Good news or really really really really devastatingly bad news first? Good news. I did it! Shattered my goal (perhaps shattered is the key word? or broke?) of beating 2 hours. Its amazing that a year ago almost exactly I ran the Whidbey Island Half Marathon in 2:06:42 (9:50) and this year I beat that time by 18 minutes in 1:48:23 (8:16). And I am confident that time would have been at least a minute or two faster had the below not occurred. I have a broken fibula. I am devastated. I'm guessing that the "shin splints" that bothered my left leg last week since last weekend's run was really the start of a stress fracture, which culminated at mile 7 of the race. I was feeling GREAT until mile 7, overdressed because it was the most beautiful day ever, out enjoying a really nice race. At mile 7 my ankle hurting a lot, and I contemplated quitting, but I don't quit, which I now know was a TERRIBLE decision. It hurt a lot and its all I thought about, but it was bearable. At mile 12 I almost cried because I knew I would finish, but that was premature since at mile 12.5 was probably when the actual break occurred, as the pain was no longer bearable and I hobbled to the finish line as best as I could. Terrible timing as that was one of the one hills up to a bridge of the race where there was a terrible headwind as well. Praying that it was a tendon strain or something minor I hoped it would be better this morning (but deep down I knew it was probably a stress fracture, never thought it was an actual BROKEN bone). Couldn't sleep last night because it hurt so bad, couldn't really walk, so decided this morning to head to the ER. They did x-rays and sure enough, broken fibula. Poor doctor had to see my enormous bawling breakdown when he told me I couldn't run for 6 weeks. On a splint/soft cast/crutches now - see the orthopedist on Friday and I'm praying I'll get a walking cast. I have so much more to say about everything, and I just hope I can be positive and not get too depressed through this. I cant even imagine not running, I'm going to need to do some upper body exercise or SOMETHING or I will go crazy, I know. Why did this happen? I dont feel like I upped my mileage quickly at all. I do feel like it was a mistake to run hard last weekend and this weekend, and that I should have switched to the new shoes sooner. But other than that, I honestly don't know why this happened or how to prevent this from happening in the future. Perhaps I'm susceptible to bone issues (I read something about this being related to abnormal periods, which I've always had, sorry if this is TMI!!). I'm just really depressed, Rock n Roll is for sure out, I just hope I can run again someday and that this never ever ever happens again. Has this happened to anyone else? If so, any tips, ideas as to causes, etc. would be so greatly appreciated. I'm going to have to fill those hours of running doing something! Splits: 8:04, 8:11, 8:21, 8:39 (the hill!), 8:17, 7:56, 8:02 (when it started hurting), 7:58, 8:04?, 8:23, 8:27, 8:15, 8:41 Garmin was hard to decipher since I did a bad job and pressed splits and had it automatically make splits. Big mistake.
| 