[Phaedrus49er]

I'll just answer the questions. My stomach's still a little queasy from this three hours later. Note: this is not the same leg that had the earlier issues.

1. When did the pain begin?

Today.

2. What were you doing at the time? Or did the pain come on gradually over time?

I was finishing up a sprint training session with 100-yard cruise sprints (jog 60, sprint 40). This morning, I'd done a 5x5 Bear complex workout in the gym. In the sprint session leading up to the cruise sprints, I performed:

--2x30 diagonal duck-unders (15 each leg)
--2x20yd knee-high run
--2x50yd crossovers (25yd each direction)
--2x100yd calf walk
--2x50yd skips
--5x50yd ladder sprints (alternate 10yd sprint and 10yd jog)
--10x100yd cruise sprints (planned, almost finished 3 reps)

My right hamstring felt a little fatigued as the workout went on, but it's not unusual for one or both to feel that way after a couple weeks' hiatus from this workout. On the third cruise sprint at about the 90yd mark, it popped like a finger knuckle (with obvious extras involved), and I managed to hobble/hop to a stop before going to all fours rather than immediately collapse like I wanted to do.

3. Where, anatomically, is the pain?

The area label "1" and possibly "2." The most dynamic pain is right smack in the middle of "1" and maybe a tad toward the knee, but achy along the entire length.



4. What does the pain feel like? Sharp? Dull? Aching? Stabbing? Shooting?

As I lie here with an ice pack on the affected area, the pain is mostly dull and throbbing slightly. When I walk, I can manage a 2/3 stride on a very slight incline with minimal discomfort. Anything beyond that brings sharp, shooting, almost debilitating pain. Same for level ground if I attempt beyond a 3/4 stride. The worst pain only comes if external (including bodyweight) resistance is placed on the hamstrings (bending at waist/hips is blindingly painful past, say, 10 degrees from vertical, regardless of whether my legs are straight or bent). If I bring my knee toward my chest, there is no extra pain. I can extend my knee to a straight leg with no extra pain while sitting/lying down. If I lie on my stomach and bend my knee, the achiness increases, but the movement is doable; otherwise, the straightened leg in this orientation just throbs a bit. I can actually ascend a staircase with no extra pain. I can also reach the floor (to pick up stuff) via single bent-leg deadlift movement (load on the left leg, of course) and flex my right knee so that foot clears the floor on the descent with no pain (bodyweight is too heavy, but weight of the leg alone is doable).

5. Is the pain constant, or intermittent, or only on certain motions?

See above, and if I'm off my feet, the pain subsides to general achiness with a bit more tenderness in the middle of the affected area. If I'm up and moving, regardless of how careful I'm being, the achiness increases but is nowhere near debilitating. As I lie on my stomach, I'm also noticing that the pain is worse if I try to relax everything, but if I tense my glutes and rotate my pelvis back (shortening the hams, I'm guessing), the pain lessens.

6. What motions make your pain worse?

See above.

7. What, if anything, makes your pain better?

The sharp/shooting pain is absent when no external load is placed on the hamstrings. The dull/throbbing pain remains constant.

8. Does your pain radiate to any other part of your body?

Nope, pretty localized to the area pictured above.

9. What things could you do before, that you cannot do now because of your injury?

See above.

10. What is your main concern regarding the pain and its consequences?

Resuming running as soon as possible, sprint or distance. I'm not optimistic about competing in an already-registered 5K this weekend, and I can handle being out of commission for a couple months if need be. I just want a timetable.

11. Have you ever injured that part of your body before? If so, how?

Nothing beyond the rare cramp.

12. Is your pain getting worse over time? And if so, how much worse over what time period?

No, it's subsided significantly from when it first happened. The pain was excruciating for about a minute when it first happened, but after sitting with knees bent for about ten minutes, I was able to hobble back home (three blocks) and shuffle through a shower and settle into a recliner where I sat while writing most of this.