Adjusting for Injury

by Tom O'GARA
(France)

Adjusting the schedule (early on) due to injury :

"Hi Marius

I started the plan (3h30) for the NY marathon pricesly 15 weeks before, but managed just 2 sessions of week 1 as I blocked my ciatic nerve badly (whilst running). I'm on the mend and taking your advice I am hoping to start back next week (fitness permitting) with 3-5 light runs before getting back into the plan with 12 weeks to go.

Do I start back doing week 2 then move on to week 5 (if I've read the plan correctly) or start at week 4 and continue on, as seems to be the advice in the some of injury related blogs?

Also, as I was injured doing a "hard session" it leads me to think I didn't warm up properly. I haven't come accross any advice as to what you recommend to do for warming up before getting stuck in to the hard sessions."

Answer: Hi Tom, in your case (with problems this early in the schedule) I would use the advice I talk about in Chapter 5 of the 100 day plan (how to adjust the schedule to be shorter than 100 days). And sort of start from scratch based on that.

However, I would first use about 10-12 days or so to gradually build up before going into the schedule, shortened down as I talk about in that Chapter. Just like you have planned to. That will give you a gradual approach to the schedule again.

In terms of warming up, I recommend to jog a few minutes first, then 3-4 minutes of Effort 2-3 to get the system going, 3-4 minutes of jog - before starting the actual hard workouts !

I wish you all the best and I do hope the injury will leave you alone for the rest of the period leading up to NYC.

all the best,
Marius