OK…I was out for my long run this morning and was about 8 miles from my house when I got pretty sharp pain in my left foot. Needless to say I could not run after a couple of more steps. I managed to make a couple shortcuts and walk 5 miles home. Went to the Dr (podiatrist) this morning and got x-rays, he said its fractured absolutely no running for 2-3 weeks until we have a follow-up appointment and we will go from there. I asked if its ok to swim and he said yes…now here is the weird part he said it was ok to bike! He said as long as I am wearing my bike shoes which have a flat/hard platform and I try not to curl my toes. Anyone else think this seems weird? Any other suggestions on keeping fit…btw I am doing IMAZ in April.
What bone is fractured? I will guess a tarsal or metatarsal since you said fx foot.
First of all, likely 6-8 weeks not 2-3… don’t get your hopes up about running in a couple weeks because it probably won’t happen.
When I had a metatarsal fx, I could swim but would only push off the wall with one foot. I couldn’t cycle for four weeks. Any pressure or impact on a broken bone probably isn’t good for it. So yes, your dr’s recommendation seems a little wierd. Go by pain - if it hurts don’t do it.
Sorry to hear about the fracture and sending you ((((((((((hugs))))))))))). Lots of them because walking 5 miles home with a fracture sounds absolutely terrible.
Whatever you do, don’t listen to your doctor. Definitely listen to Slowtwitch and tigerchik.
Oh, and be careful pushing off the wall in the pool ;^)
hey I’m going to be a doctor someday!!!
plus I have lots of stress fracture experience. I am an expert at what you can and can’t get away with when it comes to these things!!!
When I fractured the head of my left 5th metatarsal, it was just like that – 3 weeks in boot and crutches, no activity at all. Then I could do the boot, but I was okay to ride on a trainer (but I had to get new shoes so I didn’t have to wrench my foot into them). It was 8 weeks before I could run, and even then I took it VERY slow with the progression. Who knows, though. Maybe you’ll be back on your feet, so to speak, much sooner.
can you elaborate on which bone is “fractured”
Also, your description of the injury seems a little suspect, so I have to assume a stress fracture of the metatarsal?
yes sorry a stress fracture!..sorry i did not say that before. the 2nd metatarsal.
OK - I’d be a little careful biking on the trainer, but there won’t be much flex of the mets in a stiff soled cycling shoe and you should be fine. A 2nd metatarsal stress fx is the most common fracture in the lower extremity. But, don’t stand - just spin easy. If he saw it that early on plain film X-rays, this must be been “brewing” for a while since these typically take 10-14 days to show.
Good Luck!
Okay, I retract any relevance of my experience to yours…
Just diagnosed yesterday with a stress fracture(s) of the 5th metatarsal. No boot, no cast. See post @%$#& Injury
No running…3 weeks, maybe more. Biking and swimming ok. I really got the impression that it’s really going to be no running for a longer period but I think the Doc is trying to let me down easy. I have a FU appt scheduled in 3 weeks. New xray’s will be taken. Current xray shows 1 old stess fracture that I never knew I had and what he thinks to be a couple of new ones.
Oh, Doc’s recommendation. I run city roads. Always run on the same side for out and back runs. The streets are crowned and slant towards the gutter so if you always run against traffic then the same leg is always lower than the other and putting more pressure on the outside (5th meta) area of the foot. Guess I need an out and back course instead of a loop.
Yes that is what he said…that it appears to have happened in the past or been injured before, but never to my knowledge. i would have remembered this pain, swelling, bruising if it had happened before.
that is some good advice- also- just give your foot a rest for a week or so if it is still tender. you have plenty of time to build up for next season!
and from a guy who has had multiple metatarsal stress fracs in my day, in the early weeks take it easy on the swim, and be careful with those flip turns! an uneven push off the wall, or slam of the foot can bring you back to square one. ask your doctor about proper ways to tape up your toe or otherwise protect it when swimming.
everyone…thanks for the advise! don’t worry about those flip turns…i’m a runner/triathlete not a swimmer so i don’t even attempt them 
I fractured my 4th metatarsal last year. My doctor told me that I can swim and bike. I did. Then the bone broke completely and I was on crutches for six weeks. Do youself a favor don’t bike at all, don’t run and if you swim do pullsets and make sure that you push off the wall with the opposite foot.
It will be a lot easier to sit out 3 weeks now then six later on top of the three now.
Take it easy.
I am currently recovering from a stress fracture of the third metatarsal head. The doc basically told me I could do anything I wanted that didn’t cause me pain…discomfort okay…shooting/throbbing pain bad. It was 2.5 weeks before I was even walking without a limp, but I was swimming right away…only pushing off with one foot. Physical Therapy had me on the arc trainer after less than a week and then the elliptical about a week later. I started riding the trainer after about 1-1.5 weeks, but would pull my foot out of the shoe instead of twisting to un-clip for another week. …and last week (after 4 weeks) I started running a little on soft surfaces like grass. You could also try water running. So my unprofessional advice is, do what makes you happy…if you can ride without it bothering your foot…go for it.
I fractured my third metatarsal (an actual break, not a stress fracture) while doing the Florida 70.3 on May 20th of last year. I was in a soft cast for 8 weeks, which I removed so I could bike. The stiff soles of my bike shoes made biking OK, although for the first 3 or 4 weeks I could not get out of the seat while riding. I was also able to swim without pushing off, although I used a pool buoy for the first few weeks.
Less than 5 1/2 months after the break I was well enough to do IMFL (with only about 5 or 6 weeks of light run training).
OK - I’d be a little careful biking on the trainer, but there won’t be much flex of the mets in a stiff soled cycling shoe and you should be fine. A 2nd metatarsal stress fx is the most common fracture in the lower extremity. But, don’t stand - just spin easy. If he saw it that early on plain film X-rays, this must be been “brewing” for a while since these typically take 10-14 days to show.
Good Luck!
Several years ago I had a femural stress fracture and the doc basically told me the same thing - ok to cycle, just don’t stand. No crutches because stress fractures are “spidery” in their composition, unlike a trauma type fracture. Let the sucker heal - you’re too close to race day to jepardize it.
I was diagnosed 2 weeks ago with a stress fracture of the 5th metatarsal. It was real slight (only showed up on an MRI). I could walk comfortably and run up to 20 minutes without discomfort. Saw a podiatrist, a runner and well regarded in my area. He told me no running for 4-6 weeks, biking is fine (don’t walk in bike shoes however) as is swimming but no pushing off the wall with the bad foot. Return to running is to be real slow- literally a mile at a time. Still early in the season don’t blow it by getting back too early.