What did it feel like when the symptoms first started to present themselves?
With IMC coming up next month I’m coming up on the longest weeks of my training. Last Saturday during my 2 hr run I started to notice a dull pain in the left-front of my shin, about 1/3 of the way up. It was nothing really “painful” at all, just enough for me to notice it. Then on Monday I did a 10k with a ~2 mile descent and started to notice it a bit again after the descent along the final 4 miles, but without any lingering pain. Thursday I did a trail run with 2 miles of solid climbing and the same descent, again dull pain, but worse. Then yesterday I noticed that if I did any run motion at all, and especially after jumping that I’d get the same dull, radiating pain. Again, it was a bit worse than before and would linger a bit longer and this morning I can even feel it a bit when pushing off my toes while walking. Still nothing more than a dull, radiating pain. . .nothing that couldn’t pushed through without a second thought and would probably start to go away mid run. However, no spot on my leg is really tender to the touch.
So my long run is sheduled for today and I guess I’m just wondering if I’m being over cautious (mostly becuase a friend had a stress fracture that finally turned into a clean break at mile 23 of the Eugene Marathon) or just need to HTFU. I’m trying to schedule a visit with the doc next week and am debating putting off the long run until afterwards.
On a side note 2 weeks ago I switched from Zoot Kalanis for long runs and Newton Distancias for races and shorter stuff to just using Kinvaras for everything. I’m told I have good form, though I believe my form goes a bit to hell towards the end of a long run.
I’ve not yet had the joy of experiencing a stress fracture (knock on wood). However, my friend has had 3 tibial stress fractures from marathon training. She has always described the symptoms as similar to yours - starts out as a dull ache at the front of the shin bone. Then gets progressively worse over a few weeks, starts to be painful to the touch, progresses into whole leg aching and sharp pain at the fracture spot. This last time she finally knew it was a fracture when she literally could not walk down stairs. Could be shin splints as well - I’ve had those and it always starts as an annoying ache.
You could always get an x-ray for piece of mind although it may not show up right away. Again, my same friend went for an x-ray, it came back fine. Two weeks later when she couldn’t go down steps, she was back at the doc and this time the x-ray showed a fracture. Might be a good idea to switch back to your old shoes as well as there may be some relationship there??
In every case the pain was at the start of the run and then went away as I ran. When it got really bad…after the run…I could barely walk…thats when I went to the doc.
Now when I have had shin splints…there was nothing at the start and then it built during the run. I got shin splints so bad during the phoenix 26.2 in Jan that I was sidelined from running for 16 weeks! At week 18 I went back for a follow-up MRI and it still showed shin splints…so don’t over look shin splints.
When in doubt go see your ortho…Since I got the ok to run again on 4/16 I’ve been able to log 157 miles and am getting close to the pace I used to be…but still am off…
I had a tibial stress fracture six years ago, so the details of exactly where the pain started aren’t super clear. I do remember having some odd pains on the side and behind my knee, but they didn’t seem too serious so I kept running. Then the pain got to the point where it was interfering with my pace and form and where (in hindsight) I should have had it checked out. I didn’t, and during the first mile of a 10k it went from “hmm, my knee hurts” to “OW OW OW, STOP RUNNING RIGHT NOW!” and I finally went to the doctor. (And ended up on crutches for six weeks.)
With IM training, you’ll feel a lot of little twinges and stiffness, so it’s hard to separate what’s a budding injury and what’s the nature of the beast. I think if you’re concerned about it, having a doctor check it out is going to give you peace of mind and allow you to hit the rest of your training hard, then you should do it. Missing one long run isn’t going to kill your race, but ignoring a budding injury might.
exactly as described, hurts a little to start dull ache on front of shin but ok to run through it then it went away for up to 6 miles at which point it hurt more than the start. that evening in bed it would feel like a really painful sharp pain. next day wouldn’t be able to walk on it, rested for a few days and back to square one. Only thing for it rest for 12 weeks
What did it feel like when the symptoms first started to present themselves?
With IMC coming up next month I’m coming up on the longest weeks of my training. Last Saturday during my 2 hr run I started to notice a dull pain in the left-front of my shin, about 1/3 of the way up. It was nothing really “painful” at all, just enough for me to notice it. Then on Monday I did a 10k with a ~2 mile descent and started to notice it a bit again after the descent along the final 4 miles, but without any lingering pain. Thursday I did a trail run with 2 miles of solid climbing and the same descent, again dull pain, but worse. Then yesterday I noticed that if I did any run motion at all, and especially after jumping that I’d get the same dull, radiating pain. Again, it was a bit worse than before and would linger a bit longer and this morning I can even feel it a bit when pushing off my toes while walking. Still nothing more than a dull, radiating pain. . .nothing that couldn’t pushed through without a second thought and would probably start to go away mid run. However, no spot on my leg is really tender to the touch.
Welcome to my world. The only difference for me is the part bolded…the site of a full blown sfx is usually quite tender to touch, i.e. if I roll it with “The Stick” it’ll hurt like a mutha******. Sounds like you’ve identified something in the early stages, more a stress “reaction” (I’m sure Doc Roof will opine). I don’t envy your situation with you race coming up so soon…been there, done that*.
*Disclaimer first: don’t listen to me, I do stupid shit, but fwiw I raced on something very similar this year but I was prepared for the worst. I got through the race fine but took 8 weeks off afterwards. Ibuprofen helps!
My wife had the same thing. She was training for a half-marathon and thought she would tough it out. During a 15K race the pain was so unbearable she finally went to the doc. That was over 12 weeks ago as she still not 100% and just started 20 min slow runs on the treadmill.
I had a stress fracture years ago that had me so frustrated I gave up running for over 10 years. Be careful stress fractures are a nightmare.
there is a bit of a continuum from shin splints → stress reaction/marrow edema → stress fracture → cortical fracture
I knew that continuum existed but didn’t know about marrow edema or that the final fracture was cortical. A sfx is just in the periosteum then?
marrow edema is the finding one would see on MRI. A focal periosteal reaction is what eventually shows on plain film X-rays in about 2 weeks post “injury” (again, not a acute injury). Often an actual, fine/subtle cortical “crack” can be seen and then technically this would not be a STRESS fracture any longer, but a real fracture - just incomplete.
I had one. Started off as Periostitis, and I guess from continuing to run through it it became a stress fracture. I only realized how painful it was when i had another injury that forced me to take 10 days off and when I came back it was painful to run… I had some local tenderness (likely the periostitis). Deep dull achy pain that was consistant and then profuse pain and swelling when running.
I also had a dull ache that I basically ignored for two weeks. Decided to muscle through a 16 mile run and could barely walk when I finished. Had the bone scan to confirm the stress fracture. Luckily I was able to swim and bike but no running for 6 weeks. I would skip the long run and get checked out.
Sounds like the start of a stress fracture. There is a simple test that you can do to see if it MAY be a stress fracture:
Tap on the shin bone a few inches below or above the painful area. While tapping slowly move up or down the shin bone. If there is a point that is very sore then it MAY be a stress fracture. Only a bone scan will tell.
Thanks for the responses folks. I have an appointment for tomorrow and haven’t run since Thursday, though I’ve been biking and swimming. We’ll see fingers crossed that it’s something trivial I suppose if it is confirmed I can have a really awesome aquabike
Could be shin splints as well - I’ve had those and it always starts as an annoying ache.