bummin'

[ilanarama]

This Sunday is the Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins. I'm not running it. :-(

This was going to be my serious shot at sub-3:30. I had a good training cycle and despite a disappointing finish at the Canyonlands Half, I was feeling fairly confident. Then, three weeks ago, my left foot started to hurt. I took a day off, and it didn't feel better. I took another day off, and then (with some trepidation) went backpacking. (I knew Britt really wanted to go, and I wanted to go, too. I made him carry most of the stuff. It didn't seem to make my foot feel any worse, but it didn't feel any better, either.) I took the rest of the week off. I ran a quarter mile and realized my foot still hurt, so I ran home. And then I called my doctor. A week after seeing her, I saw a podiatrist.

Long story short, my foot is in a "post-op boot" which is a sort of sandal thing with a rigid bottom, to keep it from bending, and I'm on crutches for the next three weeks. The podiatrist thinks it's a stress fracture, even though it didn't show up on the x-ray (they often don't, but he advised against the expensive MRI, which is better at seeing them, since he was just going to treat it the same way). I am to keep my weight off my foot as much as I can. Hopefully in three weeks I can start slowly exercising again, although it may be several months before I am running. I will miss spring backpacking and rafting. Phooey.

I know, first world problem. Lots of people can't run at all. But I HATE BEING ON CRUTCHES. It is difficult to accomplish ANYTHING other than SITTING ON MY BUTT. Grr. Even cooking dinner is a major pain. I'm gaining weight and I'm getting cranky. And I lost my $125 marathon entry fee, and a small (under $20) cancellation fee for the hotel room. (Not to mention the medical costs I'm facing...I have a high deductible health plan and it's all coming out of pocket at the moment.) And my fitness is wafting gently out the window; it will take all year to build back up again to where I was (just like it took all year to build back up again after my bout of peroneal tendinitis).

The podiatrist's office is making me custom orthotics (another $300...), and hopefully I won't keep getting injured. But boy, am I bumming.

Comments

[walterfielding]

Aw man, that SUCKS. I'm only just starting to train again after a long and frustrating bout with PF, so I feel for you (although I can't imagine how annoying crutches are, ugh).

You've been here before, and you know you'll get through it and come out strong. But it's still sucks big-time now, and it's really shitty timing too (not that there's ever a *good* time to be injured). I'm sorry!

[ilanarama]

Oog, PF is a tough one - friends of mine have had to deal with that. Good luck. And thanks for the sympathy. Yeah, BAD timing.

[sara]

Being on something like my fourth minor-but-enough-to-put-me-in-bed-for-several-days illness in the last three months...boy, do I sympathize.

I am definitely out of shape. And I keep getting e-mail reminders about rides this summer, which...urgh, if I could just stop blowing my nose for a while, I could get up to it....

[ilanarama]

Bad enough to put you in bed? Yikes. I am thankful that I am otherwise healthy, and I hope you get the chance to go do one of those rides soon!

[mrkinch]

What a shitty deal, be injured just before summer! I wish you patience and a thorough recovery.*hugs*

[ilanarama]

Thank you! Yeah, I'm going to hate having lovely weather and not being able to enjoy it!

[gnomad]

Nooooooo! Oh, man, that sucks. I'm currently trying to get all that running fitness back from when I was down with my ITB/periformis issues, so I sympathize mightly with the feeling watching all your hard work slip away. Funny, I didn't even know I had running fitness it until it suddenly wasn't there anymore.

I hope the foot heals extra fast. At least I hope they get you off crutches soon. *hugs*

[ilanarama]

Haha, your icon made me giggle. Yeah, the real problem right now is that I can't even do ANYTHING. No biking, no swimming (actually, I am going to call to see if maybe I can swim or pool run or SOMETHING). Grrr.

[libitina]

Oh, no! That's sounds like torture for you especially.

Good luck.

[ilanarama]

Yep, torture. Thanks.

[beledibabe]

Oh, argh! Hope you heal quickly!

[ilanarama]

Thank you!

[purna]

Oh, man, that sucks! I so feel for you. That 3:30 was so going down. I'm bummed this happened to you.

Do you have access to a pool for water running? I ended up with tendinitis after Chicago and couldn't run for 6 weeks. I did Pfitzinger's water running program, and it kicked my butt. I approached it pretty aggressively, since I was bouncing off the walls, and I may have even gained fitness. It took me all December to get my land running legs back, but then in January I set a 10K PR.

As for the MRI...for me, the doc initially thought navicular stress fracture because the tendinitis was insertional at that bone, but the MRI showed no stress fracture. I was very glad that I opted for a definitive test, since navicular sfx often take forever to heal. I think not knowing for sure would drive me crazy. Did the doc mention a bone scan? I believe the scan is much cheaper, but still diagnostic.

Sorry to blather on; I don't know if any of this info is useful. Anyway, I'm rooting for a fast recovery and return to racing for you!

[ilanarama]

I'm not even supposed to do water running for 3 weeks, although I think I'm going to call and ask about it. Hmm, you think a bone scan is cheaper? Maybe I'll ask. He did say he didn't think it was tendinitis, though.

I'm impressed by your results!

[melusina]

Gah - that SUCKS! I'm so sorry. I hope it heals quickly!

[ilanarama]

Thank you!

[zebra363.livejournal.com]

First world problem or not, this would be awful!

I really hope I don't cause anything similar with my running every day, but I doubt I'll ever build up your mileage or speed and am pretty sure I'm still within a safe range!

[ilanarama]

I don't actually know whether it was from volume of running, or speed of running, or both. I do know people who have gotten stress fractures from what seem like very small amounts of running. But I think the combination of low volume and low speed should not be problematic for you.

[luzula]

Wow, that sucks. I really feel your pain about not being able to go hiking, and losing running fitness must suck so much, too.

[ilanarama]

Yeah, it's THE time of year to be in Utah now! :-(

[whatistigerbalm]

I really hope this heals and passes soon! I don't want you to be cranky. :(

[ilanarama]

You and my husband both :-) I just wish he was more supportive and helpful, instead of treating this like, "oh, I'll just stay out of your way since you're being such a bitch because of your injuries." Grr. See, even perfect marriages aren't perfect!

[oh6]

Ouch, that's really unfortunate. Like everyone else said, hoping your foot gets better soon!

[ilanarama]

Thank you!

From Greenlee

[(Anonymous)]

Oh Ilana, that is so tough. Crutches are no fun, and I know how disappointing it must be to have to miss your marathon. I just went through the stress fracture nightmare so feel free to email me if you need support.

Re: From Greenlee

[ilanarama]

Thanks, Greenlee.

[(Anonymous)]

Aww... Darn it, Ilana. I'm really sorry to hear this. You're right -- in the grand scheme of things this is pretty minor, but I can still empathize completely with your frustration. Just don't push it, and I'm sure you'll be back on the road in short order.

Eric W.

[ilanarama]

It's so HARD to be PATIENT!

[thistlechaser]

Awww, so sorry to hear it! Hope your foot gets better soon and stays better!

[ilanarama]

Thank you!

[amanuensis1]

*sends giant hugs, sighs with you*

[ilanarama]

SIGH.

I'm feeling a bit better now, though, because I've started pool running, which is surprisingly more fun than I expected.

[justrunjim.blogspot.com]

Hang in there kiddo. The doc was smart enough to not have you use your money on an MRI. What does not kill us, makes us faster...right?

[ilanarama]

What does not kill us makes us run in the pool!

[barkley.livejournal.com]

How disappointing! To get all that work in to get so close to the goal and then get set back like that! I hope it heals quickly for you.

[ilanarama]

Thank you! I am pool running and swimming...might have to get back to triathlons at this rate!

[delurker]

:( I'm sorry to hear that.

[ilanarama]

Thanks for the sympathies! Go run some for me! :-)

[(Anonymous)]

Ilana I'm so sorry you got injured and even more sad we didn't get to meet. thank you thank you so much for all the advice you gave regarding my marathon - it went so well - no BQ or sub 4 but I felt great the entire time (great is a bit of an exaggeration, but I never felt horrible) and I do think a lot of that had to do with the advice you and others gave. I hope you get back to running sooner than expected and we do get to meet up at some point. If you ever do run the Colorado Marathon you are going to rock that course - it was awesome... I'll be checking in on you from time to time! Keep posting and let me know how you are recovering..

[(Anonymous)]

oh this is sandra (sllygrl) BTW....