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Topic: When you realised the legs were gone
gaelforce10
(631 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 09:04
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When did you realise, to coin a phrase, that 'the legs were gone'? Beaten to a sprint? No power?

I always thought it would be getting beaten to a ball I would always have got to before, but it seems to have been more of a gradual thing, where the legs take longer to heal after matches, it takes longer to get right for games etc.

for some it happens at 25, some at 30, some at 40!
JohnneyCool
(2,069 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 10:02
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Originally posted by gaelforce10:
When did you realise, to coin a phrase, that 'the legs were gone'? Beaten to a sprint? No power?I always thought it would be getting beaten to a ball I would always have got to before, but it seems to have been more of a gradual thing, where the legs take longer to heal after matches, it takes longer to get right for games etc.for some it happens at 25, some at 30, some at 40!

When the warm up takes longer than the game
South Limerick Referee
(16,613 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 11:20
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Depends on what level you play at. The first thing you have to do is avoid situations where you are caught behind the man, and focus on trying to read breaks and win them rather than winning footraces.

If the legs are taking a while to heal, that's probably down to the impact of the ground. Start using shock protection insoles in the boots. Instead of being in bits the following morning, you would hardly know you had been running.

If you are carrying knocks and are not up to training on your own, dont train. If you pick up a needless injury, it sets you back time Start doing speed work on your own. Pick a distance like 50m on a field. Time yourself. Do 20 sprints taking a full 2 minutes recovery period between sprints. The object is to bring down the time and the recovery freshens the legs. Do the same for a shorter 20 yard sprint as well on another day

The other formula is obviously keeping the weight down. If you are carrying as little as half a stone, it slows you down. Would you pick up a half stone bag of spuds and try to sprint around the field with it?
ian o b
(438 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 14:39
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Originally posted by South Limerick Referee:
Would you pick up a half stone bag of spuds and try to sprint around the field with it?

Don't be giving any coaches/trainers ideas SLR
inthenameajaysus
(496 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 15:08
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25 years old

I got through 2 cruciate reconstructions on my left knee aged 20 and 21. I killed myself training to be up with the pace when i got back and also to stay back which unfortunately only lasted til i was around 25, the gradual increase in the number of injuries iv had to hamstrings and various other knee ligaments and tendons in my legs have really left me a shell of former self..

At 27 i cannot train 3 times in one week or I'l be out for a fortnight due to swelling and when I do get to play I cannot go hell for leather or the resulting injuries will keep me out for even longer.. it is therefore impossible to get fit to avoid injuries in the first place and the circle goes on and on

I find its harder to take mentally though, very depressing siht being constantly injured but a common enough story i'm sure
Cusack Park
(640 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 15:18
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Your weight and what kind of training you are doing has a lot to do with it IMO. My pace was gone there for a year. I was always into lifting heavy weights in my own time aside from football training. I got injured at the start of this year and didn't bother with the gym for a while and just started on cadrio coming back, six months later I can stay with 25 year olds no problem and I'm 35, a great feeling. A lot of it is in the head aswell if you ask me
South Limerick Referee
(16,613 Posts)
Posted: 04-Jun-2012 15:20
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I often wondered how other guys find it being injured the whole time. As someone with a lot of experience it drives me mad.

I have had only two totally injury free years since 1999. 2001 and 2005. Every other year I would have been out for a minimum of 6 to 8 weeks, normally in busy season. Some years it was the knee, other years it was the hamstring. Inevitably always in the middle of the year when you would be out 6 weeks and then way off the pace when you got back. One year I got my knuckle split open. Another year I got my jaw split open in a work accident. Last year I had cracked ribs. Those type of things you cant legislate for, you cant prevent through doing preventative work.

Sometimes when I got injured I would actually have been going reasonably well at the time. The worst of all was that as someone who wouldnt always have been a regular starter, the amount of games I have missed over the years that I would have got only for injury. Nights where they had to make 20 phonecalls to get a body to field a team. When I was not injured there could be 25 in a dressingroom.

You go through the phase of never again setting foot on a field, but you just cant stay away, the hunger starts getting at you. You have to get back. I often beat myself up wondering what it would have been like to have a spell of 5 years totally injury free like most others.

Originally posted by inthenameajaysus:
I find its harder to take mentally though, very depressing siht being constantly injured but a common enough story i'm sure
gaelforce10
(631 Posts)
Posted: 08-Jun-2012 16:55
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it must be tough for a lad that has all the skill but the pace is gone. fellas you know you could compete easily with in your prime beating you to a ball.
gave up the hurling before that happened. Started playing over 35s (association)football recently and a bloke tore past me and it would have been a tough one to take if I was taking things seriously.
How often is it simply injury though, rather than the legs giving out? is it the same thing?

that's a fair point about the warm up taking longer than the game - the last year I played hurling I had to spend up on an hour the morning of a match stretching and getting the legs right
cityoftribes
(3,030 Posts)
Posted: 08-Jun-2012 17:07
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Originally posted by gaelforce10:
it must be tough for a lad that has all the skill but the pace is gone.

It is even tougher on those of us that never had the skill but the legs are going. The only thing you gain rather than lose is the bit of experience and cuteness.

Always had great pace over shorter distances and am clinging onto that for dear life. But the pyramids runs and the 300m and 400m pace runs are really showing me at the moment that no matter what you do as regards preparation and training, you can't fend off the effects of age. And this at the relatively young age of 33.
This message has been edited - 08-jun-2012 @ 17:17
Hitch
(3,644 Posts)
Posted: 08-Jun-2012 17:17
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Originally posted by gaelforce10:
When did you realise, to coin a phrase, that 'the legs were gone'?

When I came out of the anaesthetic ...but the guy next to me bought my boots so it wasn't ALL bad news!
mandarin
(412 Posts)
Posted: 08-Jun-2012 21:50
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When I fell out of the bed.
zetorisbetter
(159 Posts)
Posted: 08-Jun-2012 23:35
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yearra lads when the legs go you get dirty or move to the edge of the square or now just move into the square
Collars Up
(525 Posts)
Posted: 09-Jun-2012 04:56
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this year, never thought it would happen but this year my legs are gone, im 28, had a bad knee injury last year, combined with under training, have no sharpness over 10 yards anymore, something i took for granted before, im getting by though. retiring after this year!
GalwayDownUnder
(1,438 Posts)
Posted: 09-Jun-2012 06:36
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Playing over 35 soccer here in Brisbane, I'm centre half, our sweeper played for Man City. Sounds impressive but the guy is 56.
centreforward
(589 Posts)
Posted: 09-Jun-2012 08:17
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Turned 30 last year and felt the legs going. May have been a mental thing too though. Dropped down a grade this year and all the better for it. We don't train as much and I feel I've more energy now probably due to longer recovery between training. Had a lower back injury about 5 years ago and that was the start of the decline in reality. Never recovered the power or flexibility fully from it.
HitemHardHardHard
(1,498 Posts)
Posted: 09-Jun-2012 09:46
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when you pass 25-26 you have to work harder and harder to get fit and strong. Better chance of not getting injured if you do the hard work. You also have to lay off the beer (if you are fond of it) to stay ahead.
I always found the guys who are 25 to 30 are the most vital to a team,these have the mix of maturity and fitness that carry a team over the line.
Retiring at 28 becuase its getting hard could be seen as a cop out (barring injury). Its at this age your club really needs players to set an example; not because you want to set an example, but becuase you want to be there for your club.
ken
(167 Posts)
Posted: 09-Jun-2012 12:42
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desire and how much you want to stay going is probably the most important thing barring serios injury.some fellas get serious injuries early in there career but if the desire is there you'll get back.serious injury in your late 20s early 30s is harder to come back from.
the type of player you are is important too.if pace wasnt your strength an you were a first team player through experience you learn to adapt.
the off season is crucial keeping weight off and keepin your fitness up because if you have to punish yourself when the season starts injury is likely.a few 20 to 30 minute workouts incorporating shuttle runs circuits and core work per week plus sretching keeps you in shape.longer less intense workouts wont be as effective
work harder on your skills.just because your pushin on doesnt mean you cant improve your skills.even on the off season work on them it will give you an edge.
do something different change the size weight of your hurley set yourself a target to do something different and master it
manage your time re work family there is time if you make time.in most cases the legs are gone is only an excuse an if all that fails get tony brownes phone number!!!!
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