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SHOP (17)

Nov10

Returning from a Stress Fracture

This is the biggest, probably most exciting week of November for me.

Why?

I GET TO START RUNNING AGAIN!

I has been a long haul and even though there have been a few moments where I ran here and there as I knew my stress fractures were healing, I have more or less stayed completely away from impact sports for the past 10 weeks.

jessnme-e1415156222249

 

Failing that one time that I saw Danielle was gunning for a PR and paced her for the very last leg of her half marathon…

I would be lying if I said it was easy, but I think it is high time to do a followup on my treatment, what I did and what I am doing to prevent it from happening again.

So, a little bit of back tracking. It was first suggested to me that I might have stress fractures on September 5. I immediately booked an xray and bone scan and found out that I had fractures in both legs on September 15. I waited to write this post until September 29. 

Let me reiterate that to you. I have not been training since September 5 and it has felt a bit like this:

tumblr_inline_myjqk0nbxd1qdkqgb

I have been trying hard to stay focused on being strong, on resting and recovering, and on making a game plan to make sure I remain healthy in my training going forward.

PHYSICAL TREATMENT

I have worked with professionals. I have been going to my physiotherapist for acupuncture, stride analysis and ultrasound treatment as well as seeing my coach to lay out my game plan for 2015 and for active release therapy. I have visited both professionals every other week and both have worked with me to develop a slow and gradual return to training. I have also tried out a new-to-me professional to work on my bone strength and rehabilitation called an Osteopath. 

 I have strengthened my weak areas. I took a look at past injuries this season and focused on my problem areas which are calf strength and glutes. I have been doing lots of deadlifts, squats and lunges as well as monster walks and calf raises at Goodlife Fitness to make sure that I return stronger than ever. 

photo (2)

I have rested. I have treated the past 10 weeks like an off season. I have been more relaxed about my food, (for instance, I don’t drink alcohol at all during training, but I have enjoyed the occasional after-work beer with my coworkers over the past number of weeks.) 

I have also made sure I get adequate sleep and made sure my schedule hasn’t been too jam packed. I have read. Watched tv. Taken the long way to work. These are all things that leave the people in my life scratching their heads and wondering what has happened to me as taking it easy is out of character for me (which is perhaps why I got the fractures in the first place!)

photo (3)

MENTAL/EMOTIONAL TREATMENT

Being injured can play with your psyche as a runner. You can end up feeling a bit like a fraud or feel a loss of identity if it was a huge part of who were were before your injury. It is for this very reason why, although I love running more than most things, I am also a adventure racer, a rock climber, a cyclist, a mountain biker, a martial artist, a swimmer and the list goes on. It is dangerous to only have one thing you enjoy, because injuries happen whether we want them or not. 

I focused on learning something new. I signed up for the local Masters swim group and began learning the proper form and movements to swim well. I don’t love swimming, smelling chlorine or wearing a wet bathing suit regularly, but it gave me a great way to stay strong as an athlete and enabled me to keep my fitness base. 

I made goals that were outside of running. Not running was driving me nuts, so I began focusing on beating my 200 m times in swimming, learning the proper terms and new approaches to orienteering and researching bikes for my next purchase. All of these things made me a stronger athlete and allowed me to keep my mind focused on something other than the fact that I was injured. 

I remained a part of the running community. Although I couldn’t race myself, it was vital for me to still be out there on the race course, supporting my running friends and being a part of the race day excitement. It was good to be a spectator and not a racer to get a different viewpoint of the races.

photo 5 (1)

My return from my stress fracture will be slow and steady, but because I have rested, strengthened and taken the proper time, I will return a better athlete and runner with my eyes laser focused on Boston 2015!

What have you done during injuries to keep yourself sane and healthy?

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Filed Under: UncategorizedTagged With: Canadian Running Magazine, coach, emotional treatment, Goodlife Fitness, injury, Jessica Kuepfer, osteopath, physical treatment, physiotherapist, stress fractures, trainingNovember 10, 2014

Comments

  1. Krysten says

    November 10, 2014 at 7:20 am

    Yay!! So happy you are back! Sounds like you have a great plan and you have been rocking your treatment/rest period!

    Reply
    • lacesandlattes says

      November 10, 2014 at 8:26 am

      Thanks darlin! I am ready to get back out on that race course again!

      Reply
  2. Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says

    November 10, 2014 at 7:32 am

    Girl, I am SO proud of you for taking the time to do a proper recovery (especially since we both know that NOT working out can be harder than working out sometimes) and I’m so excited for your November comeback!

    Reply
    • lacesandlattes says

      November 10, 2014 at 8:26 am

      Me too! I am taking a few days off to delay the return because of my RAID this weekend, but I am feeling strong and ready to tackle training. WOO! Thanks for being my support. 🙂

      Reply
  3. eliseyanover says

    November 10, 2014 at 8:45 am

    Hey so happy that you get to return to running. I am still on my slow comeback after 17 weeks off for my hip/pelvic stress fractures. Like you , I too took it as time to focus on other things. I discovered hot yoga and a return to the gym too to work on strength and am loving both. People around me also could,not figure out what happened as I have been way more chill since it ( compared to most it isn’t chilled but compared to what I was !! It is :). I feel like stress fractures are crispy enough that it really makes us look at stuff and how much we appreciate our running . I wrote a big post on what it taught me too that I was really proud of.
    Take your return very slowly. You want to be in this for the long haul. It’s still a bit frustrating at how long it’s taking me but I’m also taking it slowly so is to be expected and hopefully come back stronger and healthier !
    Enjoy the fresh air again…… It’s so neat to read others similar perspective after stress fractures .

    Reply
    • eliseyanover says

      November 10, 2014 at 8:47 am

      Ooops that should say crispy …..not sure how that came out ! :). Maybe bad enough??

      Reply
    • lacesandlattes says

      November 10, 2014 at 9:00 am

      17 weeks! And here I am moaning about 10! You are the real hero here, lady. I am heading on over to read that post of yours. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
      • eliseyanover says

        November 10, 2014 at 11:00 am

        Well I wouldn’t say hero ….. It’s long no matter if it’s 10 or 17 weeks! My post was Sept 14th one. It’s very similar though. Except I want to drop down in distance and you are running Boston :). U go girl . good luck

        Reply
  4. Kris @ Canadian Girl Runs. says

    November 10, 2014 at 11:28 am

    During a torn glute injury last year I figured out that apparently rest is key, so to stop from going insane I found friends to go to the pool with me. It is so much easier with other people to pass the time!

    Reply
    • lacesandlattes says

      November 10, 2014 at 2:17 pm

      Oh, I hear you, friend! Swimming is definitely staying in my routine. As a person who sucks at resting, this is the best thing I can do.

      Reply
  5. Christina @ The Athletarian says

    November 10, 2014 at 12:54 pm

    Ok. Everything about this post is awesome. I don’t know anyone that has nailed a return from a stress fracture the way you have. Seriously. You are so driven and motivated when it comes to your athleticism. I would have probably sulked and sat in bed for 10 weeks!! You have an amazing attitude and are one of the most supportive people EVER! I can’t wait to come cheer YOU on in the very near future!!

    JESS IS BAAAAAAAAACK!!!!!

    Reply
    • lacesandlattes says

      November 10, 2014 at 2:16 pm

      This made me smile SO big. I am so excited to make a slow, steady return and do ALL THE RACES with you next year! 🙂

      Reply
  6. Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets says

    November 11, 2014 at 8:46 pm

    Holy cow, double stress fractures. Now that’s intense. Good luck getting back into your running groove. I’m sure you’ll be pounding the pavement in no time.

    Reply
    • lacesandlattes says

      November 11, 2014 at 9:04 pm

      I am hoping to! It’s been 10 weeks! 🙂

      Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Mental Health for Athletes - Laces and Lattes says:
    November 12, 2014 at 5:31 am

    […] You guys are so supportive. Thank you for your high fives on my triumphant return. […]

    Reply
  2. Bean Bytes 115 says:
    January 19, 2015 at 3:23 pm

    […] fitness: Shoulder Opening Yoga Sequence via Tina Reale Yoga Returning From A Stress Fracture via Lattes and Laces 5 Benefits of Self-Myofascial Release via Love Life […]

    Reply
  3. A Bit Of A Scare - Laces and Lattes says:
    July 27, 2015 at 5:17 am

    […] You can read about my stress fracture experiences here. Please note I took a definitive test to show that I do not have a fracture and have the full blessing of my coach, physiotherapist and sports doctor to run again or else I would not chance it. A fracture is not something you should ever run through. […]

    Reply

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