June 19, 2008 - Sidelined! Out Indefinitely with a Stress Fracture
Finally, an Update I finally had the guts to update my website. I regret to write this, but I have to. It has been bugging me for weeks now. Here it goes...I have a stress fracture in my right foot. I am going to miss 2 scheduled marathons, Grandma's on June 21st and Grandfather Mountain on July 12th. Very depressing. Current Situation Ok, hear are the details. I am currently wearing a boot to help with the healing. I went to the urgent care in Wheaton on Friday, May 23rd. That was dumb. I should have went right to an orthopedic or podiatrist instead. The doctor at the urgent care took an x-ray, and did not see any fractures. I did agree with her to take a wait and see attitude before going to an Orthopedic. On June 16th I went to see an Orthopedic. He gave me a $142 storm trooper type boot to wear for 3 weeks. I see the doc on July 2nd. Cross your fingers.
How did this happen? Not really sure. I increased my mileage, was running more days per week than usual. The thought having to run Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina, really motivated me. I was excited for the 1,200 foot upward elevation change. The need to train harder was staring me down. I have been a big believer of 3 days a week running. Temp run, track work, and a long run. Every other day. The rest is good for you. But, I was intimidated of the Mountain. I trained 4-5 days a week in May. I was running great. I felt invincible the days before the injury. On Monday, I did a 9-mile 7minute tempo run. Tuesday, I did three 1-mile speed workouts at 6:15/mile (Tues) with 4 miles of easy running. On Wednesday, May 21st, I took it easy and did the stairmaster for 20 minutes. My first sign of the injury was that night coming off the train. Wierd. My foot hurt. I was compensating a bit. Thursday, May, 22nd, off day. Friday, was when I faced my reality. Knowing I needed to do one of my last long runs before Grandma's, I felt the need to test my foot. If you are a runner, you know to listen to your body. I did not. I ran 15 miles, and a fractured foot. It was crazy, since after my run I could barely walk. In fact, when I did run, I ran under an 8 minute pace. I have had pains before, but I would always run through them. This time was different!
Moral of My Story E's words of "don't increase your mileage more than 10% a week" resonate with me. My big belief of 3 solid runs per week is all you need to run good marathons drums in my head. And me now with a foot of a storm trooper. More than ever I am a big believer of 3 days a week. Having this injury is actually a good thing to have experienced and write about. When I run again, hopefully in July, I will take it easy for the first few weeks. My workouts lately include my mainstay of weight-lifting, and the eliptical. I did not really do the eliptical before. When I get back running, I will include the eliptical at least 1-2 days a week. I think this will help build some endurance and speed while preventing future injuries. More later...
Last Race Chase to the Taste - 5K Glen Ellyn, IL -- May 17, 2008 Finish Time: 20 Minutes 6 Seconds (Personal Record) Place: 10 out of 184 Blog coming soon.
Last Marathon Olathe Marathon Olathe, KS –- March 29, 2008 Finish Time:3 Hours 42 Minutes Place: 105 out of 476 Marathons: 13th State and 16th Overall ...click here for the blog
