Marathon Post Injury

Cave_Goose

So I was 11 weeks into my marathon training plan when I wound up with a stress fracture in my left foot. 5-6 weeks off the foot. The marathon is in 7 weeks.

My doctor is a triathlete. He's completed multiple IronMan races, and he was on the IM medical team in 2015. Normally, I love his advice, but I'm questioning this one...

He believes I'm fit enough to come off this injury in 6 weeks and run a full marathon. He points to the fact that I have been running 18-20 mile long runs and then going to work the same day without being tired and sore.

He just wants me to focus on cardio--biking and swimming. He feels if I keep the cardio "furnace" burning, my body can handle a marathon with no more running. (As long as I can run on the foot the week of the race.)

Anybody have any experience with this? My doctor is the uber-athlete. Everyone in our region knows he is the guy to beat in any race: runs, bikes, swims, & tris. I'm just wondering if he is projecting his own fitness onto me.

BrianSharpe

caveat - my longest distance is HM / Olympic duathlon but I agree with him that your underlying fitness would probably permit you finish the race and that the biking & swimming would keep it up. If you didn't already have the running base it would be a different story.......


BTW, you do realize that he is covertly trying to turn you into a triathlete!

snikkins

20 miles is the last long run for some training plans, so I think he's right if you want to go for it.

pomegranatecloud

So will you only have 1-2 weeks of being able to run again before the race? You'll be able to finish as long as you don't have any foot paint, but I'd try to get in a longish run as a mini test.

ironhajee

I am training triathlon and recently had a stress fracture in my right foot. I modified my training to just swimming focus with one or two VERY LIGHT GEAR cycling sessions during my injury... eventually about 5-6 weeks I healed up just fine.

Give your injury the time it needs to heal and be conscious of placing it under too much pressure. Have some Vitamin D maybe?

Now having said that you are doing WAY more volume than I am doing so that could also factor into recovery time. I like to wrap the foot with a tensor wrap so my mind is aware of the injury and I took conscious steps to stay off the foot as much as possible.

So therfore I agree with his assessment.

TavistockToad

If you've been running a while and done a fair few 20 mile runs he's probably right

litsy3

I agree you probably could do it, but do you want to? I wouldn't personally. I'd rather do another race later building on the fitness I already had from the first training cycle. But if you just want to complete it, then it'll probably be fine.

Cave_Goose

Thanks everyone! I spent an hour on the bike yesterday and 2 hours water running in the pool this morning. I'm definitely moving forward.

litsy3 wrote: »

I agree you probably could do it, but do you want to? I wouldn't personally. I'd rather do another race later building on the fitness I already had from the first training cycle. But if you just want to complete it, then it'll probably be fine.

Oh, yeah I want this race! Last year this race was closed down after 3 hours when severe weather moved into the region. Buses were coming around picking up anyone still on the course. Everyone got a medal--but talk about meaningless bling. This is unfinished business for me.

billiebarry13

yes, he is right! enjoy the biking and the swimming

litsy3

In that case, do it! But take it easy on pace - one thing I'm noticing after taking 5 weeks out of marathon training with injury and doing loads of cross training, and now running again, is that aerobically I could keep going all day but my legs get tired more easily than they usually would. My lungs are used to the effort, my legs aren't!

Cave_Goose

litsy3 wrote: »

In that case, do it! But take it easy on pace - one thing I'm noticing after taking 5 weeks out of marathon training with injury and doing loads of cross training, and now running again, is that aerobically I could keep going all day but my legs get tired more easily than they usually would. My lungs are used to the effort, my legs aren't!

Oh yeah. I'm already planning on backing my goal time down by a full hour. I'll run the first half nice and slow and listen to my body about kicking it up a notch on the second half.