Forums >Health and Nutrition>Stress Reaction?
I look my best blurry!
I went to the doc today and got approved to start running again! I'll be going for an easy jog later this evening. I've never had an injury like this before, so I'm not really sure what to expect. Total time from onset has been 6 weeks and time since diagnosis 1 month.
Take it easy! What is the plan to start back? Don't overdo it!
The shirtless wonder
run.therowes.net
You are correct sir! I do planned workouts into my log. I have not gone into the future to do these yet, but the 4 mile run from yesterday and today actually have occurred. Yesterday I was very cautious the first mile and really didn't pick up my knees very much because I was afraid of the impact. Then I realized that I needed to try a full running motion at some point. I felt no pain anywhere near my injury point, but many of my joints felt a little "rusty". By the end of the run I was feeling good.... slow, but good. I think it will take a few more runs before I feel smooth again and not like I'm bouncing around.
Today I actually had a little soreness in my quads, but my joints and bones felt great. I again felt sluggish but tried to maintain good form throughout. I ran the same route as yesterday and was 1 minute faster today.
I am not following a specific recovery plan. I am going to run by feel. I will probably do another 4 miler tomorrow and maybe move up to 6 on Sunday if I feel like I can handle it. So far no pain at all, not even phantom pains.
MTA: I was able to walk without pain 3 weeks before I tried to start running on it.
Thank you for taking the time to read my signature!
Later in the day, about 5 hours hours later, I pushed my finger on the bone and it hurt. I wasn't a lot of pain, but there was definitely some soreness there in the same area as my injury. I have heard of "phantom pain", which is basically the scar tissue around the area being broken up. If I am wrong about this, please correct me. I know I shouldn't have run so many miles this day, but there was absolutely no pain while running. There was also no pain while walking. It only hurt when I pushed on it.
So I woke up this morning and there was a very mild soreness, even less sore than yesterday. I tried the hop test and felt no pain after numerous hops. So I decided I would give it a go as long as it didn't hurt to run. I ran almost 3 miles at a slower pace, but felt a minor twinge (it could have been all in my mind) so I decided to stop. I was only planning on 4 anyway. I went for a nice walk afterward. When I got home I iced it a couple of times and will ice it a couple more times today. At this point the pain is even less than when I woke up this morning. I really have to push hard on it to feel anything (maybe I should stop pushing on it )
Any recommendations will be helpful. This thread has become a good way for me to keep track of my own progress, but maybe it will help someone else also.
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Imminent Catastrophe
Rick, after several weeks off of no running, does your recovery plan have you run every single day???? It would seem wise to come back every other day in my eyes for the first week or two or three...I think you are doing too much "testing" to early. What is the rush and need to run every day right away when you were laid up with a potentially serious situation? I don't want you to have any set backs which would lay you up 8-12 weeks.
You read my mind. This is how I'm doing it, the issue with stress fractures is that the normal microfractures don't get time to repair themselves. At least for the time being I'm avoiding consecutive days to give the healing process a chance. Mine is metatarsal, but I previously had a tibial (lucky me) and the same principle applies. I really don't want to get set back a couple more months.
"Able to function despite imminent catastrophe"
"To obtain the air that angels breathe you must come to Tahoe"--Mark Twain
"The most common question from potential entrants is 'I do not know if I can do this' to which I usually answer, 'that's the whole point'.--Paul Charteris, Tarawera Ultramarathon RD.
√ Javelina Jundred Jalloween 2015
Cruel Jewel 50 mile May 2016
Western States 100 June 2016
My understanding of stress fractures, as explained by my ortho, is that bones are similiar in some ways to muscle. When we stress them they adapt. First they tear down and then build back stronger. If there isn't enough time for the rebuilding then we tear down until the bone has micro traumas. The doc said to think of it like swiss cheese. Eventually all of the tiny pits in the bone collapse on themselves creating a stress fracture.
From what I've read it take about 90 days for the bone to fully heal. You can run on it as it completes the healing process but you have to be careful about it -- hence the gradual return to running.
A lot of people seem to like this plan on Pete Pfitzinger's website. It was originally published in Running Times. If you've read Advanaced Marathoning you know that Pfitzinger is anything but conservative. Even though the plan looks conservative maybe it isn't...
Later in the day, about 5 hours hours later, I pushed my finger on the bone and it hurt. I wasn't a lot of pain, but there was definitely some soreness there in the same area as my injury. I have heard of "phantom pain", which is basically the scar tissue around the area being broken up. I
I had a couple more thoughts.
Perhaps the pain you are feeling is just shin splints and nothing to worry about? I'm doubting it based on everything else you've said and because you are recovery from a sfx.
I've heard of phantom pains too but the idea that it is scar tissue seems strange to me. I didn't think bones scarred but I know essentially nothing about this...
As a coach I would be giving the same advice as TChuck. As an athlete my feeling is that my legs can handle 3 to 4 miles and still be able to recover. The reason I have been trying to get back into it is because there is a relay race on July 16,17,18 where I would be running 24 miles over the 3 days. There is also a 7 stage 100 mile race spread over 8 days in the second week of August. I am realistic in knowing that doing that is a long shot. I will continue to be cautious and may go to the race but only do 2 or 3 of the stages.
Either way, everything feels great so far. A day off tomorrow and maybe I can come back on Thursday with more of my normal stride instead of trying to baby it so much like I have the last few days. I have been on a gravel/crushed limestone rail trail for the last 3 runs. It is much more forgiving than pavement.
After following more traditional recovery means (lots of rest with no running) I've finally started my return to running. On Sunday I was a spectator at the Musselman Half Iron Triathlon watching some friends complete their first half. During the race I did some short runs so I could catch them at transition. I also "ran them in" near the finish of the race. I was discouraged because I felt discomfort/mild pain in my shin when I did this. My shin was slightly tender to the touch the next day. ...But the tenderness wasn't really on the bone...it was more along side it -- like typical shin splints (medial tibial stress syndrome, blah, blah, blah).
Today I started the first day of the Pfitzinger injury recovery plan. When I started running today I thought I had made a mistake because I felt the same discomfort I've been feeling every time I try to jog. But after running for about 3 minutes the discomfort started to melt away and I was in heaven. But then I had to stop to walk again.
After the run (which included a whopping cumulative 10 minutes of running) my leg feels great! No pain, no discomfort, and no tenderness! I think I'll be back to running normal mileage again in about 6 weeks or so, assuming I don't do anything stupid.
It feels good to have the end of this in sight.
Today I started the first day of the Pfitzinger injury recovery plan. When I started running today I thought I had made a mistake because I felt the same discomfort I've been feeling every time I try to jog. But after running for about 3 minutes the discomfort started to melt away and I was in heaven. But then I had to stop to walk again. ... It feels good to have the end of this in sight.
...
I got those "phantom pains" frequently during rehab. If the discomfort increases linearly with distance, then it's back to the start. If it comes and goes IME then it's probably OK.
~Sara It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great. ~ Jimmy Dugan
I'm happy to report that I'm an unrestricted runner once again. The "magical" aircast did not help me. The traditional treatment of 6-8 weeks of no running followed by 6-8 weeks of ramping up mileage worked perfectly. I finished my last run in my recovery training plan yesterday and I have absolutely no pain or discomfort and haven't for quite some time now. I'm confident that I am now 100% healed.
When I started the recovery runs I did have some minor discomfort and it turned out to be OK. The pain disappeared shortly into the runs. Keep that in mind if you have to deal with a stress fracture at some point.
Great to hear! Way to be smart about the recovery! Good luck!