Lesson Learned

[bburns591]

Similar to Nate and Zumba, I suffered a stress fracture of the 2nd metatarsal in my right foot at the beginning of June. I had worked up to almost 3 miles bare and was only a mile into a 3 mile run when i just couldn't walk anymore. A week later i was into see the doc. After an xray and a referral to a foot doc i ended up spending the last 5 weeks in a boot. I was finally cleared by the foot doc last week to start walking without the boot. I was told to walk for 2 weeks and then run for 2 weeks in shoes before i should start running bare again. I lasted about a week. Took my puppy (100 lbs, 7 month old Great Dane) for a 1 mile walk this morning and turned it into a barefoot walk/run. I took my first short 50 yard run and instantly realized what caused the stress fracture. With that first step, the discomfort from my toe forced me to shorten my stride and lift my feet. I'm gonna bet that because i hadn't shorten my stride length enough and was still rolling forward on my toes before i started my next step is what caused the stress fracture. Lesson Learned. After that short workout, for the rest of the day my feet were sore, the good kind of sore. Like after a good workout in the weight room sore. I'm definitely looking forward to building the mileage back up...slowly.

I've got a marathon planned for Nov and the goal is to run it bare, otherwise i'll run it shod if i can't build up my feet in time to handle the distance. I've been checking out the schedule that Zumba posted in another thread I'll probably follow a similar plan.

And Nate, as soon as you're healed, i'm looking forward to meeting up and getting my soles dirty on some trail runs.



Burns

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I was asking myself when I

I was asking myself when I started reading this thread...what causes a stress fracture in some and not in others? Stepping wrong? Insufficient bone density? Thinner metatarsals? I'm sure it could be different for everyone.

 

[Jimmy Hart]

 it's a bit of all of those

it's a bit of all of those TJ. another big culprit is lack of muscle strength as well as poor elasticity in the connective tissues like the tendons and ligaments.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I had severe osteoporosis.  I

I had severe osteoporosis. I had surgery to remove the tumored parathyroid that was causing my problem. I am recovering well, and my bone mass continues to increase. I now have osteopenia, so I'm getting better but will never be placed in the normal bone density category. If anyone were to receive a stress fracture, it would be me. So far, so good.

 

[barefoot.zumba.runner]

Good to hear you're out and

Good to hear you're out and running again Burns, bummer you had to go through the boot experience. Tough nice lesson learned with figuring your stride, I'm still trying to figure out exactly what went wrong on my end. Willing to bet it was lack of training on hills, ignoring early signs of what I thought might have been tofp (but didn't go away after running), jumping and dancing around at the race, sprinting up and down hills etc. None of which I'd prepared myself for. I had a pretty quick transition too, less than 4mo and I was into a half marathon. I've decided to push the full out until next spring, or even fall. As much as I'd love to do it this fall, I don't think it'd be a wise decision for me. I'd rather make sure my feet and body are good and ready for that than rush into it (because I get a little over ambitious from time to time).

Do you feel like you'll be ready for a marathon by Nov? I extended out that training plan to about 30 weeks to allow some rest weeks amidst the heavier mileage weeks. Is your race begining or end of Nov?

 

[NakedSoleNate]

 still don't know if mine was

still don't know if mine was a stress fracture...I'm going with the tibial ligament sprain the ortho said for now....and it is getting better....still slightly sore, but weight bearing isn't a problem anymore...I can do most things, but going down stairs is still iffy. I've stayed away from "kicking" classes all together....I'll be trying them out again starting monday (one month to the day after injury)...if it goes ok, I'll start walking a bit of shorter distances 1-2 miles too...I'm not cleared to run until I have "no" pain...but just in case, the week I have NO pain, I'll give it one more week before I start running again...so, right now, if I have no pain on monday, still won't run for another week . Just trying to be smart.



Burns, def. have to get together soon!! My best friend wants us to do the 40 miles from state line to harpers ferry (4 states) AT in one day...running the flats, walking the hills...our ladies will drop us off, then drive to campsite in harpers ferry...plan is for sometime this fall...Interested?