Wednesday Resources: Reader Question on Stress Fractures and Giving Blood While Training
Ok. How are we at Wednesday? It has felt like a short week because it was Snowmageddon on Monday which had me working from home which meant a lot of catch up on Tuesday at the office.
This week has been monumental for me! I did a speed work out on Monday followed by an easy run on Tuesday with no pain. This is my first back to back run since the summer and I feel like a rockstar!
Today I wanted to cover off two things: one is a reader question and the other is something I just learned that apparently is common sense. Which evidently isn’t that common for me…
Let’s start with that one.
So, on Monday, I announced that I was going to donate blood in a heroic effort of kindness. Reason #456 why I love you guys is that you warned me in the comments that this may not be the best idea. I texted my coach to see what his thoughts were on the matter.
I love having my coach for the same reason why he probably hates being my coach. I have gone from WebMD to Coach Q&A. No question is off the table to be asked and trust me, if I wonder it, I will ask him because it all comes back to running for me. It is invaluable to me to have a resource that I can trust for information. I am not downplaying the importance of giving blood, but I am saying that it is probably not wise to do during training and racing season for endurance athletes. I will be crossing this off my goal list for February. I have more reading in the resources below.
Secondly, I received this reader question and thought I would take the time to answer it.
Well, firstly. I know how you feel. I wrote about the discovery of my stress fractures here. I discovered my fractures on Sept 5, 2014 and I am still working my way back. If I would have known then what I know now, I probably would have reacted more but I assumed it would be a simple 6 weeks of healing and I would be back to training in no time at all.
Wrong.
I am going to be totally honest with you. For most, it is 6 weeks MINIMUM for the bone to heal, but then you need to slowly rebuild with a program that feels a lot like a ‘Learn to Run’ program. My fracture healing was delayed because I went ahead and did this…
Worth it
But other than that, I took the injury seriously. A fracture is very different from a muscular injury – you cannot train over it. You simply need to wait it out.
Injury was discovered Sept 5, 2014.
The first 8 weeks: I went into injury mode. I essentially went a week with no working out at all. I was exhausted from a season of racing hard and needed the break. (No pun intended). After a week, I added in pool running. After that week, I added in gentle cycling (low resistance and no standing in the saddle) and pool lane swimming (with no push off). I did this for another couple months before I started to feel normal again.
Normal being a relative term.
December: I began a simple run/walk program that was outlined by my coach and physiotherapist. I ran for 1 minute, walked for a minute and slowly built my way up to a half hour of solid running. I still experienced a mild ache.
January: I began working in earnest with my coach to build for Boston. We tested my limits and discovered that longer intervals made the ache return so we slowly and steadily ramped up my training. The focus remained more on keeping me healthy and less on Boston base and speed.
First “race” of the year in January
Now: I am still taking it steady. I did my first successful consecutive run day this week and we are able (knock on wood) to keep moving ahead and base building. I say we because it takes a village for me. I am an accident prone human that is occasionally lacking common sense.
Tips I have learned from going through a stress fracture:
- The elliptical shouldn’t be added right away. It is actually a fair amount of stress to the bone and hurt me.
- Eventually, you DO want to start loading the bone with the elliptical because bones heal faster with proper blood flow. Use pain as your guide.
- It sucks to not run. I had no idea what a damper not having it in my life was until I added it in again. Someone recently asked if I was in love. I replied that I was just running again. So sort of. 🙂
- You are going to smell like chlorine. Embrace it. And get a sexy pool belt.
- Don’t do weight bearing, lower body exercises until the bone is healed.
- Add liquid vitamin D and calcium to your diet. I also drink home made chicken bone broth 3 X a week for bone health. Watch the amount of caffeine you consume as it leaches calcium from your bones.
That is it is a nutshell! If you have any more questions about my experience, feel free to email me at lacesandlattes[a]gmail.com.
Pool Running – Canadian Running
Stress Fracture Primer – Runners World
Donating Blood and Running Performance – Runners Connect
Any tips to share on coming back from a stress fracture?
Have you ever given blood while training?
So happy you got good advice about donating blood. I used to really donate blood, but then I started to struggle with my iron, and my many surgeries over the past couple of years, meant that donating would impact my healing power. So I have reigned in the blood donation for the last little while!
I know. I wasn’t able to for so long, and it seems selfish to hold back but it is important to stay healthy!
I follow your blog, not because I’m even remotely close to being a runner, but because you’re one of my biggest heroes. And since you can’t give blood BECAUSE you’re a rock star athlete, this has inspired me to step up and donate. You just keep being awesome so when Boston rolls around, you can crush it! 🙂
Hmm, that’s funny because you are one of MY heroes!
You know, I donated blood about 2 months ago and I haven’t quite got back to myself yet. I started up some blood-building vitamins to see if that will help. And you really have been doing a great job at rehabbing your stress fracture. A lot of people struggle with this and you’re a great example/resource for info.
Thanks Suzy…and thanks for your invaluable call out the other day! You are the best.
Thank you so much for posting this! Although it is disappointing to know that I’m not going to be really running again for quite some time, I’m glad I can now have realistic expectations about the healing process. Thanks again for sharing your experience and good luck training for Boston!
Best of luck with healing. You will be back before you know it!
I totally thought I had to wait a year after piercing my nose, but it was only 6 months and now that I’m marathon training I won’t donate. I know we have such a shortage and it feels so selfish not to, but i also don’t want to risk MY health by donating either.
All that to say, I feel you’re struggle.
I know. It is a hard decision to make but if you don’t have your health, you don’t have anything!
I give blood a few times every year, and I’m always ridiculously proud when they measure my iron levels and my vegetarian ass passes with flying colors. In fact, I’m usually at the high end of the iron spectrum. Bam!
It’s because you win at life in general, Meghan…
Okay I’m kind go loving these Wednesday Resources posts. YOU ARE SO INFORMATIVE. And it an easy to read and understand kind of way. Please keep them coming forever.
I had no idea about the whole blood thing. Convenient for me since I pass out nearly every time I have to get my blood taken. I’ve never donated blood for this reason!! I actually fear driving myself to the doctor’s office whenever I need to take a blood test because I know there’s a chance I can’t drive home. Not awesome.
*IN an easy to read and understand kind of way
I HATE TYPOS.
Your autocorrect is ferocious today. 😛
I am so glad I have a blog. I literally would have had no idea not to give blood if I wouldn’t have posted about it. There is a plus side to sharing your life all over the internet…
I am glad you are getting back to running and are slowly building back up. I have never had to deal with a serious injury, and when it comes to injuries I am not good about taking time off, which only hurts me more.
You are SO fortunate that you have never dealt with an injury and I hope you never will! It is pretty devastating.
Hi Jessica,
Love your blog. The blood donation piece has stuck with me since I first read it, without comment. Over the past 8 years or so I have been training and giving blood consistently without issue, admittedly with much different goals than you. So based on my experience, was initially surprised at negative feedback about the idea. However, last week I gave for the fourth time this year (30+x lifetime), at the end of two weeks that included my first Olympic distance triathlon, over 30 miles of running, and a 6K trail race. I have been zonked ever since in spite of good diet, choices, and hydration. A couple of calls to Canadian Blood Services as well. It is anticipated I’ll recover in another day or two, but being out my routines, exhausted, and off and on headaches has been brutal.
In short, you made the right call. The nurses at CBS suggested a quarterly and/or off season donation commitment for athletes, and almost a training plan-like approach: eat and drink well before and after, plan a relaxing night and light day following, and rebuild to training plan in the two or three days after. I’m going to try that, and have delayed my next donation to October for now, pending Fall events.
Thanks for doing a great job with your blog and the opportunity to share a very real and frustrating experience trying to be a great athlete and a great citizen too.
Thanks so much, David.
A blog on the topic garnered outrage for Canadian Running, but I stand behind it! It is only a good thing to give blood, but I agree with the nurses at CBS, it should be carefully approached as an endurance athlete.
I donate whenever I am injured or in my off season which often falls in November/December. Best of luck as you continue to donate blood and be a kick ass triathlete!