About four months ago while doing an open water competition I started noticing a little discomfort in my right should while swimming crawl. I took about a week off of training and then worked back up to my 5K. I then swam the Corsiquana (sp?) Cup 5K and got beat up pretty badly by the surf, did not finish, and had more shoulder pain. Took another week off, iced, and so on. Went back in and swam the Pan Am open water 5K and had major issues, finished but not pretty. Shoulder pain got worse. Then, because it was paid for already, flew up to the Northeast and swam another event. I have not swam for about a month and a half until Friday (yesterday).
I talked with my doctor about it and he wasn't that concerned about it, said rest it and give it time. I should also say that I am not able to take NSAID's for pain and stuff.
I did a 400M warm-up (long course), then did a slow set of 8 x 50 crawl then 8 x 50 *** (my stroke of choice), and then for the hell of it did 2 x 50 back, and 1 x 50 fly, and then 200M warm down. See, I was trying to be a good boy and not kill myself easing back in (I'm not a good liar, someone started back-washing the filters and once I could no longer see the lines I gave up).
Shoulder pain is back in my right shoulder, not severe, but a dull aching anytime I rotate the arm (or when my dogs pull the leash hard that I hold in that hand). As I was swimming I noticed I do not have problems with the breaststroke, but the crawl and backstroke hurt. Couldn't really tell on the fly as I suck at that stroke and am more worried about not drowning than being in pain.
Suggestions? Anyone ever do all breaststroke workouts while recovering from an injury? Am I nuts to even think about trying?
Thanks!
Age is really important in terms of planning recovery. An overuse injury when you're 30 something that might take 6 months o heal. A very similar injury when you are 50 might take two years and when you're 60+, there is a real question as to ever recovering.
I'm 65.
In my 50's, I did a 2.25 mile open water "race" yearly. I did personal best times when I was 57. then 58, then 59. I posted here a lot then. The water was in no danger of catching fire from my 40 minute miles, though.
When I was 59, I kept my workouts going in the fall after my race was over, but then pulled back when I started having mild right shoulder pain. When I started again in the spring, I got my doctor to refer me to PT, more-or-less prophylacticly.
Three weeks before my race, with considerable assistance from the Big-Medicine-Sports-Medicine-Center that wasn't paying much attention to me in their assembly line process, my right shoulder blew out.
Surgery was recommended by one surgeon, but discouraged by the 2nd opinion and my PC doc who I trust. I used to work in a Big-Medicine-Orthopedic-OR,and I have significant issues with surgeons, so no cutting for me.
The next year a bicycle fall injured my left shoulder. (Details available, but reading could cause eyeglass damage and facial contusions from excessive face-palming, so I'll just leave it as "jackass."). Again, surgery possible, but not highly recommended.
In 2016, I tried to build back up to my end-of-July 2.25 mi. I was successful at a 1.2 mile race at the beginning of june(if you call 70 minutes "successful"), but had some R shoulder pain working out at maybe 1200 yards 3X a week later in June, so I dropped out.
I occasionally consult a triathlon swimming coach, who is an ER doc. She uses the Total Immersion method and one consult a year or so was very helpful in my 50's to get my personal bests.
She recommended
("FINALLY! AFTER ALL THAT MEANDERING BLITHERING MAYBE HE'LL GET TO SOMETHING USEFUL...")
She recommended that I practice my form, try to kick hard, but with my arms, DO NOT PUSH. At all. Like, put my hands where they should be and let the water move them along, then get the arm back in front of me, mindfully, with good form, but slowly.
It turns out this is not easy. But it seems to be working with no shoulder issues. Oddly enough, my general fitness is really, REALLY helped by even short slow workouts.
When I was ramping up for the race when I turned 60, I was kicking over 1500 yards a week. Had I persisted ust with that, I could have kept in shape, I think. I couldn't motivate myself to go to the pool to kick, though.
So in July, I started doing 300 yards 3 X per week. If I keep increasing the workouts, like 100 yards every two weeks, I'll be able to do the 2.25 next July. I'm at 900 yards per workout now, so issues.
" I am SO slow continents drift past me when I do my laps.
Since I was in my late 20's, I try to do a mile in minutes in under my age in years. I was 29 when I first did that and- for me at least- a sub-29 minute mile was an accomplishment.
My milestones include trying to do a sub-65 minute mile before the end of the year. If I can do that I have a chance,-just a chance- at completing the 2.25 next July. ("Team DFL strikes again!"). I calculated a projection of my current time and it's something like an 88 minute mile. I expect to start working on "speed" (i.e. movement in a vaguely forward direction) in early November.
If this doesn't work, I might have to become (JFC!) a noodler. (sorry Elaine).
Age is really important in terms of planning recovery. An overuse injury when you're 30 something that might take 6 months o heal. A very similar injury when you are 50 might take two years and when you're 60+, there is a real question as to ever recovering.
I'm 65.
In my 50's, I did a 2.25 mile open water "race" yearly. I did personal best times when I was 57. then 58, then 59. I posted here a lot then. The water was in no danger of catching fire from my 40 minute miles, though.
When I was 59, I kept my workouts going in the fall after my race was over, but then pulled back when I started having mild right shoulder pain. When I started again in the spring, I got my doctor to refer me to PT, more-or-less prophylacticly.
Three weeks before my race, with considerable assistance from the Big-Medicine-Sports-Medicine-Center that wasn't paying much attention to me in their assembly line process, my right shoulder blew out.
Surgery was recommended by one surgeon, but discouraged by the 2nd opinion and my PC doc who I trust. I used to work in a Big-Medicine-Orthopedic-OR,and I have significant issues with surgeons, so no cutting for me.
The next year a bicycle fall injured my left shoulder. (Details available, but reading could cause eyeglass damage and facial contusions from excessive face-palming, so I'll just leave it as "jackass."). Again, surgery possible, but not highly recommended.
In 2016, I tried to build back up to my end-of-July 2.25 mi. I was successful at a 1.2 mile race at the beginning of june(if you call 70 minutes "successful"), but had some R shoulder pain working out at maybe 1200 yards 3X a week later in June, so I dropped out.
I occasionally consult a triathlon swimming coach, who is an ER doc. She uses the Total Immersion method and one consult a year or so was very helpful in my 50's to get my personal bests.
She recommended
("FINALLY! AFTER ALL THAT MEANDERING BLITHERING MAYBE HE'LL GET TO SOMETHING USEFUL...")
She recommended that I practice my form, try to kick hard, but with my arms, DO NOT PUSH. At all. Like, put my hands where they should be and let the water move them along, then get the arm back in front of me, mindfully, with good form, but slowly.
It turns out this is not easy. But it seems to be working with no shoulder issues. Oddly enough, my general fitness is really, REALLY helped by even short slow workouts.
When I was ramping up for the race when I turned 60, I was kicking over 1500 yards a week. Had I persisted ust with that, I could have kept in shape, I think. I couldn't motivate myself to go to the pool to kick, though.
So in July, I started doing 300 yards 3 X per week. If I keep increasing the workouts, like 100 yards every two weeks, I'll be able to do the 2.25 next July. I'm at 900 yards per workout now, so issues.
" I am SO slow continents drift past me when I do my laps.
Since I was in my late 20's, I try to do a mile in minutes in under my age in years. I was 29 when I first did that and- for me at least- a sub-29 minute mile was an accomplishment.
My milestones include trying to do a sub-65 minute mile before the end of the year. If I can do that I have a chance,-just a chance- at completing the 2.25 next July. ("Team DFL strikes again!"). I calculated a projection of my current time and it's something like an 88 minute mile. I expect to start working on "speed" (i.e. movement in a vaguely forward direction) in early November.
If this doesn't work, I might have to become (JFC!) a noodler. (sorry Elaine).
