A friend of mine is entered in the Kona Ironman. He’s done it twice, but dnf’d up at mile 18 on the run. That’s the longest he’s gone in the race. He entered again this year. He’s been training. One of his life goals is to complete the thing.
And…he just broke his collarbone in a bike wreck yesterday. He’s paid wads of money to get into the Kona race. He’s weighing should he or should he not go through with it this year.
He’s not an internet person, but asked me to ask you guys and gals, because for some reason he wants to know if its been done before, I guess to check to see if this has been dealt with by a participant:
“Can you find out if anyone has done the Kona Ironman with a broken clavicle?”
I’m going to print the answers off to this, in case there are any. Don’t ask me, how he swims and so on, with a broken clavicle. I don’t know. He’s thinking even right now he can, that’s how he is.
He’s done tons and tons of halfs and sprints and so on. And he’s in real good shape. Real tough guy.
Wow Booth, That dude really has bad luck. Did he dnf because he went to fast, bonked out and gave up or was he injured? I know it cost lots to go to Hawaii I am scheduling our trip there for a Half Ironman race in Kona. My recommendation at this point is cut the losses and save himself the embarassment of dnf’ing again.
Answer, sort of. A friend of mine Jon Logan got hit by a car about six weeks before IM Lake placid a few years ago. His collarbone was very slow in healing (finally had to have it surgically repaired). He still raced and actually did rather well. I believe that he did the swim one arm side stroke.
My previous coach, Michelle Blake, crashed her bike 40k into an IM. She broke her collarbone in the wreck, along with rolling her single off the rim.
So after repairing her tyre herself (try doing that with one hand) she went on to finish the race. 5 hours slower than planned, but a finish nonetheless.
That was her last triathlon. I think it broke her (no pun intended).
I asked a friend of mine who has been there/done that. Here is his comment:
“I’d say that within 3-4 weeks from now he’ll be able to do almost anything.
Might be sore but if he’s in great shape he can probably finish. He really should rely on a hands on doctor for this kind of advice.
Please pass that along as well.”
I broke mine 6 weeks ago and can guarantee he will not be 100% for the race. I saw an orthepedic surgeon and he strongly advised against my race 2 weeks ago citing some cases where people had returned to training too quickly and the bone had not healed properly. He is treating girl that broke hers a year ago and has had surgery numerous times. He stated that it takes about 6 weeks to get to 75%, 3 months to 90% and a full year to get to 100%. Being at the six week stage I would tend to agree with him so far. I have just started swimming again but I’m using fins and not putting much pressure on the arm. Took me about 2 weeks to get back on the bike and 4 weeks before I could run again.
Having said that I am sure finishing the race will be possible, the swim will be uncomfortable and he may have to favour one arm, he will lose some fitness over the next month which will make things tougher on the bike and run. But if the goal is just to finish, 17 hours gives you plenty of leaway.
Honestly, I continually play that scenario in my mind. I try to prepare to handle a kick to the face, a bad bike crash, etc. The whole “prepare for the worst” thing.
I’ve convinced myself that there is a chance I would have to finish the race w/ a broken nose & arm/collarbone.
As much training as I am putting into this (and will put into this) as well as financial sacrifices, I would have to break both legs (or my bike) to not finish.
Thanks for sharing that story. She wasn’t the winner, but she certainly is a champion. I like it when people continue when most others would quit. It sets a precedent in one’s life where quitting simply isn’t an option.
Two weeks before the 1998 Muncie Endurathon, Jimmy Leffler wrecked in his own drive-way and broke both bones in his forearm! He did the race in a cast with a bag duct taped around his arm on the swim. The cast stunk bad after the race - it was near 90!
In 1999 Matt Koorey from OZ raced an Ultra Distance (3.8/180/42.2) In Queensland, Australia, got hit by a car on the bike course and broke his wrist. He too, changed a flat after the incident, led off the bike and went on to win in just a touch over 9hrs (swim was way long, first out of the water was ~1:07, dodgyest bike course, and the run was without many aid stations).
And get this, the RD packed up the venue, and disappeared, leaving Matt and the others ‘Winners, but not grinners’ because he took off with all the ‘prizemoney’ offered. What a cop out.