Squidward Bike Rider
Lesson learned from my tibial sfx...if it causes me to limp or alter my gait in any way, DO NOT run. Case in point: This most recent injury that I'm trying to comeback from...once I started limping and wasn't able to run normally through the pain, I had to go see the doctor. Two MRI's later, I found out I had a stress "reaction" (not a fracture...yet) in my upper femur. Needless to say, I stopped running and got it checked out just in time before it turned into an actual stress fracture. I'm thankful I had the common sense to do that.
Meanwhile, in the weeks leading up to my tibial sfx, I was run-limping my runs, and even attempted to do a half marathon...key word ATTEMPT. After 6 miles or so, I couldn't take the pain anymore, so I DNF'd. Luckily, it was a double-loop course, so I only had a very painful one mile walk back to the car.
I've run marathons with pneumonia, bronchitis, achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis and a torn post-tib tendon in my left foot. I should disclose I wasn't aware I had pneumonia at the time, but does explian how I went from a 3:18 finish the year before to 3:25! The bronchitis I knew about 10 days beforehand and thought the meds would kill it as I'd set my Master 10k PB the previous weekend but it wasn't fully out of my system as I ended up running 1 minute slower in the marathon than the year before despite a much more complete prep. The AT and PT were during my last two marathons and were more an annoyance than a severe limiting factor [as I set my current Master PB].
The torn post-tib tendon I was also aware of but only after I'd completed the bulk of my marathon training. I'd run several 20 milers on it and after discussing with my the doctors we felt I couldn't likely make it much worse. Of course, that wouldn't have even been on the table expect the marathon in question was the 100th running of the Boston Marathon. I ended up setting my Boston course PB [3:36] but three years later my next marathon was 5:04 and it took me six [6] years to fully recover - re-qualifying for Boston in 2005 with 3:30:00.
Youth Has No Age. ~ Picasso / 1st road race: Charleston Distance Run 15 Miler - 1974 / profile
Former Bad Ass
I will never run in pain, which is why I stopped in Chicago at Mile 11. It's not worth further injury or further time down just to finish something with an injury.
Damaris
Caretaker/Overlook Hotel
I tried to run a 50 this summer with a broken foot, that I knew was broken. Not the best idea I've ever had, but not the worst either.
LMAO!!
Randy
My general rule is that if the pain stays the same or gets better as I run, I just ignore it. If it gets progressively worse, that's when I stop ignoring it. I tried running through ITBS and just made it worse and take much longer to heal. I think I'm better about knowing when I stop now.
Would I run on a stress fracture? Depends on how painful it is, if I thought I could still run a good race and if it would be worth the potential risk and extra downtime. If it was a big race I had trained some time for (goal marathon) and I thought I had a chance of running it reasonable well despite the injury I'd probably do it.
I can run with pain, such as a blister, etc... But if the pain prevents me from doing my normal training workouts, then I prefer to take days off until I've treated the abnormal pain and its cause. I don't see the point of running slow and short runs in pain. It brings me no joy and no benefits.
PRs: Boston Marathon, 3:27, April 15th 2013
Cornwall Half-Marathon, 1:35, April 27th 2013
18 marathons, 18 BQs since 2010
My general rule is that if the pain stays the same or gets better as I run, I just ignore it. If it gets progressively worse, that's when I stop ignoring it. I tried running through ITBS and just made it worse and take much longer to heal. I think I'm better about knowing when I stop now. Would I run on a stress fracture? Depends on how painful it is, if I thought I could still run a good race and if it would be worth the potential risk and extra downtime. If it was a big race I had trained some time for (goal marathon) and I thought I had a chance of running it reasonable well despite the injury I'd probably do it.
I agree with this, except that racing isn't that important to me that I would run with a stress fracture.
Super B****
Let me preface this with DO NOT DO THIS. in June of 2011 I was 4 miles into a 6 mile run when I felt a very bad pain in the groin region shooting down my leg. I was 2 miles from home so sort of limp-jogged home. Though I couldn't walk without pain and couldn't put my pants on without sitting down, I still managed to limp-jog 4 miles a day and participate in (it wasn't running) a July 4th 5k before I could get into the doctor in mid-July. Everything I read pointed to a pelvic stress fracture and deep down I knew that's what it was, but until I heard the words come out of the doctor's mouth and saw it for myself on the x-ray, I just wouldn't stop. However, once I got the official diagnosis, I did everything the doctor told me with the exception of starting up biking again after 3 weeks instead of 4. I didn't run a step for 8 weeks and when I started back I started from square one with couch to 5k to give my bones and muscles a chance to build back up. So the short answer is that I will apparently run through any pain until a doctor tells me to knock it off.
Let me preface this with DO NOT DO THIS.
in June of 2011 I was 4 miles into a 6 mile run when I felt a very bad pain in the groin region shooting down my leg. I was 2 miles from home so sort of limp-jogged home. Though I couldn't walk without pain and couldn't put my pants on without sitting down, I still managed to limp-jog 4 miles a day and participate in (it wasn't running) a July 4th 5k before I could get into the doctor in mid-July. Everything I read pointed to a pelvic stress fracture and deep down I knew that's what it was, but until I heard the words come out of the doctor's mouth and saw it for myself on the x-ray, I just wouldn't stop.
However, once I got the official diagnosis, I did everything the doctor told me with the exception of starting up biking again after 3 weeks instead of 4. I didn't run a step for 8 weeks and when I started back I started from square one with couch to 5k to give my bones and muscles a chance to build back up.
So the short answer is that I will apparently run through any pain until a doctor tells me to knock it off.
Well, this sounds awfully familiar. I finished (note, I say "finished," not "ran" ... it took almost four hours) a half marathon with multiple pelvic/sacral fractures. To be fair, I had never had a fracture before, so I'd like to say that if I'd known that was what it was, I wouldn't have done it. But I have a feeling it wouldn't have changed anything.
Now, though? I live in terror of another fracture. So if I even suspect one coming on?... yeah, I'm going to baby that. If something is just uncomfortable, I'll run through it unless it makes me change the way I run, because that's just inviting a whole slew of other problems.
chasing the impossible
because i never shut up ... i blog
Well, I'm trying to tread lightly which is probably changing my gait some, but as I've said before, if I'm just running straight ahead, no cutting turns, hopping up/down, etc. (treadmill, of course forces that) then I'm fine, except I'd say my knee probably gets tired sooner than normal or at least I start convincing myself it is.
Today the knee probably feels better than the last week but I'm always anticipating something so as opposed to my right ear love (something I'm not thinking 2 seconds about) my left knee is ALL I'm thinking about 24/7!!!
I'll keep doing my progressive/incline/tread lightly slogs and see if I can run thru this. It's hard to believe how good you felt before you were injured & feeling like such a friggin' invalid basket-case when you are.
This is not a runner. In fact I think if you ever feel fully 100% at any time, even while not running, you are not a runner. Pretty much this.
This is not a runner. In fact I think if you ever feel fully 100% at any time, even while not running, you are not a runner.
Pretty much this.
Not true. I have been running for 14 years, racing for 10. I rarely have any kind of pain or discomfort.
After ignoring a pain in my butt which became an acute case of piriformis back in 2005 and had me in
physio for 4 months, I am extremely careful about listening to my body cues. If something is sore or achy
I ice and take a day or two off. This self care policy has never affected any of my race times, I have never DNF'd
or DNS'd in almost 100 races BUT I am pretty sure I have saved myself a few injuries along the way.
Not true. I have been running for 14 years, racing for 10. I rarely have any kind of pain or discomfort. After ignoring a pain in my butt which became an acute case of piriformis back in 2005 and had me in physio for 4 months, I am extremely careful about listening to my body cues. If something is sore or achy I ice and take a day or two off. This self care policy has never affected any of my race times, I have never DNF'd or DNS'd in almost 100 races BUT I am pretty sure I have saved myself a few injuries along the way.
+1 to this. I've learned it's better to take a day or two off when something crops up.
Life is good.
rather be sprinting
Hi, recently broken femur here.
Um, obviously I am of the 'push hard at all costs' school, or was. I think in my case it's because I am not always in touch with my body and can be more in my head. I'm trying to learn to stay aware of what is really going on in my body rather than my goals/wishes/hopes/training plan. Ya know? Some people are just more intuitive than others and others are more cerebral. I'm cerebral so my self-monitoring can be off.
PRs: 5k 19:25, mile 5:38, HM 1:30:56
Lifting PRs: bench press 125lb, back squat 205 lb, deadlift 245lb
Well my comment was sort of tongue in cheek. But I think you are probably a freak of nature. And I say that with the greatest of respect. And a bit of jealousy.
Dave
Well since I am almost 52 just ran a marathon ( 2nd one of 2013 and 12th race of the season) on Sept 29 th
with no taper , over 3000 feet of climbing, had zero soreness and continued on with the rest of the vacation
without skipping a beat , I will graciously accept the freak of nature title. I think my husband (who also runs
marathons) has said that about me upon occasion. Especially when he is sore and I am not.
Sloooow.
I'm a very new runner, I don't push through pain but I will also belittle things to bury my head in the sand. I don't have health insurance so I would rather tell myself I have a sprained ankle than a serious issue. For 18 months I told myself I had a bad ear infection which was why my ear was leaking pus. By the time I got myself to a doctor, my hearing was destroyed and I've had three surgeries, lol.
I stopped a half arsed treadmill run on Monday because my knickers didn't feel right. Like GC, I won't run for trivial things like it's getting late, or nearly dinner time. But when I had shin splints, I wanted to run through it and I did. If I took weeks off every time my legs were uncomfortable from my fat body pounding down on them, I wouldn't run at all. I would probably run on a stress fracture too, because I wouldn't go to the doctor to find out I have a stress fracture.