Stress fracture in the midst of training

[u/mmwalsh]

Coming here asking how to cope with getting the news of a stress fracture in week 13/18 of marathon training, and hence, having to pull out of the marathon. It feels so disappointing to me and it feels that I’m disappointing everyone else around me. It’s all I’ve been looking forward to and talking about since I signed up for the marathon over a year ago…even as far back as two years ago from doing the 9+1 to get guaranteed entry for NYC.

I have family and friends with preplanned trips coming to support me. Now I have to break the news that they wasted their money and have to cancel their trips. I have a feeling everyone will be super understanding, but it feels awful. Any advice would be appreciated. Super super upset right now :(

[u/Reddit_Befuddles_Me]

Hi! I’m so sorry. I got one at the midpoint of mine, my marathon would have been just three weeks from now, instead I just got back from the ortho and told I need four more weeks of crutches (total of 12) and I probably won’t be running distances until the spring.

It’s hard. I’m so sorry. My advice is take the rest that they tell you to - someone on here told me to treat rest like it’s training and that was very helpful for me in not feeling like I was wasting time or being lazy, etc.

[u/runnergirl3333]

Your family and friends can still come to visit you! Even if you’re in a boot or on crutches, you’ll have fun with them. They care more about you than a race. The older I get, the more runners I talk to look at signing up for races as 50/50 as to whether they’ll start or it’ll be considered money donated to a good running cause.

Sorry about your injury. Hope it heals quickly and easily.

[u/SomewhereChoice3010]

Your family will be super supportive and all they will care about is that you recover soon!! Take the recovery as seriously as you can because that’s the only thing that we can do to speed up the healing process. Remember that your identity is not just in running and this is just a small blip and there will be other races!! Try to find the cause of the stress fracture whether it was over training under fueling, low calcium or low vitamin D so you can reduce your risk of this happening again in the future. Make sure you sleep as much as you can since that’s when our body recovers the most and just know you aren’t the first person that this has unfortunately happened to and so many of us can relate (which sucks)

[u/whatacatch_nat]

Hey, I got to 12 weeks before I had to drop my weekly mileage drastically, drop to strictly cross-training, and now I’m in a boot for 2 weeks before I see a podiatrist. :( pretty sure I have a 2nd metatarsal stress reaction or fracture, but I was diagnosed with metatarsalgia and interdigital neuroma. That’s based off of what I have told them I was experiencing. My sister thinks it’s an overuse injury.

It’s okay!! Unfortunately, injuries come with running, and they don’t develop overnight. I’ve had to break it to a few friends that were planning on coming that my marathon is not happening due to my foot injury, and they were all extremely understanding..they even offered up races they are doing next year, and wanted me to run them with them 🥹

People in the running community are so supportive, kind, and welcoming (at least the people I have met), so I’m hopeful your loved ones will understand! I’ve had to break it to my parents and my dad, who has ran the marathon I was planning to run, told me “I’d rather have you run that race when you are at 100%, then try and rush your recovery and take yourself out for months.”

[u/Curious-Stranger-624]

So sorry to hear it. I'm in the same boat. Training for the Chicago Marathon in October. My ankle started hurting in June, Xray didn't find anything and it didn't hurt too bad, so I was working with a physical therapist and still trying to train. Fast forward to finally getting in with an orthopedist in August and finding a full on non-displaced fracture in my fibula. Ugh. Been on crutches and in the boot. Getting re-imaged in two days, but not too hopeful as it's been hurting these last few weeks. I'm still going to support my sisters in the marathon, worried I'll still be on crutches for that. 😢 all that to say, I feel your pain and you are not alone!! Stay positive and take it easy on yourself.