RunningAHEAD - Topic: 17 days and...shin spints

Addie

posted: 9/26/2008 at 9:52 AM

17 days left until Chicago. Diagnosed yesterday with shin splints to the point of "If you keep running, you're going to get stress fractures." I've been reduced to walking/biking/swimming until race day, and I'm freaking. It's my own fault - I've only been getting in 1-2 runs during the week of 3-4 piddly miles, then going out on Saturdays trying to do whatever my training plan calls for that day. I know my shins can't handle heavy mileage if I don't keep it going during the week...but with 17 days left, I'm just in panic mode. I keep telling myself that since Chicago is my third marathon (plus two halves completed) since June '07, I'll be fine since I have the mileage under my belt. Or am I just kidding myself?? Doesn't it always seem like you doubt yourself and your training the closer it comes to the race? Sorry for the rant. I'm just stressing.

"If you run 100 miles a week, you can eat anything you want - Why? Because (a) you'll burn all the calories you consume, (b) you deserve it, and (c) you'll be injured soon and back on a restricted diet anyway." ~ Don Kardong

BadDawg

posted: 9/26/2008 at 11:26 AM
modified: 9/26/2008 at 11:31 AM

Quote from Addie on 9/26/2008 at 9:52 AM:

I've only been getting in 1-2 runs during the week of 3-4 piddly miles I know my shins can't handle heavy mileage if I don't keep it going during the week.

Almost sounds like you answered your own question. When you were told "if you keep running you're going to get stress fractures" did you mention your marathon in 17 days to the doc? Personally, I would be checking Chicago's medical deferral policy. You already know that 26.2 miles gives you a pretty good all-around pounding, even when you are in good shape and ready to go. If your shin splints are bad enough to seek medical attention, the race is going to be very challenging at best. I don't have personal experience with shin splints or stress fractures, but my favorite RAer wrote up a thread with a link to his excellent Glass City Marathon report which details his amazing feat of completing a marathon on a busted leg. It doesn't sound like anything I could dream about pulling off, and I don't think I'd try. If you check his log, you'll find he has only recently resumed running after an extended recovery period. If you do run the race, listen carefully to your body and err on the side of caution. Best of luck to you whatever you decide Addie.

E.J.
Greater Lowell Road Runners
Cry havoc and let slip the dawgs of war!

May the road rise to meet you, may the wind be always at your back, may the sun shine warm upon your SPF30, may the rains fall soft upon your sweat-wicking hat, and until you hit the finish line may The Flying Spaghetti Monster hold you in the hollow of His Noodly Appendage.

Phidippides

posted: 9/26/2008 at 11:40 AM
modified: 9/26/2008 at 11:56 AM

I'm so sorry Addie Sad

but I can tell you that once about 20 years ago, I was in the process of training for a Marathon....and I ran a 30K race about 5 weeks before the marathon and developed shin splints. I tried to run as much as I could for the next few weeks (but had a hard time because of the pain) and on Marathon day, I ran anyway. I completed the marathon and could barely walk the next day - not from the marathon but from the newly developed stress fractures that I inherited during the marathon. To make a long story short, it was almost a full year before I ran again.....and its 20 years and I'm just now starting to think about trying a marathon again...... I think you should just bag it to bad luck -- heal your self and try again next year..........I wish I would have NOT run when I did...... So sorry.....but get well.....and dont make the mistake I made...... Confused

Champions are made when no one is watching

Nobby415

posted: 9/26/2008 at 1:25 PM

Addie: Don't do it. It takes courage and discipline to withdraw. Running is a wonderful experience. You don't want to ruin it by choice. 3 marathons in 16 months... You realize that's more than most elite runners do--and there's a reason why.

Jeff

Why is it sideways?

posted: 9/26/2008 at 2:35 PM

Quote from Nobby415 on 9/26/2008 at 1:25 PM:

Addie: Don't do it. It takes courage and discipline to withdraw. Running is a wonderful experience. You don't want to ruin it by choice. 3 marathons in 16 months... You realize that's more than most elite runners do--and there's a reason why.

When Nobby's posts are less than 100 words, something very serious is happening. I'd pay attention.

JakeKnight

posted: 9/26/2008 at 2:52 PM

Quote from BadDawg on 9/26/2008 at 11:26 AM:

When you were told "if you keep running you're going to get stress fractures" did you mention your marathon in 17 days to the doc? Personally, I would be checking Chicago's medical deferral policy.

What he said. Tell your doc specifically what you're planning. If he says no, don't do it. Or get a second opinion from a specialist ... but if that guy says no, don't do it. I love marathons. I've done 4 this year, 2 since Aug. 31st. I'd love to do one a week. I hate missing them. I know what you're feeling. It sucks when you have to miss one. Just plain sucks. And almost nothing keeps me from running. I don't mind lightning or blizzards or traffic or lots of alcohol or a lot of other things that make normal people bag a run. I have just one rule, just one thing that keeps me from running, and its this: I refuse to run if running that day will likely ruin my future running, if it'll keep me from running next week. Nothing is worth that. I think its a good rule. Which is why its the only one. And you're fixin' to break it. If you've done three marys, you like to run. Don't make yourself not run. That would suck worse. There's always another race. If you don't know who Kooky2003 is, go do a search and read her story. It's very relevant. You don't want to be her.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
-----------------------------

missy1102

posted: 9/26/2008 at 5:07 PM

addie, i'm sorry that you are so close to your goal race and dealing with this injury.

if your doc said that you are on the verge of developing stress fractures if you continue to run, then i would say PULL out. normally, it takes 4-6 weeks for a SF (non weight bearing + boot + crutches) to heal and i have heard horror stories of bad stress fractures taking 6-9 months to fully heal. so, in my opinion, if you can avoid heading down that path, then by all means, divert.. divert! i personally have run chicago 4 times and its a great race. i also understand the pressure to run a mega race in which you've invested so much money to get to/train for. finally, i also understand the stress fracture part. i was sidelined for 6 weeks this past summer and had to bail on my goal marathon (lakefront happening next weekend). Cry

one final thought. i'm thinking that if your shin splints are severe, that it would be extremely difficult to run 26.2 miles. i imagine it would be excruciating and not a very enjoyable experience. running a marathon is a beating on a normally healthy body; imagine what its like for a injured/not well body. HUGS to you. this is a difficult decision.. please take good care of yourself.

ArlaHile

Queen of 3rd Place

posted: 9/27/2008 at 4:44 PM

Quote from JakeKnight on 9/26/2008 at 2:52 PM:

If you don't know who Kooky2003 is, go do a search and read her story. It's very relevant. You don't want to be her.

Jake - I couldn't find too many of her posts, but there are a few, along with her log. It appears that she started OK, then ran her first race in the 9:30 mile neighborhood, and thereafter ran most of her training runs at race pace! Just a couple months later came the stress fracture. She wasn't doing a ton of miles. Does that about sum it up? Looks like the take home message is another chorus of "slow down, folks". Arla

Ex runner

Addie

posted: 9/29/2008 at 9:52 AM

Thanks for the replies...I really, really don't want to drop out. Really. Part of it is money - the non-refundable entry fee, plane tickets, etc, and the other part is that I'm running with a charity group and I love it. I have a follow-up appointment with the doc this week, so I'll see what he says after laying off running for a week. Maybe I'm hoping for too much - I know a week of swimming won't cure the issue...but I'm hoping he says I can at least walk the race. I totally won't be out to set a PR or anything...I'm so slow anyway. Smile

Ugh. This is making me lose sleep. Thank you thank you thank you for all your advice. If it comes down to it, I'll drop - like most of you said, I don't want one day of massive running to ruin it for the rest of my life.

"If you run 100 miles a week, you can eat anything you want - Why? Because (a) you'll burn all the calories you consume, (b) you deserve it, and (c) you'll be injured soon and back on a restricted diet anyway." ~ Don Kardong

Aimster

Mitch & Pete's Mom

posted: 9/29/2008 at 1:29 PM

My heart goes out to you but please reconsider going ahead with the race. I'll keep my story short. I had such horrible shin splints that I could only walk on the outsides of my feet, but I would hit the track like nut case and kept on training. I went to the doctor and he told me, "okay, wait here, I have an idea." He came back in the room with plaster mix and gauze. "This should slow you down." Needless to say, I promised to stop running for at least awhile.

Carlsbad 1/2 marathon 1/26.

Bugs

posted: 9/29/2008 at 5:09 PM
modified: 9/29/2008 at 5:31 PM

Addie, I had shin splints so bad I could cry. I have a very good chiropractor (one that actually knows something about runners injuries) that uses a technique called graston. It will help heal the injury and allow your muscles to function normal again. Your muscles are wrapped in a sheath called fascia. It should move like a hand moving in a glove but the lesions (your shin splints) make it stick. The muscle can not work correctly and pain is the result. The shin splint starts near the ankle and moves all the way up. The graston would make a world of difference. Within days of treatment I was better and as long as I am careful without too much downhill fast running I don't have the shin splints. So if I were you I'd call around some offices ask if they offer this service. Ask if they are certified in graston treatment and if they are not what kind of training did they have. Have they used graston to treat shinsplints before? The treatment should cost about $45 - $60 without insurance. Not sure how much time you had to take off, but if I were you I would move some of my runs to the pool and aqua jog. If you got treatment and were able to XT I would not rule marathon out, but you know how your injury feels better than anyone else, maybe get some treatment and then decide. I had to skip a marathon once too, it sucked but once it is past it doesn't suck so much.

Bugs

JakeKnight

posted: 9/29/2008 at 5:28 PM

Quote from ArlaHile on 9/27/2008 at 4:44 PM:

Jake - I couldn't find too many of her posts, but there are a few, along with her log. It appears that she started OK, then ran her first race in the 9:30 mile neighborhood, and thereafter ran most of her training runs at race pace! Just a couple months later came the stress fracture. She wasn't doing a ton of miles.

Pretty much. She showed up and came out like gangbusters, upping the mileage quickly, running fast ... and showed great potential talent (and also an endless talent for amusing the rest of us). She dropped minutes off her pace so fast it was hard to keep track, then decided to make her first race this ridiculously hilly thing in New Zealand. If I remember right, she'd already managed to injure herself before the race, injured herself even worse during the race, then kept pushing ... and it was her last race. A series of surgeries followed, she kept thinking she could run again ... then she'd push, she'd break ... well, in the end got pregnant, so its not entirely a bad story. But if she'd taken it easier at the start, and taken time off when she was broken, she'd probably be quite the runner today. Maybe less pregnant. Who knows. Every runner would be wise to go find her earliest posts here and read forward. You can see it coming, and its sad.

E-mail: eric.fuller.mail@gmail.com
-----------------------------

Bugs

posted: 9/29/2008 at 5:35 PM

Jake, reading just her profile makes my shins hurt.

Bugs

17 days and...shin spints (Read 882 times)