So I left you hanging just after the first turn of the 5K I was running. I had prepared well, ramping up mileage slowly, cross training, and was more ready than ever for racing season. With a half marathon scheduled for May 2nd, the local 5K was a good way to get into the swing of things. It would also be my first race in Vibram Five Fingers.
Shortly after making that first turn, probably about a half mile in, I started feeling a little pain on the top of my foot. I didn’t stumble, slip, step on anything, change directions quickly, or anything else I can remember. I was just running, concentrating on maintaining good form and pace. At first I didn’t think anything of it. I remember thinking, wow, I guess I understand what TOFP is now.
There is a small downhill section in the last half of the first mile. On that downhill the pain started to get worse. By the time I got to the 1 mile mark (7:40) the pain was very noticeable and was starting to affect my gait. The thought of stopping hadn’t come to mind but I was definitely thinking that I wasn’t going to keep up this pace, which was PR pace for me.
At about the halfway point there is a fairly steep hill. I started to limp noticeably. I reached the summit, which is followed by a similar downhill. I was worried that the downhill would hurt even worse but I found an adjustment to my stride that made it bearable. But at the bottom of the hill making it bearable wasn’t possible. I was starting to get really worried. I walked for a little stretch, and even stopped and quickly slipped my VFF off to make sure there wasn’t any visible sign of a bad injury.
It was at this point that pride reared its ugly head. I started to think about being the guy in the VFFs that quit. I thought about having to blog about quitting. I thought about not being at the finish to see my daughter finish her first race or her deciding to stop and help me (she’s a doctor) instead of finishing.
So I was stupid. I started running again. Up the final hill, the last turn and down the homestretch. I even sprinted to pass a few people in the last 100 yards.
Then. I. Couldn’t. Walk. I hobbled over to get a bottle of water and then kind of hopped back to the finish line to watch for my daughter. She arrived at least 3 minutes faster than she had predicted. I proudly hugged her and enjoyed talking with her about how it went (for her). Then we tried to walk home (about a 1/2 mile) but I just couldn’t. She went and got a car and came to take me home.
Well, long story short, after a visit to my family doc and the local “imaging center” I ended up at the orthopedic surgeon’s office with this:
Diagnosis: fractured second metatarsal. The doc said that there was no evidence that this was a fracture that had developed over a long time because there was no evidence of healing. So its likely the fracture occurred totally during the race. And I probably made it worse by finishing.
Six months of training. Carefully studying my form. Sticking to the 10% rule. Cross training. Core. So looking forward to the half marathon. So confident.
Over. Disappeared.
(next post: Head Games)
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Don’t trip. Its just a broken toe. You’ll be back!
@Polynesian: Thanks for the encouragement. I will be back. But it’s not just a toe. I wish it was. Metatarsals are a little more troublesome than phalanges since they are at midfoot where it’s the best place to land. Thanks for commenting!
That sucks. But that is life, and I hear you. At least you had an answer — I had some amorphous stress fracture overuse diagnosis.
Keep up fitness however you can (don’t follow my example, btw.)
I agree with ny wolve: you have the answer, and you have options to fix it.
We are never more dangerous to ourselves than when we’re feeling healthy, athletic, and confident. Hindsight 20/20 and all, but you probably would have been better off not trying to go so fast. Maybe in your excitement, you pushed off a bunch to generate more speed. I do that too when in vffs.
Anyway, chin up, rest, reflect, and practice stepping lightly (lift, don’t land!) when you’re back at it. This could be the best thing to happen to you, if you let it be.
Unfortunately as runners we all have to deal with the occassional injury. Don’t get down however because you will come back in no time and this short break will have you motivated to trainer harder and smarter then ever. A few years ago I had this same stress fracture in my foot and after it healed in a few weeks I was able to get back into running. It was a gradual build up to get back in shape and then to get back into good shape but I got there. Stay positive and everything will turn out fine.
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