Injury Prevention... training and planned practice

[Blissful]

I saw that many of you have already gotten your flu shot and I am wondering what else you may be doing to prevent injury/illness on the trail.


I am also looking at bringing multivitamins and mostly vegetarian food.

What are you planning?

I would argue that going vegetarian doesn't mean you won't get injured. it has nothing to do with it. If anything, you must supplement the diet so that you are ingesting enough protein to heal the delicate muscle fibers that get torn every day by the sheer force of hiking day in and day out. And I have seen more than one hiker start as veggies and eat a burger in the town after a few months.

There is no way to really avoid injury. The fact of the matter is, it WILL happen. It just matters how severe the innjury is and if you are eating well enough and doing what must be done on the trail to heal it

But to avoid overuse injuries, esp at the onset, start slow, carry less and use common sense. its not a race

[RichardD]

I am beginning to get concerned that what I am doing might jeopardize rather than help my thru hike.
Skiing is my other passion and I am skiing pretty much every day. Today, after 9 consecutive days of skiing, 15 total I am getting some knee pain, right in front of my kneecap. I used supports on my knees today, the kind you get at WalMart and I am not sure they help much. I have never had treatment for any knee problems but after about 8 or so days of skiing this seems to occur. It does not seem to harm my walking. I have hiked up to 500 miles on trails on each of a couple of Summers with no knee problems.
Does anyone know what I can do to minimize this problem, are there any knee supports out there that would likely be beneficial.
So far I skied 6 days straight, ten days off, this time 21 days straight followed by 10 days off. After Christmas 74 days straight followed by a couple of weeks off then the AT. Of course the 74 days straight might change if I hurt too much or the pass closes.
Abandoning the skiing would be akin to abandoning the AT so please noone say stop skiing!!!
I take glucosamine and I really think it helps although a study in England says I would do just as well with a sugar pill.
Suggestions anyone?

[Blissful]

Forget those kinds of knee braces. They stink, imo. The Cho pat duo brace is great. I used it my entire SOBO hike on one knee. And make sure the Glucosmine is sulfate, not HCL and you are taking enough of it. AND I wholeheartedly disagree with some English study...

[4eyedbuzzard]

...Today, after 9 consecutive days of skiing, 15 total I am getting some knee pain, right in front of my kneecap.... Suggestions anyone?

Hmm, you're 63 years old according to your profile, and you're getting "some" knee pain after 9 consecutive days of skiing, and 15 total (likely in 16 days I'm assuming) I'm thinking you're done.

Your knees likely hurt due to some soft tissue injury from the repetitive stress and strain you've been subjecting them to without allowing them time to heal and repair. Ibuprofen or another anti-inflammatory like Aleve plus rest just might help them heal. If they still hurt after a week of rest, see an Orthopaedist that deals with both seniors AND sports injuries. There's all sorts of soft tissue in the knee that can get injured and cause anterior pain, and then there's always good old fashioned arthritis that occasionally affects some of us who were alive when guys like Truman and Ike were running things.

[Mizirlou]

Go to the dentist for a cleaning and get your teeth checked.

. . . and if you have any caps on your teeth, get a packet of ZONE (temporary cement) from your dentist to carry while hiking. Very tiny 2-part mixable packet. I came down hard on a rock once, my jaw snapped closed & popped one off. I had to quit smiling so the missing fang didn’t show.

[Chillfactor]

I add powdered protein like Muscle Milk to my oatmeal and put a scoopful in a bottle of water to drink in mid-day. Also TVP, powdered vegetable protein, is a good additive to ramen, mashed potatoes, and rice
This seems to limit sore legs. I do take Glucosamine/Chondroitin as well as a multivitamin and stretch at the end of the day.

[RichardD]

4eyedbuzzard, I hope you are wrong but I am rather afraid you are right. I will likely quit earlier in the afternoon rather than sking first to last lift.
I will have 10 days off at Christmas so I will see what that does.
I have not used any Ibuprophen as yet, I definitely do not want to mask pain and thus do damage, however anti inflamitory properties would likely be good.