competing with injury

[Sharla]

I used to say I wouldn't compete with an injury but in my old age I'm beginning to see how easily I could go back on that.

Just wondering how many people have competed with an injury, what it was and what would be the cut off for you? How much worse would that injury have to be before you'd pull out?

[Lords Gym]

I used to say I wouldn't compete with an injury but in my old age I'm beginning to see how easily I could go back on that.

Just wondering how many people have competed with an injury, what it was and what would be the cut off for you? How much worse would that injury have to be before you'd pull out?

I have done it many times, I never talk about it, never let the opponent know what it is. even past injuries, because you don’t want to give insight to your problem areas even after they heal. truth is almost always something sore going into a match . a knuckle a rib, strained back, shoulder... I once fought with cracked ribs, money and venue had been set, a bit too late for a pullout and truth was it hadn’t flared up on me os what the hell ! .. in hind sight I would have come down with the FLU. if you know what i mean ? haha

anyway. There were no problems till the 3rd. and fuck all. got hit with a shot to body it like to kill me, Had to keep moving forward reluctantly vs. this monster. Praying for inner strength to finish on my feet. I did !

[donnydarkoIRL]

Boxed a four rounder with my shoulder dislocated...
Will regret it until the day i die!!!
I thought i had just pulled a muscle in it...
Then i got hit on it and i thought i would die...
bOXED IN REVERSE FOR THE REMAINDER KEEPING HIM AT JABS LENGTH AND DIDNT THROW 1 RIGHT!

[Trainer Monkey]

I have to fight totally flat footed now because of an ankle I wouldnt let heal so I dont know how much Id recomend that

[Sharla]

Thanks for sharing - CC all round. So everyone who has competed with an injury regrets it?

I've inflamed a disc in my back. I think it's probably a pre-existing thing that's just been stirred up by field work and perhaps Judo (throwing guy 30 kg heavier with beginner's technique  )

Can't run at all. Skipping irritates it, bag work is not possible, shadow seems OK most of the time but once it's irritated say by a few rounds skipping even swimming is enough to make it burn!

I have nationals not this weekend but next weekend. Have been waiting since last year to be here again and really, REALLY don't want to pull out. I've paid for my flight, got the uniform, a few people flying over to watch me and everything!

[Sharla]

OK sorry to have a big public sooky la la about it - I think my situation is a little different to others here though.

Luckily my movement is not constricted and there's nowhere I know of on my body which is particularly vulnerable to being hit.

I'm going to go but I just won't be able to train hard leading up to it so it's going to be an extra loooong taper! I can still do shadow though so I guess that's something at least!

[donnydarkoIRL]

Well Sharla if you have to, i suppose the best advice i can give you is stay as loose as possible. I no Aus is hot, but if you can get to a Sauna every couple of days itl be a help, Shadow box a lot, quick and loose...Thatl be all you need.

[Trainer Monkey]

Thanks for sharing - CC all round. So everyone who has competed with an injury regrets it?

I've inflamed a disc in my back. I think it's probably a pre-existing thing that's just been stirred up by field work and perhaps Judo (throwing guy 30 kg heavier with beginner's technique )

Can't run at all. Skipping irritates it, bag work is not possible, shadow seems OK most of the time but once it's irritated say by a few rounds skipping even swimming is enough to make it burn!

I have nationals not this weekend but next weekend. Have been waiting since last year to be here again and really, REALLY don't want to pull out. I've paid for my flight, got the uniform, a few people flying over to watch me and everything!

You know,and I know,youve allready made your decision
Cant say Im blaiming you,as I said,I made a similar decision
Just warning you in advance theres going to be some cold nights coming youll regret it.
But if you win,you wont,hey,thats just being battle tested then,right?

[Sharla]

I see your point thanks Monkey - still, since it's not restrictive, just painful if I stir it up, it's no excuse to loose. If I loose it'll be because the better person won on the day.

The only thing is that I have to go easy with training right now so my lead up is not going to be very structured. To be honest though it never is - no one's ever really taught me how to tell how long I should be tapering for, how hard to go in the preceding weeks to a comp etc. I guess that's something I still have to research and trial myself!

I am getting it treated by the chiro and so far she's only giving me advice for a few days in advance and telling me to come back if it's still bad. Technically I haven't been banned from competing - but at the same time I haven't exactly mentioned it's happening Still she was very positive this morning so it's possible I'm just blowing it all out of proportion because the timing bothers me!

Went to see her this morning and she was able to adjust a few points that have refused to move in the past so I'm hoping that's a good sign. I've been sleeping on the floor instead of my bed too and not waking up crunching my back into place 3 times before I move. I always thought I had a good mattress (still not very old and was expensive when I bought it) but maybe it's not as good as I thought! The cat and dog at my mum's place think I'm crazy though - sleeping on the floor there is an invite for the dog to pester me non stop!

There is a sauna close to my house so I might give that a go too thanks hitmandonny. I'm also trying to self massage and paying for a few. So typical that I have to be in pain to remember the stuff I should be doing anyway!

[donnydarkoIRL]

Hey Sharla,
You might want to try keeping the back supported at all times.
Ironically my father has a back problem and it was an Austrailian guy who comes over during the summer who taught him how to look after his back like this.
He uses a "back warner." Almost like a belt, 12 inches thisck which circles his back and keeps pressure on it. It doesn't cure the problem but it will prevent it flairing up before the fight and may allow you to train more.

I myself am going to invest in a heap of Neoprene shirts. Mayb Ever shield by Everlast (SINCE THE uS DOLLAR IS SO WEAK AT THE MOMENT!) to support my shoulder and theoretically prevent it flaring up before February, mayb it's worth a go?

[Sharla]

Sounds like a good idea CC hitmandonny

Also seems pretty likely they sell what you're talking about here which is good

Yeah I don't know much about shoulders so can't give any advice but I guess there's only one way to find out whether or not it works for you!

In a way I'm learning more about what's going on with my back because I'm pushing it. The hop is that I won't end up a screwed up in my old age as I would if I was inactive because by then maybe I've learnt how to manage my weak points.

Chiro said I've inflamed the 'bursa' of the joints where the spine and the rib cage meet. Common issue with movements which involve some rotation. Based on that while I think a soft bed, cycling posture and phD stress (tense up my muscles when POd!) are all factors I think the cause of my problem might be the coach who tried to ban me from pivoting with my cross.

After all I was used to pivoting with it before coming to the gym and kept trying to do as i was told with the same amount of rotation. Thing is the ribs are meant to reduce the rotation of the spine - we are structurally limited there - where they join and the knee is not meant to rotate sideways - so what two areas pull up injured - that part of my spine and my left knee! i should have trusted myself more since I knew watching him he had a small pivot and wasn't actually able to do what he said to do.

I guess it's a similar story with your shoulder isn't it htimandonny? A coach made you overwork it? I don't like being obstinate but might need to be more assertive next time I find myself in a similar position!

[donnydarkoIRL]

First off CC sharl, saw ur other post in my thread and agree il do some more stability work.

I didn realise that a coach was responsible for your injury! And your right it was a national coach here tried to teach me something and i kept doing exactly as he said and when i tried it one day in sparring it dislocated!
(Recently i have discovered how to do the technique correctly and found that he was showing me the completely wrong way. He had obviously just seen it done and said "i'm a boxing trainer i can teach that.")

I really hope you can get some really good treatment for your back after the nationals, its a horrible area to injure and you should definitely look after it!

[StrictlySP]

Hi Sharla,
You asked:
Just wondering how many people have competed with an injury, what it was and what would be the cut off for you? How much worse would that injury have to be before you'd pull out?

I competed with various injuries during my competitive career a long time ago. Anyway, I've competed with inflammed shoulders, elbows, knees, and a partially torn retina. In some cases, it was okay, in others, not so smart...

The criteria I recommend you use to base your decision on whether or not to compete with an injury is this: 1) Will the injury you are saddled with significantly affect your ability to perform at your best (or at least your near best)? and 2) What is the potential for permanent damage?

Oftentimes, unless you are a professional fighter with a lot at stake on many fronts, it's ideally best to rest, rehab, and fully recover from an injury before training hard (this precludes training around an injury) and competing. Besides the aformentioned criteria, another concern is the higher probability of you being hurt/knocked out to an easier, greater extent by your opponent due to not being at full strength/capacity.

Anyway, hope this helps. Take care...

[Sharla]

Thanks Hitmandonny - Yeah - this particular back issue I have is a long term 'weak link'.

I think the reason it's inflamed recently is as a result of field work and perhaps Judo but originally it developed when I was trying to force a strong right cross (without setting it up with any left step - otherwise I think would be OK) without a pivot and being told I should be able to rotate just as far ans as fast as with a pivot.

Now I know better but at the time I guess I felt I had to at least try my best to do as I was told despite being frustrated by it. I think the coach who told me to do it also made the mistake of - "I've seen this so I'll teach it". Fine if you understand it well but he didn't. I actually trained with the coach he was trying to emulate for a while and he didn't teach it the same way.

I have been getting treatment and I guess at least now I have a better understanding of what's been going on all this time so I guess that's a plus.

You're right - thanks for the input StrictlySP. I do have to weigh up all the repercussions. I guess I'm banking on the fact that I'm going easy on it will allow the inflammation to decrease. I'm taking a cold pack with me aswell and have learnt some safe positions I can sleep in on the floor to keep my back supported. I guess at some stage I should test my back out in a hard workout but I'm thinking I'd rather let it have the max amount of time to improve and just lay it all out on fight night.

I'm only an amateur so the bouts are relatively short and being in a light weight division with protective gear I think it's unlikely I'll get KOd. If the first bout is too painful i might conceed the next one - unless I'm eliminated anyway in which there is no next one at this comp.

[donnydarkoIRL]

Well Sharla? Hows it goin? The back hold out for you?