Stress Fracture

cgres123

History: Mid March here in the snow that would not let up, I went to the GYM for a TM run. The TMs were full so I ran the indoor track for 5 miles. The track was a smallish oval with curves on each end. I ran the whole time counter clockwise there by, I now know, beating the shizzle out of my left leg.

Fast forward 1  week and I was going for a TT run in the park. After 1 mile the left leg gave out. X-ray and MRI showed a stress fracture of the fibula.

Mid may I started running, well tried anyway to run, 2 miles with a 5 min jog 1 min walk for the 2 mile period. Later in the week I did a 1 mile brick. Two weeks later I did a 3 mile run and afterward my leg hurt for a week. Since then I have not run at all. 

Does anyone have a recommendation for me with this issue?

A positive note .... I have a PR in my FTP this season lots of biking and I'm all jacked up doing TRX and core work, since I couldn't do anything else. 

THX, D

Swanie

If you are looking at gaining/retaining running fitness then I would recommend water running. There is some really good guidance here in the wiki. I was injured with a stress fracture last year and water running kept my run fitness. It's boring as hell but it works.

It doesn't look like you have any big races coming up, based on your signature line. So if water running isn't your cup of tea then maybe just continue to work on your bike fitness and let the run come back when you are fully healthy.

cgres123

Yeah need to update that tag line and BTW I missed all of them races too, next up is a team event philly olympic I'm doing the bike. Thx for the info brother race strong on your big day!

Anu Rao

David, sorry about the sfx issues. My experience several years ago was that I had to be extremely cautious coming back. I used to ice my leg after every run, as it was explained, the muscles, tendons around the area are getting used to running again and you need to keep the inflammation down. I used the plan below, but stretched it to 14 weeks, repeated each week twice.

This is the Pfitz plan for return after sfx. I think it a tad aggressive towards the end, I would skip tempos runs etc. ut does get you back to a decent base of miles.

http://kemibe.com/distancecoach/labreports/stressfracture.shtml

cgres123

Anu, Thank you this sounds like a plan. My best guess is that I didn't allow enough healing time and I should have walked more after all it was the fibula which is a much smaller bone than the more sf-ed tibula.