What are my chances (Read 1189 times)

Managed to pick up a stress fracture in my foot a few weeks ago, not from running but more likely from wearing crappy flip flops for too many walking miles! 

I have a marathon this Saturday that was supposed to be my BQ race (and as luck would have it there are still some spots left). 

I have run very lightly over the past few weeks because every time I do the foots gives me problems.  However, it is feeling better and I think that if I stay off of it most of this week it should be fine to hand the 26.2

However, I imagine that I will be left with very little fitness.  Any suggestions?  Haven't really done much running the past 3-4 weeks.

My other option is to pace a buddy to his first marathon at a 30-45 minute slower pace.  Is that the best I could hope for given my current training?

No didn't bother to get the X-ray.  Primarily because I read somewhere (RA boards?) that it usually doesn't even show up on an xray for several weeks.

We'll see.  At this point, I would just be happy to get the medal and t-shirt.  

I deal with stress fractures every day with my work. Just because you think you have one does not mean you do. They do not show up on x-rays until there is a healing response. You may just have a stress reaction or something different. I question a distance runner getting a stress fracture from walking. Hmmnn!  If this is not a stress fracture, you could probably wing the marathon with some risk. You need to be willing to accept this risk because if it is a stress fracture or becomes a stress fracture during the marathon, you are off at least 8 weeks and probably not running for 12 weeks. You need to determing if this risk is worth it too you. If that BQ is very very important to you well, make that choice. OR, go see a sports doc or podiatrist and get an MRI or bone scan to confirm 'your' diagnosis. Being symptom free is a great sign but don't think you can completely heal a "true stress fracture" in a few weeks. Good luck in whatever you decide. If you decide to do the marathon, certainly do a couple training run to test it.

Thanks Tchuck.

 

You are right in that it is only "my" diagnosis.  I have no idea what else it could be but I would take a stress reaction over a stress fracture any day.  From what I have read a stress fracture is much more painful than what I have been experiencing although it has hobbled me for the past few weeks.

 

I guess my point in this topic was never about whether or not I should attempt it, and the possible adverse effects on a stress fracture or other foot injury, but it was more about how that extended rest might affect my performance.  If I am showing any symptoms this week (during some training runs or during the race) I will no doubt discontinue and/or drop out of the race.

 

I was just curious how others performed after extensive layoffs like this

Rick:

All due respect, I sense all the other people here are actually suggesting, whether or not you may or may not lose certain level of fitness from XXX weeks of missed training, that IF in fact you have a stress fracture or a stress fracture "bud" (or whatever you may call it), it is NOT a good idea to even think about attempting a marathon for whatever the reason (particularly just to run through for a heck of it with your buddy.

First of all, let me try to get a handle on the actual original question.  There had been a case, for example, Ethiopian's Abebe Bikila who had an appendectomy a month before 1964 Olympics.  I don't know the exact record of how much he took off but, surely, cutting open his stomach, however small the insertion may have been, he must have been in a hospital for a week or two for sure???  You are not going to lose much of your fitness IF you had piled up TONS of work ahead of time.  In such case, a small break like this would actually give you a perfect forced break to recover--most runners tend to do more than necessary and take less recovery than necessary.  So, in this respect, you MAY actually be in a good position.  You seem to have done tons of work in May-June-July; but, in retrospect, my concern might be that you did that right after your 3:23 marathon.  You hardly gave your body time to recover and went straight into tempo and intervals and half marathon and a 15k race.  If you did get stress fracture, you probably got it there instead of waling in flip-flops.  I'm sure you've heard about stress fracture being referred like bending a metal stick over and over and over.  It's an OVER-USE stress reaction.

Good news, however, though I may sound like I'm being nasty to you, is that I really don't think it is a stress fracture or even a stress reaction (again, it COULD be from piling up all the work in a few months earlier).  If you really do have a stress fracture, I don't think you would even be thinking about running a marathon!  I think you walked around in flip-flops too much and strained tendon or ligament in your foot--that's my bet.  

My suggestion is--stop fooling around with playing hockey with a sore foot at once and concentrate on alternating icing and dipping your foot in warm-water, several times a day and either do stationary bike (well, it doesn't have to be stationary I guess...) for an hour or so OR go for a walk as long as it won't aggravate your foot.  Keep working out whatever that would not hurt your foot.  However, make sure you DO jog, oh, I'd say Thursday at latest--even just a couple of miles, maybe 3 or so.  This is because a big part of marathoning is the ability to take poundings.  You DO need to wake up your legs and remind them what it feels to carry your entire body weight over the pavement.  You may train in the pool for several weeks and then hop on a track and set the world leading 2000m time (Mary Decker did that) but marathon is different.  I think it was before last year's Boston; Kristen (wannabe runner) got her handle on the alter-G treadmill and she loved it so she kept doing her training on it.  But I'd much rather her run even 5 or 6 miles outside on the road with 100% of her body weight than her doing 1:30 run on alter-G at 70% body weight.  Long runs should have already been done by then.  Doing too much may even hurt you just as much as not waking up your legs with your full body weight of pouring.  By Thursday and you go for a run, and your foot still hurts; it's time to drop the idea of running this weekend at all.  Like I said, most probably it's not a stress fracture.  Stress reaction.....maybe.  But if it's latter and you go ahead and run it, you'll be sure to cross the finish line with a stress fracture.  No need to sacrifice good fitness that you had developed that you COULD still draw from in a few months time by just running a full marathon for a heck of it with a sore foot.

Whichever you decide, good luck and be smart.  Don't let "vanity" make a decision.

Thanks everyone.  Did race today after all.  Foot was a little stiff but seemed to loosen up as the race went on and wasn't really an issue.

The lack of training over the past 5-6 was and slowed down a fair bit over the last 6 miles or so. 

Managed to hang on for a 3:19:53 time and a new PB!

Now, to take some time to rest the foot and everything else!

Nice work! 

My advice, like some others, would be to keep your powder dry and do the big M when you can give it your best shot. But, fair play, you did it and did it well. You deserve a rest!