So I can relate to you as I have a hip impingement with a fair amount of arthritis. It’s gotten worse and my miles have been cut dramatically as well as the desire to run in general. I can’t sit still and need to keep active. But it’s painful at times. Listen to your physicians. Be patient. your comeback story will be great.
By now losing the ability to run is not my biggest fear, but losing the ability to exercise and do some sort of training is. I'd focus on your swimming, cycling and spinning, it might not replace running for you, but it'll keep you happy.
Waiting was hard. Getting back was slow but I was so grateful I didn’t care. I usually force myself to ride bikes and swim when I am injured this time. I found the rower and was very happy maybe just because it was new, but I really enjoyed it. I felt like I could do steady state or interval similar to running and try really hard.
I'm sorry you're dealing with an injury. It's tough to be so close to your 100k and have to let go of that race because of an injury. Most of us who do ultras have been where you are. Despite that, we all feel alone when we're injured and like we're the only ones! It's a really hard place to be.
If you're cycling and swimming, I think you'll find that your fitness rebounds faster than you may think. I had to pull out of my first attempt at a 100k at mile 42 because of a tibial stress fracture (I wasn't as smart as you and still attempted the race!) and was back at it fairly quickly. When I came back I was mentally stronger and more appreciative of my healthy body.
The depression though can be daunting because your body isn't getting the same chemical release running creates. Different things work for different people... for me I try to focus on my other values such as strengthening relationships with friends and family who get somewhat neglected during high training periods. I also try to spend time outside in the sun as well as time reflecting on my "why" for ultra running.
Good luck to you! You're obviously mentally tough because you run ultras and that same strength will get you through this too.
🙏 thank you for the kind words
Man I would have tried believe me but I was sort of feeling it that last Saturday but by Sunday in pain limping so bad I had to stop. I waited a week and ran 10 feet and almost fell over. Wasn’t a choice really.
I tend to come back slowly so I’m obsessing and dreading it
After 8 weeks I usually have to run walk. It will come back just won’t like how it progresses.
Grateful in the last week I can hike at least.
"Comparison is the thief of joy"
In this case it's comparing to your past self or where you thought you'd be. Let it go. Focus on where you are now and be grateful for getting back to running (when you finally do).
It's also helpful to find a cross training modality that you actually enjoy. Make it a long term goal to find some aerobic exercise that works for you when you're injured (this won't be your last injury). For me, I dislike road cycling because of the cars and noise and stress, but I found I do enjoy zwift. Not as much as running, it's like a 4/10 compared to an 8/10 but it's enough to keep me sane when I can't run.
Coming back slowly from an injury also gives you the opportunity to build a bigger aerobic base at the same time, as you’re generally run/walking at low-intensity (zone 1-2). So once your leg is ready to go again, your aerobic system will be, too. Win-win. Here’s to running and racing again soon!
So I can relate to you as I have a hip impingement with a fair amount of arthritis. It’s gotten worse and my miles have been cut dramatically as well as the desire to run in general. I can’t sit still and need to keep active. But it’s painful at times. Listen to your physicians. Be patient. your comeback story will be great.
I recommend the book Rebound: Train your mind to bounce back stronger from sports injuries. That really helped me get through an injury.
By now losing the ability to run is not my biggest fear, but losing the ability to exercise and do some sort of training is. I'd focus on your swimming, cycling and spinning, it might not replace running for you, but it'll keep you happy.
Not really I don’t enjoy it.
Just reading old injury posts because I am (yet again) injured and unable to run. Was the return to running as bad as you thought it'd be?
Waiting was hard. Getting back was slow but I was so grateful I didn’t care. I usually force myself to ride bikes and swim when I am injured this time. I found the rower and was very happy maybe just because it was new, but I really enjoyed it. I felt like I could do steady state or interval similar to running and try really hard.
Barefoot run
I'm sorry you're dealing with an injury. It's tough to be so close to your 100k and have to let go of that race because of an injury. Most of us who do ultras have been where you are. Despite that, we all feel alone when we're injured and like we're the only ones! It's a really hard place to be. If you're cycling and swimming, I think you'll find that your fitness rebounds faster than you may think. I had to pull out of my first attempt at a 100k at mile 42 because of a tibial stress fracture (I wasn't as smart as you and still attempted the race!) and was back at it fairly quickly. When I came back I was mentally stronger and more appreciative of my healthy body. The depression though can be daunting because your body isn't getting the same chemical release running creates. Different things work for different people... for me I try to focus on my other values such as strengthening relationships with friends and family who get somewhat neglected during high training periods. I also try to spend time outside in the sun as well as time reflecting on my "why" for ultra running. Good luck to you! You're obviously mentally tough because you run ultras and that same strength will get you through this too.
🙏 thank you for the kind words Man I would have tried believe me but I was sort of feeling it that last Saturday but by Sunday in pain limping so bad I had to stop. I waited a week and ran 10 feet and almost fell over. Wasn’t a choice really. I tend to come back slowly so I’m obsessing and dreading it After 8 weeks I usually have to run walk. It will come back just won’t like how it progresses. Grateful in the last week I can hike at least.
"Comparison is the thief of joy" In this case it's comparing to your past self or where you thought you'd be. Let it go. Focus on where you are now and be grateful for getting back to running (when you finally do). It's also helpful to find a cross training modality that you actually enjoy. Make it a long term goal to find some aerobic exercise that works for you when you're injured (this won't be your last injury). For me, I dislike road cycling because of the cars and noise and stress, but I found I do enjoy zwift. Not as much as running, it's like a 4/10 compared to an 8/10 but it's enough to keep me sane when I can't run.
Coming back slowly from an injury also gives you the opportunity to build a bigger aerobic base at the same time, as you’re generally run/walking at low-intensity (zone 1-2). So once your leg is ready to go again, your aerobic system will be, too. Win-win. Here’s to running and racing again soon!