This is the last in my series of posts about my recent injury. The previous posts are here, here, and here. The short summary: I thought I had transitioned well to barefoot running, was planning to run a half marathon in VFFs in May, but I got a stress fracture running a 5K in mid-April. Mother of all bummers. Or “fail” as my son would say.
So I’m no longer sporting the “boot”. I cross trained quite a bit to keep some semblance of cardio fitness, and even did some (rare for me) core work. (I can hear some of you now…. and yes, I know I need to keep up the core work because the lack of it might have contributed to the injury….)
I also did a lot of reading, and re-reading about the current conventional wisdom about BF running. I bought “Barefoot Running” by Michael Sandler and Jessica Lee. I re-read “The Barefoot Running Book” by Jason Robillard, and I re-read Barefoot Ken Bob’s “Getting Started” post. I also hung out at the Runner World Barefoot Runners Forum.
After a lot of sole soul searching I came to the conclusion that I need to do one of the following:
1) Give up on this BF thing. Decide that I’m too old or too big or just not cut out for this barefooting stuff. Let my feet and calves go back to sleep. Get some ASIC Gels, and go back to running no more than 3-4 miles at a time, run my local 5K each year, and grow old semi-gracefully.
2) Go back to what I was doing pre-injury. Run mostly in VFFs, sometimes unshod. Assume that the stress fracture was just a fluke. Re-start my half marathon training. Get back to where I was gradually, but as quickly as possible.
3) Take Michael, and Jason, and Ken Bob seriously. Start completely from scratch. No long term plans. No races in the near future. Do it “right” according to the experts.
So which is it, door #1, door #2, or door #3?
Well, you probably guessed it. I’m gonna succumb to conventional wisdom. I thought I had transitioned slow enough, and that I understood correct form well enough that I could run mostly in VFFs right away, no problem. And maybe that was true and my fracture WAS a fluke. But I’m not going to take that chance. I’m going to follow all the rules and transition carefully and slowly. Then, if I get injured again I can blame it all on Michael, Jason, and Ken Bob!!! (just kidding guys)
So here are my new rules:
1) No shoes. At all. No VFFs (except that I carry them with me so I can put them on and walk back if needed).
2) No music. I still think I can concentrate well enough on form with tunes but I’m not taking any chances.
3) Slow. No speed work for a long time. 9-10 minute pace. (remember I’m an old guy)
4) 10% rule. No exceptions.
5) Never run two days in a row.
6) Cross training, including core and weights, at least 3 days a week.
7) I can take my Garmin but I resist (successfully so far) looking at it anytime during the run. I simply want to easily log my runs. No checking my heartrate, pace, or distance. I pre-measure the distance I want to cover using MapMyRun.
8) If something hurts, STOP. Walk back.
9) If something hurts the day of a planned run, wait another day.
10) Concentrate throughout the run on form, cadence, breathing, and relaxation.
My goal is to keep to this plan for at least 3 months. No exceptions. Zero tolerance.
I’m now about 2 weeks into following these rules. It’s gone well, except for a couple of blisters. I’m trying to learn from the location of the blisters what in my form needs adjustment. The foot I injured feels a little stiff and sore from time to time but I don’t have localized pain at the site of the fracture. I’ve read this is normal for quite a while after such an injury. I’m successfully fighting the urge to run further and faster. I’ve taken an extra day off once because I didn’t feel ready, something I wouldn’t have done pre-fracture. I’ve started doing some extra strengthening exercises for my feet and I’m wearing my VFFs almost everyday, all day. In short, I’m on my way back. Patience is difficult but I understand the reasons for the rules and I keep reminding myself that in the long run I’ll be glad I stayed with the program.
Stay tuned.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
I have a good feeling that if you strictly follow the plan you outlined, you’ll be fine. Good luck man, hope it all works out.
I think you made the right choice. Welcome back.
PS don’t be afraid to go even slower. I did plenty of 11 minute miles, and learned a lot by doing so.
First of all let me apologize for my poor English, as I am writing from Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. That also explains why my blog is in Portuguese, which I guess will make it impossible for you to read, in case you would like it. I read all your posts about your injury. I feel like I am you 1 year ago. I am 37 years old. I read “Born to Run” and also started to do some research on the subject of minimalist running shoes and so on. I still think it is the best option and I am transitioning to it. However, I read some posts about exactly the same problem that happened to you to other runners. Check this link http://therunningbarefoot.com/?p=5303. At this point I think it is very difficult to tell what the best option is. Probably we will have the answers in few years. So far, it seems to me that running barefoot (or using minimalist shoes) needs to be done very carefully. You probably know of all this similar cases, but I just wanted to show you that you are not the only one. I will follow your story to see how it evolves. Best regard,
Sergio Melo
corredorfeliz.blogspot.com
Hi Sergio. Thanks for visiting! How is your Winter going?
Your English is very good!!
Yes, I’ve seen a lot of stories about people with stress fractures that are similar to mine. However, most of them involved minimalist footwear, typically VFFs. That’s why this time I’m running exclusively barefoot. If the conditions are not conducive to running completely barefoot, I’m not going to run. Period.
After 3 months I’ll re-evaluate.
All physical activities carry some kind of risk. I’m convinced that the risks of running barefoot are worth it, even after being injured. My knees and hamstrings kept me from running more than about 5 miles for 25 years while wearing shoes. Since I started BF running (and with VFFs) I’ve had ZERO problems with the knees and hamstrings and have run over 10 miles many times in the last year.
Having said that I’m not completely convinced that EVERYONE can run barefoot. Maybe after your feet are locked away for enough years they can’t fully adjust? I think its too early to tell. But for me, I’m going to start again, go slow, and listen to my body more than I probably have ever.
We’ll see.
Our winter is as always, today at noon time the temperature was around 86F and sunny
I think your history of knee and harmstring injuries are more than enough to give a try on going barefoot. I (still?) don’t have the same history, so I am, by now, just trying to change the stride and the shoe. After 3 months, as you said, I will re-evaluate and see how it goes. I started to run (again) a couple of years ago and this year had plantar fascitiis (4 months without running) and two tendinitis. I think is too soon and you are too young but, as you said, our family is the most important thing, the rest is the rest. That said, I am sure we agree that running is such a wonderfull thing, isn’t? make us feel alive and younger.
You will do it. I am sure.
You’ll do great if you follow your plan. The real challenge, of course, is to NOT run BF 2 days in a row…and to NOT ramp up when you feel that you can.
I’m running well now, after months during the late winter, spring and early summer when I could not run. (Had to watch the Boston Marathon instead of run in it, even though I had a number. Ouch!) Plantar Fasciitis, combined with severe tendinitis. But I took the time off from running and swam every day…and now I’m running again.
I do have one suggestion for you: try to alternate your barefoot runs, on roads, with trail runs, in shoes. Trail running develops MANY muscles in your feet, legs, and hips that you will never develop by running on the roads. Every step is different. Many of them are side-to-side, not forward–the way your steps are when you run on the road. This variation is good for your body.
Just a thought.
Good luck!!
Your injury sounds frighteningly similar to what I have been dealing with for the past month. I had been running in VFFs for about 7 months with some short barefoot runs thrown in for good measure. I’d had a few annoying aches and pains, but I really didn’t listen to my body much and motored through them until they went away. Then, after a session of speedwork at my local track (only 2×800), I had a sharp pain on the top of my right foot. It hurt so bad, I knew I had to walk home. Once I got there, it was already starting to swell, so I popped ibuprofen and iced it. The pain didn’t go away, so after about a week of no running, I called my doc who checked it out and ordered an x-ray. The x-ray didn’t show a break, but it might have been too soon. I still had pain and swelling. The pain moved, though. It would sometimes be on the top of my foot, and sometimes in my toes. I also had pain radiating down around the sides of my foot. After a few more days, I decided to give running a try again. It hurt, so I went low and slow for two days. On the third day back, I started out feeling great and then felt a sharp stabbing pain right in the top of my foot. I hobbled back home and emailed my doc. He said to stay off it for two more weeks and go back to the ice/ibuprofen. I did that, but still had pain and swelling. I ended up stopping the ice/ibuprofen but decided to start up again yesterday. It has now been 6 weeks since the original injury, and I am still having some swelling issues despite no running other than the occasional light jog on the sidewalk in front of my house. The pain is mostly gone unless I stress my foot out walking too much. It still moves around. The swelling persists, though. It is mostly located right behind my toes. My doc referred me to a foot guy, but he wouldn’t see me because the xray didn’t show a break. Today, I can finally see some of the tendons on top of my foot again, and I would love to go for a short run, but I know that is a bad idea.
From my readings on the interwebs, it seems I have tendonitis rather than a break. Apparently, abreak results in pain in one spot, whereas the pain associated with tendonitis of the metatarsals radiates around the foot.
The frustrating thing is that I have no idea how long this is going to take to clear up. I almost wish I had gotten a boot after the initial injury. I think that immobilization then would have sped the healing process.
Good luck with your recovery.
I think I will do like you and start from scratch and only use the Vibrams when I need them.
Aaron,
Sorry to hear about your injury. I can be frustrating trying to figure out what an injury is, what to do about it, and how long to wait before venturing out, and how much to do and how often.
So far so good for me. I did my first 3 miler since returning to running today. I’m sticking to my rules and seeing it pay off. I’ve had a couple blisters but just today I think I’ve found a minor adjustment in my form that will help reduce or eliminate them. We’ll see.
Anyway, good luck with your injury. Hope to hear that you’re on the mend and out on the road again soon.
Bob
I’m 49 and been at minimalist running for almost a year now and have read everything and tried everything but always had some nagging injuries and stuff holding me back. Due to some urging by Jeremy on the RW forums I switched to Pose 6 weeks ago, still using VFF and BF. It has made all the difference in the world for me. My pace is quicker, feet are lighter, no injuries and i’ve been doing alot of other reccomended exercises to compliment the running (they suggest). Just ran my fastest 5K time this morning, still slow but getting better. It is taking a while to get the form down but I’d say it’s worth a try.
I like your plan it seems like a good summary of what every runner should do.
I think pain is going to come regardless of any way you run. It’s just part of being in a high impact sport.
Good luck on your half goal. I finished my 2nd on Sunday so I know you can do it.