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Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =)
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Apologizing in advance for crabbing all over the forums, but I'm the only runner in my family and circle of friends and no one else will truly understand!

Anyway, I was having a GREAT summer, running lots of miles and feeling good. What I was not doing was stretching, pre-hab and core work. I screwed up my SI joint (pelvis) and had to take a few weeks off anything but short and easy runs, but with rest and hip stretches was feeling a lot better. Lately, during my last few long runs I have had stabbing pain outside my right knee (IT band) that force me to end only a couple miles in. I took six days off before my last two runs and STILL had stabbing pain yesterday after about 2 miles (was supposed to be 18, I jogged/walked it back to the car for 4).

So, my fall marathon is three weeks from yesterday. A PR (sub-4:10) is all but out the window. I would rather not run one single step between now and then if it means I can finish the race. And I would rather finish walking/jogging making it a fun race (taking pictures, etc.) than not do it at all and waste my money. It's an international race so passport information had to be submitted months ago and I cannot defer until next year or switch to the half.

I did get a few LONG long runs in earlier this season, including one 20-miler, but that was eight weeks ago, 11 weeks before race day. My most recent was a 16-miler two weeks ago, five weeks before race day. Right now my plan is to try to strengthen and rehab, rest, call it an aggressive extended taper, and hope for the best. And probably sign up for a January marathon as a second chance.

Has anyone resolved IT band issues with three weeks off? Any suggestions for strengthening exercises? (I am doing clam shells/hip adductor and abductor, resistance band moves, and foam rolling.) Or, am I delusional? Will my legs forget everything they've run in the last few weeks?

Adding insult to injury (literally) is that this is the first month in a year that I won't hit 100 running miles, and my goal of 1,500 in '15 probably won't happen either. =(

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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i suspect you'll be fine, as long as you don't let feeling good mid race convince you to up your pace. Second time today i'm recommending this, but -- can you run in a pool?
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I'm so sorry to hear you're in this boat. I'm just coming back from an injury at the end of May that reduced me to 33 miles in June, 42mi in July & 63mi in August - I've had to build really aggressively in September because I have a 50k in less than 3 weeks and a 6-hour a fortnight afterward.

If you've got 100+mi per month as a base to draw on, I'd say you're probably in better shape than I am! I'm relying on the consistent 130+mi months I put in from January to May to get me through - which included a spring 50k as well - but I'm still over 20mi away from cracking 1,000mi for the year.

It might give you some hope to hear that last year I blew out my right calf 4 days before a hilly 6-hour and couldn't run at all between then and the race. Somehow made it through the whole thing and even PR'd it by a couple of hundred metres. Sometimes the aggressive taper is just what you need!

Be kind to yourself and don't give up - endurance hangs with you longer than speed does, and this isn't your first barbecue. I'll be rooting for you!

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [mistressk] [ In reply to ]
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kiki wrote:
... can you run in a pool?
I will if I have to but blech, I was looking forward to not getting in the pool for a while. =) I am going to give it at least a few more days of total rest and then maybe try this to gauge my healing progress.

mistressk wrote:
Be kind to yourself and don't give up - endurance hangs with you longer than speed does, and this isn't your first barbecue. I'll be rooting for you!
Thanks for the kind words and I am glad to hear your "aggressive taper" worked out for you. I've ran a TON of miles (for me) this year so that has to count for something, right?

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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Quote:
I've ran a TON of miles (for me) this year so that has to count for something, right?

That will count for a lot.

Have you had a massage since this started hurting? Someone who can really dig into it - look for an ART or Graston person - might help.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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tigerchik wrote:
Have you had a massage since this started hurting? Someone who can really dig into it - look for an ART or Graston person - might help.

Just booked something with a fellow athlete, who focuses on pain relief and wellness as opposed to relaxation. I am hopeful it helps. Thanks!

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
Last edited by: Midtown Miles: Oct 1, 15 12:49
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I'm sorry to hear about your injury! When you've worked so hard and been so consistent.

I went into my first marathon with injuries. That's right, more than one pain. But somehow (maybe because of the taper?) during the actual marathon I was completely pain free. I did pace very conservatively, negative splitting by a big margin because I felt good, and finished in 4:12. Specifically, I started at a 6 min/km pace then at the halfway point, picked it up to 5:45, then for the last 10K, picked it up to 5:15-5:30.

I had been having left ankle pain (diagnosed as a stress fracture) and right hip pain for weeks and thought I should pull out of the marathon but I was glad I didn't. I also had right ankle soreness. I started substituting 65-95K bike rides to replace my long runs to keep up my aerobic fitness.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [karencoutts] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for sharing -- I am really hoping this is the case for me. I plan on starting out at my easy pace of about 9:30-9:40, which is about what I need to tie my PR (4:10). If I can bump it up later, great! If not, oh well, I'll make it a fun race, take pictures, try to enjoy the view, etc.

I can't believe you ran with a stress fracture! Had you been diagnosed by then? How long did you rest beforehand? I have been doing only yoga and pre-hab type exercises (hip strengthening with resistance bands, etc. plus foam rolling) for the last week but want to get on the bike a few times this week, at least. Then again, I am the idiot who did her first tri and ended up winning a (very small, unofficial) 5K on what turned out to be a tibial stress fracture, so I shouldn't throw stones. =)

I did get a sports massage Saturday and he annihilated my calves and hamstrings, of all things. I was nearly shrieking in pain on the table and he's telling me, "Oh be quiet, I'm barely touching you... breathe through it, you'll only make it worse..." LOL!

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I earned a stress fracture training for my first marathon, ironically enough with a fundraising group that I joined specifically for the smart training aspect that was, in theory, going to help me train smartly, without injury. But I digress...

I did inline skating to make up my long run volume and tons of pool running for my short volume and yeah, mental torture. I wore a baseball cap so I could clip my not-waterproof mp3 player to it.

I set out to do just the 1st half of the marathon using run walk intervals, so I could get frequent breaks to assess how my leg felt, figuring this would make me feel like I had upheld my end of the bargain to run for all those folks who gave donations and names to run for. Anyway, I felt fine at the half so kept going to finish with no ill effects.

Years later amist a bunch of general hip/flank pain I was diagnosed with a labral tear. After several doctors and injections it turned out that was not the source of my discomfort so I proceeded to train for my 3rd ironman with 15 weeks to go and coming from much reduced base fitness as I had taken off months to chase an answer to what hurt. My coach had me do long runs in the pool and short ones on soft surfaces. I honestly did not expect to finish that race, but did ok, all things cobsidering.

Moral - you'll finish if you listen to your body on race day. But I don't have the experience to comment on the pace you're targeting. Good luck!

To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I saw a physio who said that I likely had a stress fracture because of a diagnostic tool he used. But I did not see my doctor about it. I bought a pair of Hokas and put on a compression brace with lateral support for the marathon and was able to continue training. Because I did not feel much pain and it did not get worse, I was able to run the marathon. It seemed to resolve itself since then.

Experienced the stress fracture at week 11 of 18. I stopped running for two weeks coincidentally because I had a vacation, but I did walk on it, with the compression brace. After two weeks I resumed running.

I was having some pain right up to the marathon day, but it was not debilitating. I avoided long runs and hit the bike for 3 hour hammerfests. This seemed to be effective to keep up my aerobic fitness because on marathon day I felt really great running at speed. I ran conservatively but not because I had to, but because it was my first marathon and I was not running enough to try to BQ.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I get it.

A couple of years ago I started getting IT band problems. A little while into every run, the niggling pain on the outside of the right knee, getting progressively worse until I had to stop, usually after 30 mins or so. Strangely, it didn't happen every run, but I couldn't predict when it would strike. It happened during an oli race once, halfway through the 10k at the end. When the pain started I swore to myself I would just run through it, and finish the race running, but it got so bad I could barely walk at the end.

At the time I was having this pain I was also suffering from very bad periodic SI inflammation. So the two are clearly related. And yes, I was doing NO core or strength work at all, just SBR, at quite high volumes.

So I understand your frustration, that this marathon may not be the PR you wanted, and also your fear, that you may not be able to finish at all, or only finish by walking. That really sucks.

What worked for me in resolving this is stopping running for a while and doing core and some quite serious weight training. I wish I could tell you it was resolved in a few weeks but actually I stopped running for about 6 months. Maybe 3 weeks will do it for you, who knows? Everyone is different.

I am sure you are doing the right thing with your stretching. Keep at it. I would not run at all if I were you before the race. You need to let all the inflammation die down in your knee completely for your best chance of getting through the race. Best of luck and enjoy it whatever happens.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [alexxm21] [ In reply to ]
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Tsunami wrote:
Moral - you'll finish if you listen to your body on race day. But I don't have the experience to comment on the pace you're targeting. Good luck!
Thanks for this. This is my plan -- listen and adjust if necessary.

karencoutts wrote:
This seemed to be effective to keep up my aerobic fitness because on marathon day I felt really great running at speed. I ran conservatively but not because I had to, but because it was my first marathon and I was not running enough to try to BQ.
Good suggestions. I am hoping that the 18, 20 and two 16-milers I've done are banked in my legs somewhere, even if it was a while ago. I'm also a long way from a BQ so while it will be disappointing to run a slow race, I don't have greater goals hinging on it or anything like that.

alexxm21 wrote:
A couple of years ago I started getting IT band problems. ... At the time I was having this pain I was also suffering from very bad periodic SI inflammation. So the two are clearly related. And yes, I was doing NO core or strength work at all, just SBR, at quite high volumes. ... I would not run at all if I were you before the race. You need to let all the inflammation die down in your knee completely for your best chance of getting through the race. Best of luck and enjoy it whatever happens.
Yeah, what surprised me about my issues is I noticed a niggle early on, but it completely went away with no further problems until months later, after the SI joint went out and was feeling better again. Weird!

Funny how we both have the same issues. Do you also sit at a desk all day? I am glad to hear you are running again. I got lax about core and weights this season. It will not happen again. Taking six months off for a stress fracture a few years ago was miserable for me.

I just don't think I can wait until race day without at least going for a test run. I'm much more of a "forewarned is forearmed" kind of person -- I like to be prepared, even if it is for the worst. My plan right now is to go for a super easy, like 1-2 mile walk/run, in the next few days. If it hurts, fine, at least I know, I take another week off before the race, and I prepare for a very long 5+ hours.

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I think I'd also want to try a test run before race day.
I'm thinking of you and hoping it all resolves itself. Did the massage help?

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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It's not looking good. Yesterday was homecoming and I walked all over the place. My IT band was KILLING me by the end of the night, so much that I had a hard time walking without a limp. If I can't manage a couple miles walking, I have no business trying to run a marathon.

I'm mostly frustrated and disappointed. I was on track to have a great running season. I keep telling myself, "Sometimes DNS means 'did nothing stupid,'" but damn, I wanted this so badly. =(

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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I think this is all part of the journey of being a marathoner. Sometimes you can to sit a race out. It sucks and you can totally pout and vent and be frustrated about it, but find a way to realize it's all a journey. Some years are better than others. And quite frankly, if you meet all your goals in life, you're not really aiming high enough.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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You are not alone! Just wanted to say I feel your pain. I was pushing through the summer heat and getting in some great runs, then boom fractured my 4th metatarsal on 9/13. Was training for Savannah Marathon on 11/7, but knew the math said it was over. Went in yesterday after 5 weeks and the top is now more crooked and it still has a fracture line through it, was hoping to save Philly Half Marathon on 11/22, but guessing that is out now too. I am still holding on to a little hope, but am I delusional?

Here is what my x-ray looked like, how can such a tiny crack take so long.
https://www.facebook.com/.../?type=3&theater

I hope you heal up and have great success!
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [chicklamino] [ In reply to ]
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Ouch ouch ouch!!! So sorry to hear about your broken foot. =(

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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Guys ... I DID IT!

I ran a couple miles here and there this week and decided to give it a shot. I wanted to at least try. And I finished within a minute of last year's time!

I started getting a few twinges at about mile 10 and thought, well, at least I made it to 10 without walking. Then they kind of went away and I thought, maybe I can make it to the halfway point without walking. Each big checkpoint I thought, I made it far without walking, I'll see how far I can go. I ended up running the whole friggin' thing. I am thrilled.

Thanks for all your advice and good wishes. The "aggressive taper" (five weeks of rest) and long runs banked from earlier this summer helped, I'm sure.

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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Wooohoo! Awesome work :-)
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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All that angst and hand wringing for nothing.

I'm glad it went well.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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Congratulations! Way to tough it out!

__________________________________________________________
ill advised racing inc.
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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That's awesome! I am glad it went well and that you were able to run the whole thing.

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [Midtown Miles] [ In reply to ]
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How does everything feel now? Did the it band stuff go away?

maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD
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Re: Injured with marathon three weeks away; I need to vent to people who "get it" =) [tigerchik] [ In reply to ]
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tigerchik wrote:
How does everything feel now? Did the it band stuff go away?
It's definitely stiff and sore still today, although I can actually bend my knee now, so I'm doing better than yesterday! It doesn't feel like anything is strained or sprained, though -- just a bit more overworked than usual. I am going to wait until at least the weekend to try an easy run to give it a good amount of rest. Thanks for asking!

http://mediocremultisport.blogspot.com
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