I just got my new Inside Tri and saw where the magazine reported that Tim DeBoom did Hawaii on a fractured leg. What’s the deal with that? I hadn’t heard that until I got the magazine. I guess that explains his 12th place finish, huh?
RP
From my understanding and from the generalization he mentioned in the interview piece I had with him, it was a slight hairline fracture. the degree to which it was healed-who knows.
Hairline fractures of the tibia are not uncommon with runners. The pain mimics shinsplints. If that’s the case, he’ll have to take some time off.
Where is your interview with him?
Hairline fractures of the tibia are not uncommon with runners. The pain mimics shinsplints. If that’s the case, he’ll have to take some time off.
I had an MRI a few months ago to take a look at an odd bump on my lower leg (turned out to be nothing worrisome). Sitting there with the doc, he said, “Well, it looks like this stress fracture that you had healed up nicely.”
I said, “Huh?!!”
“Yeah…looks like it’s no more than a year old. Pretty good one, too. But it’s healed up so don’t worry about it.”
I had a pretty sore lower leg in Dec '03 - Jan '04, but I just kept running and even raced a half mary and 2 10ks. So, it’s possible to run through a stress fracture. And, it’s not like I’m some tough guy. If I hurt bad enough, I sit on the couch.
Robert, I saw that too and wondered. Your post today prompted some Googling which seems to confirm a facture pre-Kona and broken leg post-Kona:
Tim DeBoom says:
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/cms/article-detail.asp?articleid=356
Q2 - Can you walk us through your Kona 2004 race?
“Kona 2004 is kind of a “no comment” race. I had some pretty serious injuries going in, and I tried to do my best.”
Nicole DeBoom says:
http://www.yaleswimming.org/news.html
Tim’s race at Hawaii Ironman wasn’t great (good for just about anyone else!). He didn’t realize it, but he had a severe injury (his pain tolerance is off the charts). Turns out it was a stress fracture and after doing the marathon, it is now a broken leg. Damn.
Makes sense. Complete fractures are what can happen if you try to run through a stress fracture.
Hi Robert, Bill linked the interview. I actually had no idea it turned out to be a broken leg, that is crazy.
Hairline fractures of the tibia are not uncommon with runners. The pain mimics shinsplints.
What do you know about these? Any references? I got that when I started running “fast” repeasts. Nagging and won’t go away, but not debilitating.
Monk,
I get the same thing sometimes during my first fast repeats of the year, I believe working the muscles or tendons along the shin using one of those rubber band things might make the pain go away. I’ve never tried that, in my case after a few weeks my legs became used to the increased pounding and me coming off my toes more. As long as your pain isn’t debilitating and you only get it during fast repeats I wouldn’t think it’s a stress fracture, from what I’ve heard you’ll know pretty quick if you have a serious stress fracture.
"What do you know about these? Any references? "
I’ve treated a fair number of shinsplints over the years and had a couple of cases that turned out to be hairline tibia fractures. The pain from these mimics anterior shin splints