Would they actually do that? I thought they might give me the boot if I was injured because I wouldn't be able to do the training (which is why I am hesitant to tell the CFRC until I know the results of the MRI and I have a clear picture of whats wrong). If they do that then great!  It gives me some more hope.

 

[PMedMoe]

Would they actually do that? I thought they might give me the boot if I was injured because I wouldn't be able to do the training (which is why I am hesitant to tell the CFRC until I know the results of the MRI and I have a clear picture of whats wrong). If they do that then great!  It gives me some more hope.

I'm not 100% sure but you've already been accepted.  Chances are, you would only be on limited duties for a short time anyway.

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

So a little update, I went for a second (and third) opinion yesterday. On my range of motion tests I tested positive in both the Lachman and McMurray tests, leaving my doctor to believe I have injured/torn my ACL and lateral meniscus. Due to my limited time frame, my doctor suggested I go to Buffalo to speed up the MRI process. I called last night, and was booked for today. I had my MRI and I will find out my results on Thursday.

After the range of motion tests my knee has not stopped hurting, so I guess it was a good thing I kept off it- otherwise things could have been way worse.

If I do require surgery, or a lengthy treatment/recovery should I assume I will be dropped from RMC considering my medical category has changed and I may not be able to complete my initial training? I will obviously be in contact with CFRC Toronto, but not until Thursday when I can tell them the full picture- I'm just wondering what some of you on here think will/may happen.

 

[GGHG_Cadet]

Well good news today- no cartilage or major ligament damage! I do have two partial tears though, one is a tear in my distal vastus lateralis tendon and the the other is in something called the lateral patellar retinaculum. I should make a full recovery with only physiotherapy, but I still need to see the orthopaedic surgeon who will make the final decision on surgery. Looks like I'll be fine for RMC, which is a big relief.

 

[Kruggle]

That's great news! Keep us posted