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!
I've had more shoulder issues in the past 3 years than I had in my first 25 years of swimming...that is, I've had all the shoulder issues I've ever had just in the past 3 years.
3 years ago it was micro tears in my left labrum, that lasted for nearly a year before I finally went to a doctor about it and was prescribed stretch cords and anti-inflammatories. I'd had pretty constant discomfort when I swam for the entire time, and it would occasionally devolve into sharp pain. After getting the stretch cords, I also took a month or two out of the water for unrelated life reasons, then when I got back in the water in January 2018, it was completely resolved. My right shoulder started exhibiting the exact same symptoms last fall, but stretch cords nipped that right in the bud.
This summer, since my swimming regimen has declined from 4-5 practices per week down to 2-3 (I take my summers pretty easy to recuperate from spring nationals), my shoulders have started to flare up a bit from time to time when I've been out of the water for more than 2-3 days, but the stretch cords have kept that pretty much under control.
It's kinda ironic, actually--I had pretty bad technique across all four strokes as an age grouper, but never had any injuries even during the last 2-3 years when my coach experimented with a high yardage program. Now, as a masters swimmer, my technique is light years better and my training yardage/intensity is way lower than it was as a mule headed teenager, but now I'm getting injured. Started off with a left knee injury doing butterfly in 2014 that resulted in me wearing a knee brace for ~2 months, then off and on knee issues in both knees doing breaststroke from 2015-2016, then the shoulder issues the past few years. Ah, the glories of getting older! :afraid:
In my 50's I discovered that eliminating days-in-a-row from my regimen made my ramp-ups for my yearly lake race much more effective. I kinda felt like I was slacking, but my timed mile and my life were both much better.
Bill Pierce, marathon running coach, says, "You don't gain fitness from exercise - you gain fitness from recovery after exercise."
Bill Pierce, marathon running coach, says, "You don't gain fitness from exercise - you gain fitness from recovery after exercise."
That's correct: No rest no adaptation and the benefits from the exercise will generally be lost. Muscles adapt from workouts when one rests. Especially as one ages, its very easy to over train. So if you are walking around tired and sore, let up on the gas peddle and rest more.
