u/Reddit_Befuddles_Me

I have an MRI scheduled for next Monday, but ortho think I have a femoral stress fracture. Actual injury acuteness (aka the first time it felt like I couldn’t keep pushing through it after some very mild aches) happened halfway through a half marathon. It’s been almost two weeks now and I still cannot bear weight on it unless I am just standing still, and if I have a lapse of judgement where I attempt a step without support it almost makes me lose my vision with pain, and hurts unbearably for an hour or two afterward.

Anyway, I’m guessing that it’s a longer road to recovery than just a few weeks of doing nothing, and I am looking for tips for how to stay active/mentally sound in the interim without the ability to put weight on my right leg.

Do I get one of those under the desk cycle things? I think I could do that very gently, but not sure if that even does anything at all. I could do weights from my chair. That’s pretty much all I can think of. I know people will suggest swimming but I honestly don’t know how I’d get in and out of the pool right now.

I know I could ask the ortho after the MRI but I’m eager to get a game plan as early as I can.

And yes, I’m beyond disappointed. I was halfway through marathon training for my first ever marathon and had felt so incredible until this issue, and I’m terrified of how long it’s going to take me out of the game. Fall running is my favorite, too. :(

I had a half marathon as part of my midpoint training, and I felt amazing for the first 6.5-7 miles. I wasn’t racing, I was taking it at a comfortable pace and felt so good and was planning to speed up the second and maybe try to hit the 2:00 pace. It was a hilly course so I had been a little anxious prior, but it turned out going up the hills were my favorite part! Miles 4-8ish were on a busy road so we had to run at edge of shoulder, and also seaside town so the gradient on the curb is a little more than around here. Running on that difference was apparently enough to cause my hip/glute/quads to just seize up and I DNF’d just shy of mile 10 after 3 miles of pain that would not stop, no matter how much I stretched or slowed down. I would have walked to the finish at that point, but I couldn’t even do that without pain, so I called it. Now that I’m home, it’s so sore I had to crawl up the stairs to go shower.

I’ve never not finished a race, and I’m so upset that I have possibly injured something that I won’t be able to come back from in time for my marathon. It’s really been the thing that has kept me sane this year and I’m so disheartened.

The same muscles had hurt me over this past week but I’d take three full days off before the race and focused on stretching and I felt so solid in the beginning and beforehand.

I’m going to schedule with a PT asap, but this hurts enough that I’m really not feel optimistic. Everything had been going so great until this week - I’d never missed a training session, never had any nagging injuries, etc. My last long run was last weekend when I did 12 and I felt so strong and like I could have run forever!

Anyway. Just venting, since I know this is a small problem in the scheme of problems, but I know people on here will feel my misery!

I’m following Hal Higdon Novice 1 plan for my first marathon in October. Because of the base I’d built and because I wanted to make sure I had some wiggle room in the event of sickness/life, I am a week ahead of the plan.

While I know there’s still plenty of time for something to come up that changes that, I’m wondering what you’d recommend for filling that week if I approach the end zone and haven’t needed to skip a week.

Repeated another high mileage week toward the end? Have an extra cut back week in between longer runs toward the end?

Hi! I’m considering signing up for my first marathon in the late fall with the goal of just finishing; however, I want to see if this is realistic with my current routine/base.

History: 41, F. I’ve been a runner for a decade, but the longest distance I’ve run is a half (I’ve run several, my PR was 1:48). Some health setbacks and injuries and life have meant that I haven’t run more than 10 miles at once in a few years, but I’m feeling stronger and have accepted that just because I’m slower than I was doesn’t mean I’m not still crushing it.

Currently, I’m running 4-5 days a week and cross training 1x. Typically run about 15-20 miles a week. My “long run” is typically 10k. I don’t know my pace because I stopped tracking it in favor of just feeling it and enjoying myself, but I think based on total run times my comfortable/not pushing it pace is in the 9-10 min/mile depending on hills, etc.

ANYWAY, my question is - is this good enough fitness base to just start a plan with a target of mid-October, or should I build up to a half again and try the full next year? I’m concerned about injury, I’m not concerned about time. The marathon I’m considering is the MDI Marathon (which is super hilly, but that’s okay because I live in a hilly area so even my short runs are pretty hilly, but does mean it’s not a super “easy” first one).