What's a realistic goal?

[mollyjean]

It has been two months since I was sidelined with a wicked stress fracture and I've been "crutches free" almost a month.  I'm cleared to run again, but slowly.  I feel like I'm starting from scratch.  This is my first time going through something beyond IT or PF issues.  What is a realistic goal for me race wise?  I wanted to do my hometown marathon again this October but my Dr said there is no way I can get there in that amount of time without risking injury again. What type of distance (in X time) would you set yourself up for as a goal given a recent injury?  Tomorrow is Day One.  

[joenali]

I think your dr or pt should have walked you though how to get back into running without re-injuring yourself. I would call your dr to see what they suggest. I've known people who had to start with a minute of running and 5 minutes of walking for 20 minutes etc.

[runaways]

I agree that you should ask your doc or PT. If you really can't get any guidance, I think that I personally would do something like couch to 5k. Even if you are otherwise still quite fit, a program with a slow build like that would probably be your best bet.

[mollyjean]

May 31, 2014 21:42:41 GMT -5 joenali said:

I think your dr or pt should have walked you though how to get back into running without re-injuring yourself. I would call your dr to see what they suggest. I've known people who had to start with a minute of running and 5 minutes of walking for 20 minutes etc.

He did.  I was just hoping to hear other experiences to gauge my expectations.   

[katandkevin]

I would start back with something like couch to 5k. I ha a really hard time getting back into running and walking for exercise after my stress fracture for fear I would end up back in the boot. Unfortunately I did, so I would go really slow and listen to your body. If it hurts, take a break and try again when it doesn't hurt.

[al320]

After my stress feacture, which was small and didnt require crutched or a boot, I was able to run, not race, longer dustances about 5 months after my day 1 that was a half. I did a full 7 months later.

It was slow. It was like 4-5 weeks before I was running more than a mile.

No racing longer distances or speedwork for a year. That was per my doc.

[hannahb]

Yeah I'd take it slow. Lots of cross training and strength work. You may be able to take it a little faster than C25K since you had a good base before. What I mean by that is longer running on days you run but not running as many days a week.
Also, question for you. Did your stress fracture hurt a lot or more like a nagging ache? I'm going to get my foot checked out. I think it's just a sprain. I feel like a stress fracture should hurt more. Just wanted to know your experience

[mollyjean]

Jun 1, 2014 7:16:26 GMT -5 hannahb said:

Yeah I'd take it slow. Lots of cross training and strength work. You may be able to take it a little faster than C25K since you had a good base before. What I mean by that is longer running on days you run but not running as many days a week.
Also, question for you. Did your stress fracture hurt a lot or more like a nagging ache? I'm going to get my foot checked out. I think it's just a sprain. I feel like a stress fracture should hurt more. Just wanted to know your experience

Mine was a nagging ache.  I came home from the NYC half and my legs felt more tired than usual.  The following weekend I ran 7 and it irritated me the entire time, but not "painful" if that makes sense (I have a crazy high pain tolerance though so I might not be the right one to ask).  The only time it was excruciating was when I would sit on my knees with legs tucked under me.   I only went in two weeks later because the pain was still there and my lower leg was slightly swollen.  I figured it was an ankle sprain. Mine was a tibial fracture, basically two places on my shin, so I'm not sure how that would differ from your foot pain... but I hope for you it's not a fracture!!

[patches31709]

I have a stress fracture in my right foot. I knew something was wrong about 3 or 4 weeks into my half training. It hurt on my long runs, but I was able to ignore it enough to do the half in mid-April. It kept getting worse though so I went to the doctor in late April. I've just started doing some slow, shorter runs. I can do 1 or 2 a week.
To the pp who asked - my foot did not hurt as much as you might think a stress fracture would. It was more of a nagging, annoying feeling that I was able to run through. It was only super painful if I would squat down but on my toes instead of with my feet flat on the floor.

[hannahb]

Well crap. That's what my foot feels like. Off to get an MRI

[foundmylazybum]

Jun 1, 2014 7:16:26 GMT -5 hannahb said:

Yeah I'd take it slow. Lots of cross training and strength work. You may be able to take it a little faster than C25K since you had a good base before. What I mean by that is longer running on days you run but not running as many days a week.
Also, question for you. Did your stress fracture hurt a lot or more like a nagging ache? I'm going to get my foot checked out. I think it's just a sprain. I feel like a stress fracture should hurt more. Just wanted to know your experience

I had a stress fracture in my foot. I was training awesome and then on a long run--my foot just started hurting. A sharp pain in one targeted area. I ran through it--and by the end it was hurting more. By the end of the evening it was hurting so I was limping and I knew something was wrong. I never felt a pain like that.

I went to the doctor and it was a stress fracture.


Anyways OP...my doctor and I worked out a plan that was basically the whole 1 min running 5 min walking for 30 min decreasing walking week by week until I was up to 30 min running pain free. I also still did cross training. I did everything he said--I got my SF in..say..beginning of March, recovered through beginning of May, then ran a 10K at the end of May--I actually got a decent time there, then by the end of the summer I ran a half marathon (Beginning of August) and got a big PR there.

I had gotten my training volume from 0 miles RUNNING in March to 65 miles running in August if that helps. But I also did every single thing my doctor told me to do.  I had been planning on doing my first marathon in the fall like you and I just scrapped that idea but I certainly didn't give up the idea of running fast at other distances.

[foundmylazybum]

I just wanted to add this too--I followed everything my doctor said and reassessed my goals b/c one of my pro friends gave me this stern warning: "FMLB! LISTEN and DO everything they say! If you don't it WILL come back and you will get into a cycle of injury that will ruin you!"


I guess I totally believed her lol. It scared the crap out of me...CYCLE OF INJURY? What? NOOO. I thought it was better to just pay the injury god up front rather than in installments.

[patches31709]

Jun 1, 2014 9:13:34 GMT -5 hannahb said:

Well crap. That's what my foot feels like. Off to get an MRI

I hope you don't have a fracture! To be totally fair, I feel like my stress fracture diagnosis was a bit of a generic one - nothing was visible on the xray, but I guess since I did have all the symptoms, thats what I got diagnosed with.

[boston340]

When I had a stress fracture in my food about 8 years ago it started as a nagging pain (didn't hurt-hurt, just kinda tender) and I kept running on it and eventually got to the point of shooting pain whenever I'd even try to walk. It was miserable!

After healing, I did a couch to 5k type of program and supplemented using an elliptical machine at the gym.

[enfuego23]

Listen to everyone and go slow! I suffered a pelvic stress fracture in January. I wasn't able to do much of anything for 2 months and finally was cleared to run again in late March. I have 2 PTs and a massage therapist and they continue to harp on me to slowly build my mileage. I'm running now but I'm no where near my regular pace.

I started off running by running 2 minutes and walking 1 minute. This injury as been HELL for me. I never want to go through what I went through again so I'm trying to rehab my injury, strength train more, do my PT exercises and not worry about my pace right now. Don't have a race be your goal, having regular, pain-free running be your goal.

[tuggyruns]

Jun 1, 2014 10:05:42 GMT -5 foundmylazybum said:

I just wanted to add this too--I followed everything my doctor said and reassessed my goals b/c one of my pro friends gave me this stern warning: "FMLB! LISTEN and DO everything they say! If you don't it WILL come back and you will get into a cycle of injury that will ruin you!"


I guess I totally believed her lol. It scared the crap out of me...CYCLE OF INJURY? What? NOOO. I thought it was better to just pay the injury god up front rather than in installments.

Not to jack the post, but-I'd love to hear what your doctors recommendations were? 

OP- I had a SFX last year in Jan and spent 4 months in the boot. I had to completely start over. I'm talking run one min, walk one, etc. I started back in late April 2013 and ran Napa Valley Marathon begining of March 2014. I still wasn't really ready for it. I finished, but it wasn't pretty. I really didn't have the base built to start training when I did. But, I'm bullheaded and did it anyway. I'm starting to feel an aching in my fracture site again. I'm terrified.