No matter what your sport, you will eventually acquire injuries that prevent you from participating in it for a time. If you do the right things, it is possible to get back in the game sooner rather than later. The key is slow and careful rehab. You must make sure the part is stronger than it was leading up to the original injury.
I'm not sure how or why I got injured at this particular meet. I could say that I dieted too hard or that I didn't warm up enough. Regardless, I don't think I'd change anything other than possibly adding one more set of warm up squats.
cont.
As for the injury, try to picture a rope that becomes frayed in the middle.
The outside strands break loose while the main strands in the center are still intact. Now picture that happening to the outer most center of your left leg while deep in the hole of a heavy squat.
The sound that the tear made was very distinct and it scared me (and the judge to my left) much more than the pain. After the initial shock of being injured, the realization that you are out of the game for a while starts to settle in. I was extremely frustrated because what I thought was going to be one of my best meets ever became one of my worst. Once you get through this self-pity phase, it's time to get back to work on rehabing the injured parts in order to be ready for the next competition.
Rehab usually starts with R.I.C.E. I won't tire anyone with these basics. If you don't know them, you should Google them (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). This phase generally lasts around 3 days. Then I start the basic physical therapy phase. This phase includes slowly flexing / extending the injured part. I also start working mobility and flexibility. This lasts from the end of R.I.C.E to when ever you are ready to move on. While every injury is different, I try to take the same logical steps in the same practical flow. If I am healed enough, I progress to more stressful stages. If not, I don't. This is a game of patience. If the foundation is laid incorrectly, re-injury will be unavoidable.
If all goes according to plan, I will be competing in more climbing events during the remainder of the year. This will give me more time to heal. I will more than likely compete in at least one more powerlifting event because I have to prove to myself that fear of injury is not the reason for no longer competing. I will definitely squat heavy again because it is simply in my nature to do so.
This last meet did have some good points. I still won the overall RAW title by doing a one-legged dead lift of 405 lbs. I didn't know that I could do this until this bizarre set of circumstances came up. My friend also took his class and set a record in the squat. He is now capable of out lifting me in nearly every lift. Soon he will move far ahead as he approaches his thirties. I will attempt to become more diverse as I approach my fifties. Every day above ground ...
Stay strong.
Rehab usually starts with R.I.C.E. I won't tire anyone with these basics. If you don't know them, you should Google them (rest, ice, compression, and elevation). This phase generally lasts around 3 days. Then I start the basic physical therapy phase. This phase includes slowly flexing / extending the injured part. I also start working mobility and flexibility. This lasts from the end of R.I.C.E to when ever you are ready to move on. While every injury is different, I try to take the same logical steps in the same practical flow. If I am healed enough, I progress to more stressful stages. If not, I don't. This is a game of patience. If the foundation is laid incorrectly, re-injury will be unavoidable.
If all goes according to plan, I will be competing in more climbing events during the remainder of the year. This will give me more time to heal. I will more than likely compete in at least one more powerlifting event because I have to prove to myself that fear of injury is not the reason for no longer competing. I will definitely squat heavy again because it is simply in my nature to do so.
This last meet did have some good points. I still won the overall RAW title by doing a one-legged dead lift of 405 lbs. I didn't know that I could do this until this bizarre set of circumstances came up. My friend also took his class and set a record in the squat. He is now capable of out lifting me in nearly every lift. Soon he will move far ahead as he approaches his thirties. I will attempt to become more diverse as I approach my fifties. Every day above ground ...
Stay strong.
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