Need a certificate - I've joined the stress fracture club

[Phil Hart]

Left foot, center metatarsal head. I caught up with a young Marine toward the end of a VFF 3-mile run the other day where I was doing fine and minding my own business. He wanted to sprint the last half-mile, picking it up even more the last quarter-mile, and I foolishly kept up with him. He was impressed, and I was stupid.

Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go, do not collect the $200 for the x-rays, just start over in 4-8 weeks, this time remembering that you're over 40 and relearning how to run after 25 years with different muscles and connecting tissues. Arrrgh!

 

[Longboard]

Oh man, I can't believe that

Oh man, I can't believe that happened.

You will be running again soon, and of course you'll never make that mistake again.

It took me more than one setback before I realized that exercise is like eating, just 'cause you can do it don't mean you can neccesarily get away with it.

 

[Abide]

At least you are a good

At least you are a good sport! Bummer man heal well and soon.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

That's not good, Phil.  Sorry

That's not good, Phil. Sorry about that. You'll be up and around, better than before in no time.

What we need is a stress fracture thread that documents those who have experienced stress fractures to find out exactly what they were doing at the time they experienced the fracture, so we can compare and learn what not to do.

Stress fractures are not unique to barefoot runners too, BTW. Shod runners get them all the time.

 

[miqie]

So sorry to hear about your

So sorry to hear about your injury. It's amazing how quickly these can happen. What I really suspect is that many of us are just one sprint away from a fracture. I think our (bare) feet really need many months or even years to be conditioned to the point where they can take any abuse without complaining. I'll bet if you would have continued on your run as normal you'd be back out there tomorrow without a problem. Pushing to that next level without proper conditioning caused the problem. TMTS is not just for the newbies.

 

[fetish4running]

Having just gotten back in

Having just gotten back in the saddle after a stress fracture, I feel your "pain". It may seem like "no time" to others, but when it's you, it seems like an eternity. Sorry for your injury!

 

[Phil Hart]

Amen, Board!Thanks, Abide. 

Amen, Board!

Thanks, Abide. Life is always better with a sense of humor.

TJ - sounds like a good idea. I was still working through the early stages (about 8 weeks into it) of the building and strengthening process for those long-unused muscles and connecting tissues, probably running faster than I should have to begin with (the VFFs help give you a false sense of security for that), and then sprinting on top of it all. And then when it was still more uncomfortable than usual, I went for another 2.5-miler, which seems to have been the last straw that broke the camel's back. I think that about sums it up for what happened to me.

I was probably just lucky for all those years that I never had a shod stress fracture, as I've always run hard and pushed to run with people who would push my limits.

Thank you, Miqie - now where were you 9 days ago with this excellent advice when a young Marine was taunting an old soldier running in "those funny shoes," just certain he could outrun this old guy!? Inter-service rivarly can be very helpful and productive, but not this time.

You've very succinctly hit the nail on the head. Hindsight has provided me exactly the view you've just described.

Fetish - you're right about that. I'm now on day 2 of no aerobic exercise, and it already feels like months. I'm glad you're back up and running again. How long did your healing process take before you could get back out there and start slow and easy?

 

[Matt]

Phil -- I don't know a runner

Phil -- I don't know a runner who hasn't overdone it at one point or another. It seems like we all have to test our limits, and that will result in injuries from time to time. I used to think that barefoot running would enforce patience on my, given the limits of my feet starting out, but that was a false belief.

Did you notice any signs of your impending stress fracture in the days and weeks before it became acute?

 

[barefootjake]

Phil - sorry to hear that. 

Phil - sorry to hear that. At least you have plenty of people here at BRS to commiserate with.

For me, though, the stress fracture this summer was a blessing in disguise. It got me into biking and swimming, which are two great cross-training sports for running. Like you, I was freakin' miserable for the first week after the fracture. My wife almost took the kids and left. But then I got on the bike (with hard cycling shoes) and got in the pool and felt a ton better.

I feel for you, man. Good luck.

 

[Phil Hart]

Matt - I had already

Matt - I had already experienced some dull aching in the 3rd/4th (next to smallest/outer toe) metatarsal area on both feet, but moreso on the right foot. I had backed off a bit to see how that would affect them about a week before the sprint that did me in. Those of us who are used to pushing beyond limits can quickly take BFR too far, too fast as I did here. I've tested my limits for years, I suppose I've just been lucky. Although, if you haven't seen my history anywhere else on this site, I'm BFRing because I wore all the cartilege out of my right hip running hard and heel-striking for 25 years previously. But I've only had one other "event" that actually caused me to stop running for a month or more over all those years, and that was just a few years ago, toward the end of that 25 years of hard running.



Jake - having a group of folks who understand definitely helps; it also helps that you can't hear them all laughing at you through the internet. I've also recently resumed swimming laps after a 30-year hiatus, but Murphy's Law is hitting me right between the eyes in that the pool at Fort McPherson is closing for a week starting today. Although that's probably a good thing. I'm going to pretty much stay off my feet for the next week as much as possible, then ease back into swimming the following week, playing it by ear toward the end of a month off from running to see about very tentatively beginning to test the walking/running again.

 

[barefootjake]

Well, Phil, sounds like

Well, Phil, sounds like you've got a good plan. Come on, admit it -- you were trying to impress a girl with your sprinting, weren't you? That's okay, we understand. ;-)

 

[Nyal]

 Impress a girl? Maybe that's

Impress a girl? Maybe that's the real reason his wife almost left him this week!

 

[Phil Hart]

Jake:While I'd be willing to

Jake:

While I'd be willing to bet we've all followed the not-necessarily-applicable thought and motivation process you mentioned at some time or another, sadly it was not the case this time. It was "Young Marine taunting Old Soldier and getting put in his place" that was the siren song that led to this fateful sprint.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

In that thread, if anyone

In that thread, if anyone would like to be the creator and caretaker, we also need to document if the injured person was barefoot or wearing footwear, like the VFFs.

I've known stress fractures to happen to shod, minimal, and barefoot runners. It would be interesting to see the numbers.

A long time ago, I was nearly black-listed from some friendships because I announced that I believed VFFs cause TMTS. Now I hear so many people echoing the same thing. To have the data to back it up would be eye-opening, very educational, and very beneficial to everyone.

Phil, are you on the Ft. McPherson's Army running team? I know Bob Dalton is.

 

[bfr_dave]

AAAHHhhhhh, the dark side of

AAAHHhhhhh, the dark side of 40....I feel your pain bro!! :wink: And I'm way past that! The thing about injury is, you can almost always find some other way to exercise to keep from going completely crazy while you are not able to do what you most want to do.

You stationed at Ft McPherson? When I was on active duty at the NAS on Dobbins AFB back in '81, I almost won a 5k race there. Came in like 3rd or 4th out of a pretty large field of runners. That's a real nice base.

Heal fast.

 

[fetish4running]

Phil Hart wrote:Fetish -

Fetish - you're right about that. I'm now on day 2 of no aerobic exercise, and it already feels like months. I'm glad you're back up and running again. How long did your healing process take before you could get back out there and start slow and easy?

It took me about 7 weeks. I think it would have been less if I hadn't denied that anything was seriously wrong. Once my hubby got me a boot to keep my foot from bending, the relief was pretty quick and I was on my way to healing. I'll admit, though, that I was pretty nervous about starting up again. There's no way I want to ever repeat that injury! I still don't feel that I'm ready to run successive days. But I am up to 5 miles, so I'm def. getting there.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Yeah, Fet!  That is

Yeah, Fet! That is outstanding! I am so glad you are doing well and recovering...and most of all...that you didn't high-tail it outta here screaming, "Barefoot running is for nuts!"

 

[fetish4running]

Thanks, TJ!  I'm no way

Thanks, TJ! I'm no way giving up on barefoot running. I'm sad that I'm coming into it again and the weather is quickly turning. Every time I run I wonder if I'll be able to stand the cold. But so far, so good. I'm committed to this. Honestly, I doubt that I could ever go back. It's the blessing/curse of barefoot running!

I'm waiting to hear that you're back in the saddle again. It must be so hard for you to support and encourage everyone while you're having such a rough time of it. Thank you for cheering everyone on!

 

[Barefoot TJ]

I'm glad you sense that about

I'm glad you sense that about me because it is so true.

I am so proud of you guys, all of you, but mostly the women, I have to be honest. People just don't think women are "strong" enough to do this, and we are proving them wrong. Take BFWendyBird and her minimal 50K, Barefoot Angie Bee and her recent barefoot marathon through 40 degree weather, Barefoot Dama and her barefoot 50K on a dreadmill, and all of you who I watch get stronger with your distance, faster with your speed, and more athletic with your form. I just beam when I read about your successes... I celebrate you all (men and women alike), and at the moment, I live vicariously through you all.

And then I feel frightened because of my situation. I am so sad that I cannot run. I am so angry that shoes have done this to me. AND I HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE! I remain hopeful though, as I have the past two years through 37 needles and countless failed procedures that I will be able to enjoy the same success that you all are. I realize it will be a long road of baby steps to my recovery, if at all possible, and that I will basically have to start all over again.

I also think my situation is so ironic though. I must have a purpose, right? I mean I would never have picked up running barefoot if I didn't have Morton's Neuroma. I would never have started the RW BFR Forum searching for people just like me. I would never have started the BRS. It's having the passion that comes from running barefoot for two years to set all this in motion, and for without the pain I've gone through, it would not exist, at least in the form it is. And now I'm finding a new passion, a passion to help others not go through what I have gone through. I want others to understand that their pain, their injuries may just be attributable to the types of shoes they are wearing. I want to see the running shoe diminish into something more healthy. I want standards and warnings on shoes, just like cigarettes have warning labels. I am stretched so thin (I wish), I haven't the time to get it all going though. I am so thankful to all of you who contribute to the BRS, even if it's just in the way of a simple post now and again, or even just being a lurker, learning, and sharing what you know with others. I appreciate all of you.

The BRS will be ONE YEAR OLD in two hours. Please be sure to check out the home page tomorrow. You will enjoy the article that Nyal has written in order to celebrate the anniversary of our birth.

 

[Mike]

The BRS is lucky to have you

The BRS is lucky to have you TJ.

I had gathered that you could not run from other posts. But I still don't know why. Could you enlighten me, or point me to a thread that can?