Building Back from Injury

[wjdistance09]

I was doing like 45 a week to start out outdoor then i got injured for 2 months...i started back may 24 and i want to build up to 60 a week by the end of july. any advice on how to do this? my first week was like 10-15 miles. this week was 25-26. and i started doing strides after each run. i wanna get to 35-40 by the end of june?

[Rockster22]

Is there any pain while running now? That's the key question.

I'd say build up how you normally would during base phase, except keep a keen eye on your body. If you are feeling roughed up a bit DO NOT be afraid to just stay where you are mileage wise, or taper back down for a week. It's base training stage, your not supposed to kill yourself here.

My only suggestion besides that would be to stay off of roads as much as possible. This is another no-brainer, but a lot of people seem to forget that post-injury your body is less able to handle concrete stress, and re injure themselves from doing all their runs on concrete; I would suggest finding a path, even if it's a boring one, just rehab on that path. Stay off the roads as much as possible, stick to the softer surfaces.

[wjdistance09]

i mainly just have sidewalks. i can access a trail 3 days a week.
maybe at the beginning ill feel a little something in my knees (what got injured) but it doesn't really hurt. im feeling better like breathing wise then when i first first started but my legs get really tired a lot quicker than they used to....is that normal? for how long does that sensation last?

oh and since i missed pretty much all of outdoor...i wanted to start incorporating speed workouts on the track. is it too soon to go out and do 8x400s at 1600 pace or whatever?

[RFXCrunner]

yes, too soon for any sort of speed anything.

You should build up your mileage slowly and comfortable. You're tiring out much easier than you used to because of the time you had to take off. If your knee still doesn't feel normal 100% of the time, it is too soon to return to any sort of strenuous intervals or anything, and with all the time you took off, you're more likely to hurt yourself again doing that. Focus on doing your easy runs and getting back to a decent amount of easy mileage, try to keep it as comfortable as possible and get your aerobic fitness back. Take your time getting back, your knees will thank you later.