“And this is what we call the dreaded black line.” I nodded my head eagerly as the orthopedist, Dr. K, seemed to explain what she would be looking for in the x-ray I had just gotten minutes before. No chance it was mine. I had literally just walked out of the exam room. Feet still bare. Shin still dully painful, as it had been for the last six months. Shit does not happen that quickly in medicine. I should know.
She slowly nodded back, as one does when they’ve just shared bad news that has clearly not yet caught up with the recipient.
“Oh shit, you mean, that’s MY x-ray?” A smile still plastered on my face, as I tried pointlessly to show that this news was expected, no big deal. My shin had been painful to the touch on and off for months. “Shin splints” I explained it away, until my physical therapist finally recommended that, “just to be 100% sure,” I should get some imaging.
Dr. K explained that while x-rays can’t fully diagnose a stress fracture, the small, but clear transverse line on my right tibia was indication enough that my training had caught up with me. I probably had a stress fracture. I would need an MRI to confirm the severity, but at minimum, I’d need to take 6-8 weeks off from running.
Coo coo. Coo coo coo. I held it together enough to laugh about the fact that I was wearing an orthopedist’s version of footwear nightmare: sandals. I even tried to recruit her to November Project as I walked out the door. “Every Wednesday and Friday! Find us on Instagram!”
And then, just as one does after a bad (or even good) haircut, I cried in my car. I blubbered something inaudible to my mom over the phone about how the dream was over, I wouldn’t make it back in time to run an Olympic qualifying standard at the marathon in December; my leg was faulty, and I’d never run the same again. I’m known to be excessively catastrophic in times of relatively mild setbacks. This was no exception.
“I have done *literally* everything right!!! This is such bullshit.” I continued.
My darling mom, who barely understands any of the shit I say related to running, but who is nonetheless my biggest fan, simply said “I know honey, it sucks.”
Truth be told, though, I did this to myself. I hadn’t done “literally everything.” In fact, I’d barely done anything to supplement my 40+ mile weeks, tempo workouts, and long runs. I expected my body to hold up as it always did – showing only the minor aches and pains of being the everyday idiot athlete, but never shutting down with an injury as serious as a stress fracture. The gym? LOL. Too costly. Body-weight strength training in the comfort of my own home? Too time-consuming. A simple 5-minute stretch? I mean, no. No excuse, but still no.
I knew I *should* be doing these things. I had read every LetsRun.com and Runner’s World article about “simple strength workouts for runners” and “quick but effective stretching routine for the asshole who claims to be too busy” and I know how imperative they are to the overall training regime, and more importantly, staying healthy. You can’t stay in the race if you never even make it to the start line. I know this. And yet, I still didn’t do it, any of it, at least not with any consistency. But I had made it this far without a major setback, so why would an injury creep up now?
But there it was. Negligence had caught up with me in the form of a microscopic line, and I’d be spending the next 8+ weeks in the pool, aqua jogging my way back to land running. More than just my fitness routine changed, too. I couldn’t run-mute to work, to November Project, jog to catch the bus (ok, I don’t regularly take the bus, but you get the point). I couldn’t run off a stressful day at work, or enjoy the beautiful puke-inducing humidity on a summer morning. (Ok, actually, I must admit, the latter was the single perk to this timely summer injury). My life shifted in more ways than one all because I defiantly decided to ignore the clear scientific evidence that shows the undeniable benefits of injury prevention training. I demanded a lot from my body without taking the time to do some TLC in the form of stretching, foam rolling, and strength training.
This story isn’t unique. Maybe you have some version of it yourself. A swollen knee, an aching hip, a sore foot. Two days off every so often; a week off every training cycle, a regular email to your PT about needing to come in. Or maybe it’s worse – surgery and a total change in your ability to move.
I say all of this as a reminder mostly for myself that there are ways to change the outcomes. There are things I can and should do to supplement any kind of movement. But if you’re like me, those things are scary because they’re unfamiliar. Or maybe you feel like you don’t need them because you aren’t training for a big race, or even running/cycling/swimming/exercising with any consistency. BUT YOU DO. I PROMISE. And we’re bringing in the experts to show us how and why.
Sam Flax, a regular 5:30 NP-comer, has offered his time and talents as a PT to do a series of injury prevention workshops with us. I’ve met with Sam a few times at his new practice, MotionEdge on Charles St, and I can confirm he knows his shit *AND* he’s nice about all the stupid things I’ve done to get myself in this situation. He also gets it – he’s been to NP and he knows our people. Want to tackle a 50k just because all your NP friends are, too? Want to double at 5:30 and 6:30 because it’s the best way to start your morning x2? Sam’s our guy – he can provide services that gets you back wherever you want to be injury free, no matter how small, extreme, or silly they seem.
Our first session will be on Wednesday, directly after the 30 minutes of PR day wraps up at both 5:30 and 6:30. We are pysched to have him, and hope that you get as much out of this as we think you will. I, for one, will be front and center. Taking notes.
To hell with you, aqua jogging! I never want to see you again!
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Hello, did your stress fracture ever end up healing? I have the same black line on my left shin and would just like to know any tips if you have any.
So, did you have surgery to fix the fracture?