Can I get ready to run an IM marathon in 12 weeks?
On May 20th, while competing in the Florida IM 70.3, I broke the third metatarsal in my right foot. It’s a fracture, not a stress fracture. I wore a removable air-cast for 8 weeks and have not been able to run since the injury. I have been swimming and biking, and recently started using the elliptical trainer and StairMaster, the latter of which causes some pain. To date my longest bike ride has been 100 miles and completing the swim will not pose a problem. I was x-rayed again yesterday and the break is still visible, but I’m hoping to resume running next week which is 12 weeks from IMFL. I am 47 and have been running for 30 years, but I have never done an IM. Is 12 weeks enough time to get ready? 11 weeks? 10? At what point is it time to throw in the towel? Any suggestions would be welcomed. Thanks.
Have you thought about pool running? I seem to remember other ST members using this to keep up during injury. On another note I got ready for a stand alone 50k in less than 12 weeks, It was slow, definetly a “just to finsh” effort. I ran bigger than normal mileage but only ran every other day and was using ice baths to help recovery. Short days were 7 miles and long was 15miles+. Not sure it was a great idea but I finished, would have gone better if the course had been as flat as my training runs.
I’d say definitely. With your running background and endurance base from biking/swimming, it really shouldn’t be a problem. I would suggest starting aquajogging/water running ASAP and do that for the next couple weeks to give the fracture more time to heal. That would give you 10 weeks of solid running, which is plenty of time.
I did IMFL last year on very limited running as I spent most of the season injured, and took at least 5 months off from running COMPLETELY. I started to run again in early August and wound up with a 3:50 IM Marathon, on 1 18 mile run, 2 14 milers and only 2 weeks of 30+ total running miles.
I did spend ALOT of time on my bike in training, and paced myself during the race which allowed me to get off the bike feeling very fresh which was the key to my day.
12 weeks is probably enough time if you could get the training in. It just seems more likely, since the break is still visible, you’re just going to quickly re-injure yourself and not be able to do 12 weeks of training. You mention the StairMaster is already causing pain.
I would suggest pool running with a vest until you can run outside. I tore a calf muscle about 5 months before Kona back in '96 and did pool running for 2 months. Did Hawaii and felt great. No problems.
Every situation is different but I fractured my ankle 18 weeks out from LP. It was only a hairline FX and the sprained ligaments were the real issue. I did no running for three weeks and minimal running for the next three (3hrs or less). I then finished the last 12 weeks of my plan. No problems at all from a fitness standpoint. I had one of my best runs. (3:30). I think the injury actually helped me build to a peak.
Your 30 year history means way more than the last few months of training.
I have never tried pool running. Is it really that different than an elliptical trainer? While the elliptical trainer is a poor substitute for running, it is hard to imagin that pool running would be much better. Not to mention it’s impossible to look cool pool running - although I suspect I look as goofy on the elliptical trainer as I would running in a pool.
Our sport is full of guys who can’t wait to get back to training and therefor return to training too soon and make their situation worse. It is the basic nature of most of us who love this sport. So we all understand you really, really wanting to get out there and resume your run training.
My own approach is to recognize that while I love the training, I really like to race well and to do that, I have to be healthy going in to the race. No one wants to be the fittest guy who had to withdraw due to an injury or be the fastest limper on the run.
Before I would keep using the stairmaster or doing anything else that was causing me pain, I’d want to hear from my doctor that the pain was not an indication that I was slowing my recovery or making things worse.
Being a little slower on the run due to some missed training is a lot better than being a lot slower or not finishing or not even starting because you didn’t let an injury heal.
None of what I have said is original or particularly clever. We all know this stuff. But we still need to be told it over and over when its us that are injured and can’t wait to get back out there.
I think pool running/deep water running is better than the eliptical. I was injured and did deep water running for about 2 months (including some long runs of 1 hr 30 min), I ran a race just fine. Then I took 2 months off and tried to deep water run again. I had to stop at 30 min. It feels like deep water running works your hip flexors more than the eliptical (if I had to be in the gym I use the stair master instead of eliptical).
No, you don’t look cool doing it, but it does help. Get an iPod and a waterproof carrier/headphones (I like otterbox) and try it. You can do intervals, different strides etc… I think the important thing is to keep your leg turn over up. It’s hard to do in the water, but you want to try to keep it the same as you do on the ground to help the muscle memory. It will also work your arms a bit because of the resistance from the water.
Thanks for your response. Yours is the voice reason. I will re-read your response before trying to resume running. While intellectually I know it is better to err on the safe side, it is amazing how stupid I can get when I get frustrated and what to run. I did speak with my orthopedist yesterday and his advice was to NOT return to running until there is NO pain, and when I do return - do so slowly. Again, something we all know, but need to be reminded of.
