Got my MRI read today and diagnosed with another tibial stress fracture in the same exact spot as 2015. It's small - just the beggining of one. I've already been off of running for one month. I'm going to be off for another month - maybe 2 months. I go back to the doctor in 4 weeks.
Not under the kind of restrictions I was last time...I am only not supposed to run and take ibuprofin/NSAIDs (have been shown to affect bone osteogenesis during fracture healing).
I'm going to take these 4 weeks and improve swimming - espcially backstroke and continue weights - especially core and flexibility.
What did I do wrong?
November – average 20 miles a week. December was about the same. Took two weeks off Christmas and New Years. Then ran three hard weeks – 33, 21, and 40 (with a half marathon race). Then tibia started talking to me in February. Cut mileage a lot but continued to do races in Feb., March, and April.
Things I will do better in the future –
- More rest before and after races. I had difficult training weeks the week before races and tended to take an easy 5 days after races. I need to do no workouts the week before a race, and I would also be better off skipping a long run on the weekend following a race. I should really take 2 weeks off of all workouts after a race.
- Ease up mileage after extended breaks. I can’t just jump back in after weeks off like I have been doing all year with hard weeks or races.
- Run easy miles slower. Most of my runs were about 8:00 this fall and winter. I became a speed demon after the hot summer was over. It felt so good and easy to run 8:00 but that was too fast. My best half marathon pace was like 7:10...
- Better form. I got a form evaluation when I started PT last month. I had changed my form and had become a major heal striker, especially on my right side. I was majorly overstriding and created bad ground force angles. Also hips were dropping a little bit. So need to improve core, hip, and glute strength and continue on improving form.
Things I did well – full rest day every week. Just a few double workout days (second workout was always yoga).
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