Compartmental Release & SF

[Big Chief]

I used to be on this site quite a bit and was training for SFAS like a beast. Everything was going smooth and I could feel myself getting closer and closer to being ready.... except my running. Some days I couldn't run 20 feet without my shin almost exploding.

3 weeks ago, I had a deep compartmental release with cauterization and am now rehabbing with laps in the pool and 85-90% HR bike rides. I need work, but feel I should be able to make it into SFAS next summer if all goes according to plan. My determination has not waivered an inch.

Has anyone know of others who have had this surgery and how they performed afterward? Will this shatter my dreams? or will I still be able to try out?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS - Great to be back!!!!!!

[jatx]

Originally Posted by Big Chief

I used to be on this site quite a bit and was training for SFAS like a beast. Everything was going smooth and I could feel myself getting closer and closer to being ready.... except my running. Some days I couldn't run 20 feet without my shin almost exploding.

3 weeks ago, I had a deep compartmental release with cauterization and am now rehabbing with laps in the pool and 85-90% HR bike rides. I need work, but feel I should be able to make it into SFAS next summer if all goes according to plan. My determination has not waivered an inch.

Has anyone know of others who have had this surgery and how they performed afterward? Will this shatter my dreams? or will I still be able to try out?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

PS - Great to be back!!!!!!

Sorry to hear about your injury. I can't respond to your specific question, but I would recommend looking at some of the recent threads on heart rate and training. The HR you describe is above your anaerobic threshold and unlikely to do much for your overall fitness level except in very small amounts as part of structured interval workouts. And from what I read here, the ability to perform without oxygen for short periods of time isn't a big part of success at SFAS. (QPs correct me if I am wrong or overstepping my bounds.) Cycling at a lower heart (55-65% of max HR) rate for much longer periods of time is a great way to build real endurance and leg strength without as high a risk of injury, though. Finally, although cycling is low impact, it still puts real stress on joints, especially in the lower leg and when bike fit is poor. If you have not been professionally fitted at a reputable shop, do yourself a favor and take the time to do so. Feel free to PM me with cycling-specific questions, as I have many years of experience with the sport.

[Big Chief]

Right now, I am hitting 85-90% max HR for periods of 30-45 minutes continuous (not intervals). I understand the need for developing endurance and know a few QPs who have given me generally training advice.

Thanks for your advice.

[jatx]

Originally Posted by Big Chief

Right now, I am hitting 85-90% max HR for periods of 30-45 minutes continuous (not intervals). I understand the need for developing endurance and know a few QPs who have given me generally training advice.

Thanks for your advice.

FYI, even members of the Olympic team time trial squad don't hit that HR for such a long duration in training. You're just burning the candle to no discernable effect. If your goal is to improve your body's ability to operate right at (but not over) your anaerobic threshold, structured intervals of 5-7 minutes with double that interval back down around 65% of max 2x per week is a better way to go. The rest of your time on the bike should probably be spent doing "long slow distance" and paced hill workouts.

Also, 30-45 minutes is really the lower limit for an effective bike workout. Your LSD days should probably be no less than 90 minutes, and your interval workouts more like 90 minutes as well (assuming 30 minute warm-up and 15 minute cool-down). If you are just jumping on and pedaling like a banshee, you are asking for more trouble in the not too distant future. YMMV.

jatx, what do you think of resistance and rpms when writing that? (cycling, of course)

[jatx]

Martin,

In my youthful exuberance and indiscretion, I was a big ring grinder for many a year. I left scorch marks on the pavement, true, but now I am paying the price early at 32. Get a HR monitor and choose the gear that allows you to maintain your target zone and RPMs of 90-100 simultaneously. You can slow down if you are climbing in the seated position, and have pushed back a bit in the saddle.

If you get a stationary trainer, you can practice this and do your stock research at the same time.

jatx, thanks! Have seen good profit since last year... let's see how this will turn out. I have been swamped and not had time to read so far, though.

[Eagle5US]

Thread moved to TMC 14-

Eagle

[Big Chief]

Hey NDD and all the QP 18Ds who would be kind enough to give me some insight.

How is this surgery/injury going to effect my chances of getting into/through SFAS and my ability to contribute to my team?

I understand my ability to make it through SFAS/life is primarilly based on the amount of limitations and the amount of motivation I cultivate inside. My question is from a physiological standpoint.

Any advice and insight would be greatly appreicated.

PS - I am shooting for a spot in 2/20th SFG as an 18D. With a little luck, in 3 years, I'll be able to answer my own question.

[The Reaper]

Big Chief:

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. You are not even in SFAS yet, much less assigned an MOS and on a team. Luck will have little to do with it for the vast majority of candidates.

You can gut it out through pain. The mind can make the body press on long after the body thinks it is done. There are some injuries you shouldn't try it with. Pain is sometimes weakness leaving the body, but it is also nature's way of telling you that something is broken and needs to be repaired. You need to learn the difference. If you continue to drive on a tire that is losing air, will it get better if you ignore it?

Have you followed the instructions elsewhere and reviewed the reference for medical conditions?

"Organization/unit surgeons will base their determinations of a soldier’s medical qualification/disqualification on AR 40-501, Standards of Medical Fitness (1 May 1989), Interim Change No. 101 to AR 50-401 (1 October 1991), and the USAJFKSWCS Memorandum, “Requirements for Completing Physical Examinations for USAJFKSWCS Schools,” 1 March 1995.

If you have a chronic injury that could recur and render you combat ineffective, you probably do not belong on your team. To think otherwise is selfish and is a disservice to your teammates who will be counting on you.

Do the right thing, and let the consequences follow.

TR

[Big Chief]

I agree with your assessment Mr. Reaper. Your advice is always very appreciated.

As they say "There is many a slip between the cup and the lip." I know my sitting in a team room is quite a distance away. Every step toward achieving that goal is all I think about. Those around me laugh when I say I just might be "Obsessed" about it.

My first step is being able to run 20 feet. Eventually, pass a 2-mile in my age group, and then max points for the 17-21 group. Then, serious distance.... all before even talking to 20th SFG again and getting on their training team. My surgeon says I should be good-to-go and can do whatever I set my mind to with time.

You are totally right, I want to be an asset to a team and not a liability. If it looks like my problem is going to be reoccurring, I'll consider my options at that point.

PS - Thanks for the perspective on pain. I especially loved your advice on rucking some time back when everyone was talking about customizing boots and you basically said, custom boots are for guys who haven't put in the miles to make their feet like iron. "You see the best boots on the VW bus." (something like that)I always think of that when I ruck. "See you on the beach!" - SPR

Thanks again!

[Detcord]

it never pays to be out of shape.

i can't stress enough to anybody trying to get in shape, especially
with running, to start slow and gradually add more miles over time.

you may feel like running 5 miles, but your lower extremities are saying
1 or 2 miles only please...

additionally, in the beginning, taking several days off between runs, and
even taking a week off from running after a few weeks of running is what needs
to happen in order for your bones and other tissue to toughen up to the
point where they can withstand the rigors of running. if you are older, you
may need even more recovery.

you have done too much too soon.

you can recover from this most likely, so let it heal. completely.

then, start running again at a slow pace and keep the runs short,
like a mile or less. run slow also, like 9-10 min miles to start.

GRADUALLY increase distance over time. after about 2-3 months you should
be up to 5 miles or so. take lots of time off between runs too, especially
when increasing weekly mileage or distance. once you get up to 5-6 miles
or so, then focus on running at a faster pace.

[swatsurgeon]

Big Chief,
I think I know what you are asking.....but let me ramble on the subject.
The lower leg has 4 compartments; they each contain a set of the muscle located in the lower leg. Each compartment is separated from the others by investing fascia and bone. When a muscle swells, becomes edematous, there is only so much room to accomodate the increased muscle volume. When the limits of volume have been exceeded, a compartment syndrome can, and usually does, occur. This is manifest by
1) pain
2) pain with stretching of involved muscles
3) changes in sensation
4) pallor: whiter (ischemic) appearance
5) sense of cooler extremity (decreased blood flow)
6) eventual paralysis
This can lead to loss of limb.
The treatment is a compartment release which is simply removing the barrier to expansion of the muscle group. We split the fascia which "breaks open" the compartment and allows the sweeling to occur and not be 'held back'. Theoretically, if it is caught early and there is no muscle or nerve cell death, there should be no long term disability. If the muscle bulged A LOT past the anatomic margins of the compartment, sometimes a skin graft is needed to now cover the permanently exposed muscle. Generally, with no significant damage, there should be unrestricted activities.

ss

[Big Chief]

Thank you sir. That was exactly to the heart of my question. I was curious about the long term effects of my surgery and its possible impeding my dreams of going to Selection/SFQC/being a valued team member. Your insight and explanation was exactly what I was looking for.

Detcord, I appreciate the advice on running and its well received. While laid up, I read Jeff "Galloway's Book on Running" and really liked his approach. I also researched Runnersworld.com and liked thier advice on not increasing weekly mileage by more than 10% per week. I am now firmly committed to the turtle philosophy and am trying to let go of being the hare.

Long road ahead, but I will get there.

Thanks again for all the insight Swatsurgeon and for all the advice from everyone else.

[Detcord]

the human body is a biological organism and not a machine. if you will allow yourself to heal when you need to heal you will be stronger than before.

understand that you will get another chance if you allow for proper
"recovery," everything will work out. focus on healing and building
yourself slowly.

holding back when you need to hold back is a dicipline greater that
training itself. it's an individual process. some people heal
faster than others. patience is required.

fitness is hard earned. maintaining it is not. the body builds itself
molecule by molecule when it heals from illness, injury, or training.
everything you can do to ensure proper recovery like adequate
nutrition, sleep, etc. helps ensure you will recover from your
injuries faster.

people with high fitness levels normally recover faster than people who
are less fit.

being out of shape is never good.

you should always be "fit to fight."