Tough enough to get over injury

Next month's Running Times features my hero Leo Manzano on the cover.

We all know he's tough enough.



But right now I'm trying to convince myself that I'm tough enough: to recover from this stress fracture! It's bad enough to be faced with a stress fracture diagnosis and know that you'll be out for several months. But it is way worse when you've already taken a ton of time off (or at a greatly reduced level) doing all the wrong things, like I did for five months. This small set back has become a huge detour in my running.
You know what, though? I think I can do this. It's just a few more months, and I can come back. See, when I initially thought this pain was muscular, and slowly returned to running after a couple of months rest as recommended, I returned to my previous level in about two months. I mean, I wish I was faster than a 41-minute 10k, but the truth is that that's a PR for me, so that's where I am. The day of injury last November I ran a 5-mile race in 33:30, a 6:42 pace. So my 6:36 pace at the Crescent City Classic actually shows improvement, and that on a stress fracture and only about 30 mpw!

My prediction is that my return is going to take longer this time around (I absolutely do not want to rush a fracture!) but I will still hit the same paces, and I'll be darned if I don't improve. And there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Last week I had to attend a conference and spent at least part of the day sitting at my table. Lo and behold, the pain at the sight of the fracture waned, then vanished. What do you know: resting the darn thing helps it heal. So if I can work out a way to stay off this thing, it might be 100% in just a few months!

French Quarter Fest 2013

Last weekend David and I took advantage of New Orleans' best free festival to enjoy some insanely beautiful weather, hot sausage poboys, draft Abita Amber, and live music.

David scarfing his poboy. At $6 for a juicy sausage it was a deal!

The food vendors were located in Jackson Square, so you could sit in the shade of the cathedral

Woldenburg park filling up

Some music was along the riverfront....

...the rest along various streets in the French Quarter

On weekends like this I don't know why anyone would live anywhere else!

Femoral Stress Fracture Recovery Time

Yesterday I returned to the doctor to have my MRI read and discuss a return to running. I kind of wish he would have just called me, since I have a $4500 deductible ($3000 out of network, which is everyone, and $1500 in network, which is not one single provider that I know of). But that's not how these things work, so in I went and paid my copay.
There is good news and weird news.

This is not my leg. And my fracture was  far more obvious than this on xray. But there aren't a lot of good examples on the Google. 

Weird news: The MRI showed more detail than the xray, and I had a complete fracture of the left femur. That means the fracture went all the way across the bone. How I ran several races on that I do not  know, but it explains why the pain was bad enough at first to keep me from even going down the stairs normally.

Good news: Even since the xray, I've progressed! Once I started resting the limb, it improved dramatically, and by the time I had the MRI the bone had started healing very well. There is thickening there (cell buildup - healing) but very little inflammation. Also good news: there is no current soft tissue damage at all: some of the insertion areas seem thickened, perhaps scar tissue, but no inflammation or acute issues.

The plan from here: Yesterday I had lab work done to rule out any unusual reason for this injury. Let's face it: distal femoral stress fractures are unusual and could be a problem with calcium levels or vitamin D. Plus, my doctor is pretty thorough, and he wanted to check my parathyroid hormone: it is integral to extracellular calcium regulation, and since I had a partial thyroidectomy about 10 years ago it makes sense to check those levels just in case.

I also have strict instructions to pay attention to discomfort and pain! Apparently, like all runners. I just ignore it. Then I end up with a fracture for 5 months.

As for a return to sport, I have already taken off two weeks. I have to take off another two weeks from any impact, although I am cleared to pool run, and I have to try to stay off my feet at work (fat chance of that happening - we talked about crutches or a sling cast but they would just be so impractical in my tiny pharmacy). After two weeks, I can start to incorporate cycling; after two weeks of that, I can start to incorporate walking/running. If anything hurts, I go back a week. This is a pretty short recovery time because the bone just looks good already. I think I just needed to finish resting it: it never totally healed this winter since I kept coming back to running too early.

Wear a race shirt to work today.

There's not much to say this morning, so I will just share Varsity Sports' Facebook status: 

Varsity Sports · 7,717 like this

24 minutes ago near Madisonville, LA · 

• Wear a race tshirt today in support of the Boston Marathon and Marathon Sports - a fellow specialty running store at the explosion site.

  
  

  I'll be wearing my Boston shirt from last year to work.

  

  Once I cut the tags off.

  Thank you everyone who let us know you were ok! And bloggers who ran and haven't had a minute to post - we know you are probably answering a thousand texts and calls. I understand. But please let us know you and your families are safe.

  
  

  
  

Cross training with femoral stress fracture

I'm probably jumping the gun, but I've been looking for decent cross training while this pesky stress fracture heals. Right now I'm on rest from any impact exercise, and I won't see my doctor again until later this week, so I can't make any decisions on my own (thanks to my work schedule I can only make one appointment a week, on Wednesdays: healthcare workers always have the worst health care).

But still, I kind of want to know what my options are. There are only so many 30-minute core routines I can tolerate before dying of boredom.

Of course, there is deep water running. I've done it before (once), but my gym pool is crowded. And I would probably need a buoyancy belt, which is added cost and hassle. However, conventional wisdom recommends it as the best replacement for running, and Pete Pfitzinger even has a 9-week pool running program I could follow.

She looks silly.

I considered rollerskating: your legs can stay on the ground if you're careful, right? But when I Googled the idea, this came up:

So I'm going to go with NO on that one.

I could use the elliptical or exercise bike, but not yet. The elliptical hurts: when I bend my knee and apply pressure, like going down stairs, that is when I feel the most pain. I assume the bike would be similar, although I could consider a reclining bike. I'd have to try it to see.

Lastly, I've thought about the rowing machine. Has anyone had experience with this? Is there too much pressure on the legs? The push-off is what I'd be worried about.

$20 coupon code Rock 'n Roll New Orleans

From NOLA.com

Come run the flattest marathon ever in beautiful New Orleans! 
Registration is open for the Mardi Gras marathon (ok, it's been renamed Rock 'n Roll New Orleans, but everyone still calls it Mardi Gras) and you can use this coupon code for $20 off: 

LEGACYRUNNER

The coupon expires April 17th.
The race is February 2nd, 2014 - earlier this year, which means we're less likely to have temps in the 70's. Maybe my stress fracture will be healed by next year and I'll actually race that thing. Come join me! 

What makes the Boston marathon special?

It's that time again - Boston time! Last year I was all caught up in the excitement, at least until I slammed my knee into the ground. Or at least until I read the weather report.
This year, no Boston for me. But I want to share some of the things that make the whole experience special.

In bullet points...thoughts on Boston.
- You are running with people who want to be there so much. They want this race to be successful; they want to enjoy it. They want to talk to you and tell you their story.
- Heartbreak Hill is not that bad. It just isn't. It's not a steep grade and you can easily run the entire thing, probably not even slowing significantly, even on tired legs.
- The Boston course isn't an easy course, but don't be scared of it. I'm not a hills runner, but it didn't bother me (keep in mind that I was running it slower than usual, though, so I could be full of crap). It's a net downhill course. Gravity is on your side.
- The Newton hills: actually easier than the proceeding downhill section, in my opinion. They give your body a break.
- The average BMI on our flight into Boston was about 19.
- I never saw so much compression gear in my life as I did on Sunday. The whole city was ready for this race!
- I was surprised at how many non-qualified locals run the race. It must be a huge charity resource for the area!
- The BAA has it together. I don't know how they manage an event this large so smoothly. Oh yeah, they're Yankees. That explains everything!
- I didn't buy the jacket. I love the tradition of it, but $100 for a wind breaker? Geez louise.
- If you write your name on your arms/bib/shirt, get ready to hear it a lot. And remember that your clever shirt or hat may be less fun if you hit the wall and end up walking.
- Basically it is acceptable to wear your medal for the entire day, even after changing clothes.
- For many people, this is one of the highlights of their life. For that reason, if no other, respect the race. Respect the history. Respect the honor of running where the best of the best have raced!