Anyone have any experience with running with a fractured rib? Cracked sixth rib a week ago during a bike wreck. Doc said it was completely broken all the way though, but not displaced. Ran 8 slow and painful miles today, but I can’t afford to miss anymore workouts :(. Fortunately (or unfortunately) I have a pretty high pain tolerance… So could I be doing more damage? Or just suck it up for a few more weeks?
Depends on how many miles you’re running. I had two fractured ribs my senior year going in to track season and ran with them. I wound up developing a compensation injury from subconsciously holding my upper body in a strange position to alleviate the pain. Granted, I was running 90-100 miles a week at the time so this is much more likely to induce a compensation injury. Not sure if this really helps, I’d just be wary of potential compensation injuries - mine wound up taking me out longer than the ribs. Also, advil will be your friend - or maybe Aleve, naproxen is easier on the stomach.
Good to know! I’m nowhere near 10MPW. I’m happy with 30-40 at this point.
I messed up a rib, but not all the way through. The doc didn’t even bother with an Xray. He guessed it just broke a bit at the interface with the cartilage connecting to the sternum.
Deep breathing hurt for a week, but I could bike pretty hard the next day with only a bit of discomfort.
5 days after injury, I did a trail run, and every hard left footfall (bad rib on the left side) hurt, and I think it made it worse.
I didn’t run for 10 days, just biked a lot. After that, I can just feel it, but there is no pain or discomfort.
To repeat the point above, beware of compensatory injuries. My right foot is way sore (feels like PF), and I suspect it is due to shifting my stride to land harder on the right to protect the left.
Broke three ribs one month before first Kona. Was black & blue with right side swelling. That initial 2-3 week period was painful! Having been the route of refusing to give up running, just a couple of suggestions…Remember that rest & healing is part of your training. Sometimes it’s harder to ‘suck up’ the idea of rest than to keep hammering away. The idea that ‘I can’t afford to miss anymore workouts’ needs to get in balance with ‘Recovery is part of training’. Recovery may not mean no workouts, rather just doing some elliptical workouts in place of running. I found the pounding of running very painful for that period. I also had to practice a couple of different strokes and kicking because freestyle was just too painful. Doing these will probably be more kind / gentle on your rib, decrease the probability of doing more damage/prolonging the injury and still keep your fitness level up. Best of luck and let us know how things go.
Thanks! Your Kona story makes me feel better. I have already taken off a month with a fractured scapula, so the rib is extra frustrating. Definitely gonna replace the runs with ellipticals until I’m more confident with running. Thanks again!