Just go ahead and add this to the list of reasons it is awesome to be at my parents’ house.
TWO large bags of Frosted Mini Spooners in the pantry at all times.
This morning I gave Brooke her first present for her 19 days of birthday gifts that I am giving her as a countdown to her birthday. An elmo toothbrush and toothpaste because now that she has two teeth we have to start brushing.
Just the normal church/nap/read/spend every second possible with my family day.
PS Brooke no longer allows us to push her in the stroller. She does need to work on her steering a little bit.
——————————————————–
I have had two femoral stress fractures followed by a lovely tibial one (caused by jumping back into running too quickly after my femoral stress fractures) a few years ago so I have experienced a runner’s ‘worst nightmare’ a few times and know them pretty well.
(Cheering at a race I was supposed to be running but my leg felt like it was about to fall off so I didn’t run it. Found out a few weeks later I had a stress fracture)
When I got my first stress fracture a few years ago I researched everything possible to help me better understand the situation and how to heal from them. There are a lot of great articles out there about runners and stress fractures but I got an email from Utah Running the other day about THIS one and I thought it was awesome. It was short and to the point and answered any questions that a runner may have when dealing with a stress fracture.
PS my goal in life is to never ever get one again because believe you me, they are not very much fun.
Basically stress fractures are tiny little cracks in your bone that are caused by overuse. AKA long distance running (along with a trillion other factors too) can definitely cause these and really the only treatment for this injury is rest! I had to take about 8 weeks off from running for the femoral ones and 6 weeks off for the tibial one.
Most common stress fractures: In the tibia and the feet!
I definitely remember thinking it was so strange that my stress fractures would hurt even when I was lying down and not using my leg at all. The other thing that really got me thinking I had a stress fracture before going to the doctors was the jump test. It didn’t hurt to jump up but when I landed it hurt really bad.
My stress fracture was finally diagnosed by an X-ray but they aren’t always detected there and you may need an MRI (which cost a lot of mula but are the best way to see if you have a stress fracture).
-I swam, did yoga, did some spin (after a few weeks of recovering and I took it really easy) and a lot of upper body strength training.
I thought the myths were really interesting because I feel like I have heard these things a lot.
So how can you prevent these silly little cracks in our bones? Be smart about increasing your weekly mileage and intensity!!! Don’t randomly throw in extra mileage or speed work when you have never done it before. Just slowly add it in. Also take care of your bone health!!! A lot of factors can affect your bone health especially if you are dealing with the female athlete triad.
PS runners that run more than 40 miles a week are THREE times more likely to be injured than those runners that run less than 40 miles a week. So be careful out there:)
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Who has had a stress fracture before? Where? How long did it take you to recover?
How many miles a week do you run on average?
What color is your toothbrush? Random but I do want to know.
Best thing you ate all weekend!?!
137 comments
Amy @ Long Drive Journey
I’ve never had a stress fracture, but I have had some knee problems that I think are due to just running too hard/fast too quickly. I get so excited when I feel stronger cardiovascularly (is that a word) that I don’t realize that my body and muscles have to catch up too.
I run about 15 miles a week right now…still building up.
My toothbrush is teal green and white!
Best thing I ate all weekend – clam chowder and a red velvet cupcake…not together.
It’s great that your new training is helping you NOT to get injured. I’ve been thinking about getting a coach myself, but I still pretty much run recreationally so I don’t know if it’s worth it (not a future Olympian like you are ;)
Kaitie
I broke my usual plant-based eating habits to try some Hungarian Beigli at a craft fair. Description it came with – “homemade walnut and raisin pastry, made with a European touch.” Definitely the best thing I ate!
Thanks for the info on stress fractures – I have never had one, but always feared getting one. I am in the process of increasing my mileage – aiming for 30 this week. Got to remember to take the increases slow and steady!
Monica L
Good educational post Janae! And adorable pictures of Brooke (of course), the one holding her toothbrush melted my heart! I can’t believe she is almost a year old! I’m doing an extended sugar detox (kind of) and right now I can not eat enough red grapes-they are so sweet and satisfying. And now I want some…..
Elizabeth @ My Neon Running Shoes
I have (knock on wood!) never had a stress fracture! And I’ve been running 50-70 miles a week for about 10 years now minus the 9 months I was pregnant. I drank milk by the gallons when I was a kid so I think that helped. Best thing I ate all weekend… Joe’s birthday cookie dough cupcakes, hands down! My toothbrush is green and blue :-)
Sara @ LovingOnTheRun
I’ve had 3 stress fractures. I never did the little things and just used to run – never stretched, strength trained, or anything else to strengthen my body.
I run about 40-50 miles per week right now, but I am approaching training much differently and focusing on the things to strengthen my body.
Amy @ Writing While Running
Oh no! I just started my 40+ mile weeks for this training cycle and I still have 12 more weeks til the marathon. Luckily, I keep a lot of my runs slow and easy. Never had a stress fracture (knock on wood).
Hollie
My only stress fracture (knock on wood) has been a tibial stress fracture that happened from poor training, being new to running and a tight IT band. My only goal is to never have a stress fracture again either. Metatarsal fractures are a complete other story though…I couldn’t imagine spending nearly a year to heal!
Anne @ CandyCrazedrun.wordpress.com
NEVER experiencing a stress fracture again is always my #1 running goal these days too!
Unfortunately, multiple xrays did not pick up the stress fracture in my foot. Finally 6 months, and a $900 MRI later I was never more excited to be diagnosed with one. Know what my injury was meant I could finally treat it!
I never want to go through that frustration, time and expense again. Lesson learned!
Kim @ Hungry Healthy Girl
My toothbrush is pink, of course! Love Brooke’s face in the top pic….. looks like she’s pretty excited about brushing her teeth. Right now, I’m running about 25 miles/week, but I’m about to start my marathon training. The miles are about to increase quite a bit, but of course, I’ll be GRADUALLY increasing them.
Jackie
Been there done that! I had one in each foot this past winter! Thanks girl!
kait
thanks for all the info! i just came back from a stress fracture in my left foot- it was definitely hard to take it slow once it was feeling better, but the several weeks off that i had to take helped me to reign it in when i could finally pull the brooks back on :)
Adriana @Laced Up With Lipstick
I’ve never had stress fractures thank goodness, they sound painful! I have a blue toothbrush. The best thing I ate this weekend was bBq burgers soaked in Sweet Baby Rays Hickory Brown Sugar BBQ sauce. Love your skirt!!
Debbie @ Deb Runs
I’m only running about 34-38 miles a week, but I used to run 50. That seems like so much when I look back on it!
The best thing I ate all weekend was a BurgrFi cheeseburger! It was very good! You would approve! :-)
Steph F
I’ve never had a stress fracture, probably because my marathon training efforts have always been derailed by “soft-tissue” injuries (tendonitis practically everywhere possible, two surgeries to remove Morton’s neuromas, etc). I’m currently attempting marathon training for a third time and am at about 35 miles right now, building to 40+, so hopefully I can keep any type of injury at bay this time!!
My toothbrush is pink…I go for the girly colors so my husband has no excuse for accidentally using mine :)
Holly KN
Things to add to the list of triggers: Hopping around on one foot, because your other ankle is totally messed up. If you do this persistently enough (because your doctor warned you NOT to bear ANY weight on your messed up ankle), then you will possibly even turn your stress fracture into an actual crack. Ick.
Thankfully, they heal. And, as the orthopedist pointed out to me: People don’t stress fracture in the exact same spot twice, because the healed bone is actually thicker/stronger. So…bonus? :)
I’m hanging out right at that 40 mpw sweet spot right now….
And I have a pink & white toothbrush in the bathroom. It’s horribly gender-typical, but in this house, the gals have pink and the boys have green!
Cori @ olivetorun
No stress fractures for this girl… even though I’ve gotten up to 40-55 miles in most of my training programs. HUGE knock on wood though! I cannot imagine going through that.
Nicole @ Work in Sweats Mama
This is great info. Thanks for sharing! And so sorry you’ve had to deal with multiple stress fractures. I think every runner lives in constant fear of the dreaded stress fracture. My worst running injuries have always been knee & IT band issues.
Ashley @ Eat Run Live Happy
I run about 40-50 miles a week right now. I am pretty good at giving myself rest days if I even feel a little bit off with pain.
My tooth brush is lime green but I’m about ready to get a new one. It’s been 3 months and I HAVE to get a new one every three months.
Amanda @ .running with spoons.
I’ve never gotten into running seriously enough to develop a stress fracture, but it sounds like it’d be an incredibly painful and annoying thing to deal with – it’s all sorts of unfair that our bodies want to punish us for doing things that we love. But I guess that’s part of the reason we have to play it smart. And I have an electric toothbrush, so it’s… you know, I really have no idea what color it is. Way to pay attention, Amanda…
Jess
I have never had a stress fracture but I’ve only been running for 6 months, and I’m training for my first half in Oct, so I’m hoping it stays that way! I’m following the Hal higdon plan loosely so I don’t increase my mileage too quickly.
My toothbrush is purple! And my hubbys is blue so we can tell them apart.
Best thing I ate this weekend was breakfast at the cracker barrel, which included biscuits and gravy, after backpacking sat and sun. Nothing tastes so good as when you’ve been eating protein bars and fruit for 2 days!
Emily @ Running for Boston
I am pretty sure your parent’s house would be part of my heaven with those Frosted Mini Spooners (my FAVORITE cereal) – as would the cereal aisle at Costco with a whole Palate devoted to Frosted Mini Wheats.
I’ve almost gotten stress fractures but just have had terrible shin splints. I always took a break at the last possible second to avoid stress fractures. I also switched over to Vibrams a year ago and have not had a problem with shin splints at all.
I am running 40-50 miles on average. My toothbrush is an electric toothbrush – it’s blue and white. By the way – I love that you gave Brooke a toothbrush for her 19 days of gifts! SO SMART!
Best thing I ate this weekend……mom’s chili.
Vikki
I thought I had a stress fracture in my left foot after running my first half. Spent a literal fortune on an xray (crappy insurance) and they said they couldn’t see anything and recommended an MRI. I definitely could not even semi afford that, so I gave up and started running again. /bad example
Right now I’m in high mileage training for XC, so this is a 64 mile week I believe. Next week is 70. Lord help me.
Toothbrush is lime green/white!
And froyo. Duh.
Kathee
I’ve had two stress fractures. The one thing to remember is that an x-ray within 2 weeks of the fracture may not show anything, because its not displaced. It isn’t until the bone starts to heal that they will show up as a white line. So if it hurts after 2 weeks and you’ve had an X-ray then follow up with your doctor. I already knew what had happened on my second and didn’t even get the X-ray for two weeks. But whatever you do, don’t run on it if it hurts!! (Said all runners that dont follow their own advice)
Erica
A quizno’s sub. I haven’t had one for over a year and it hit the spot.
Jessica R @ FromtheKitchentotheRoad
I have never had a stress fracture and hope to never get one. I am right around 40 miles per week now. I am happy here when I’m not training for anything.
Corrine @ Eat Run Wine
I’ve never had a stress fracture, but I’m currently taking a few days off from running because of a constant pain in my hip. I’m pretty sure it was my IT band. I definitely fall into the overtraining category- but I’m learning to control it!
I usually run 35-40. I had to cut last week short though. Sad :(
Pink toothbrush! Well, technically I have 3- my husband keep one at each of our parents’ places since we go there for the weekend so often and always seem to forget them at one house or another. I think mine are both purple at their houses.
Best food of the entire weekend- grilled cheese. But this was a bionic grilled cheese- American, cheddar and Swiss cheeses between 2 pieces of garlic Texas toast. It was mind-numbingly good!
Anna
YES- I have had two stress fractures (back to back) in my left foot/ankle. The first one was in my foot, and the second one was in my ankle from not giving the ol’ foot enough recovery time.
I WAS running about 50-60 mpw, now I’m…. recovering. Swim, yoga, and spin… whooooo. I miss running.
We went to my parents house for a birthday party (for ME), and my stepdad makes delicious BBQ chicken, baked beans, butter beans, and corn every summer. Topped off with a homegrown watermelon that was bigger than Brooke :) (my parents live on a farm!)
Megan
I have thankfully never had a stress fracture. When I am running I would say I am at about 30 miles a week, I have never hit the 40 mile mark! My tooth brush is red at my bfs and blue at my house!
TACOS!!!!!
PS – I love brooke driving. Just wait till she gets her hand on a golf cart! That was my favorite as a little kid!
Kari @ Running Ricig
No stress fractures here.
I usually run about 40-50 miles a week. I think my toothbrush is purple.
Wendy @ New Moms Talk
My mileage has been low for a while. I’m calling priorities are in a state of change (as in if you could only see the sea of boxes that surround me as I write now)…. and with our move in 18 days .. yeah!
The best thing I ate all weekend… was … Trader Joe’s chicken-less orange chicken. I love that stuff!
Gracie (Complicated Day)
Ugh, just got over a femoral fracture. Misery! I can’t point to what caused it exactly, but I was in a mileage increase pattern.
Aidan
This is both street smart and innleligett.
Runningwithscissors
I’ve had 3 pelvic stress fractures,2 on the left and 1 on the right side. It was about a 9 week recovery period all 3 times.
I run between 40/50 miles a week and brush my teeth with a pink toothbrush.;)
Best thing I ate this weekend was “crack bark” which is the best combination ever of saltines,butter,brown sugar and chocolate chips!!!! Simply irrestible!
Kami
I NEED that recipe please!!! It sounds AMAZING!!
Runningwithscissors
http://www.foodnetwork.com. Then search “sweet and saltines.”
Wendy@ All Kinds of Miles
I had a metatarsal stress fracture during cross country season in high school, and it was a nagging , annoying pain more than anything! I’m training for my first marathon right now, so I’m making sure to take as many rest days as I need and icing my feet after long runs. So far, so good!
Danielle
I have had a stress fracture in both feet when I was 17 or 18. I was on prednisone, so I’m pretty sure it was not from over use, but the meds.
This week, I’m up to almost 18, I think. I’m training for a half marathon, so this week my long run is 6 miles- then 3 miles 3x, and 3 miles faster running the first mile solid and then with walking every other .25 mile after. I finish my training the week of my 30th birthday, so my goal for that week is 30 miles for my 30th. Should be pretty doable since almost half will be on my long run on Monday. Feeling excited!
Right now my toothbrush is pink!
Lemon pepper salmon and Caribbean jerk pork on rice are at a tie this weekend, although the cheesy garlic biscuits I made might pull the salmon ahead on terms of meals…
Teresa@The Chronicles of a {Not So} Supermom
I had one in my foot and I was in a boot for 4 weeks (I think) and no running for about 2 weeks after.
I have an orange toothbrush but my daughter has the Elmo set too! My other daughter who is 10 months still does not have even one tooth! Love the gummy smile, though:)
Jen @ milesandblessings
I have never had a stress fracture but have had runners knee and recently had a little IT band pain which made me soooo nervous! I do not handle injury well at all!
I have a purple toothbrush a run about 50 miles a week :).
Best thing I ate was blueberries and strawberrirs drizzled with chocolate from a chocolate fountain!
Beth @ Mangoes and Miles
“runners that run more than 40 miles a week are THREE times more likely to be injured than those runners that run less than 40 miles a week” –> DANG. I’ve never had a stress fracture before (knock on wood! –> I definitely physically just knocked on wood), but it doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun. It’s really interesting that there’s been no significant difference in injury rate depending on the surface that you run on! I never knew that…and it’s good to know because let’s be honest, who runs long distances all in the grass??
Sarah @ Blonde Bostonian
I’ve had 2 stress fractures before – tibia and foot. The foot one was definitely the worst. It hurt the most and put me in a walking boot (which was NOT fun!) Totally agree on the don’t add intensity part. I think that caused my foot fracture. My tibia was because I had no idea what I was doing and was running 15 mile weeks with 8 year old crappy running shoes from when I was like 14. Big mistake.
Alyssa @ See This Girl Run
ouch! I hope I don’t get a stress fracture. That sounds awful.
My toothbrush is pink and white! :) I love how excited Brooke looks about hers. Too cute!
[email protected]
I have a friend who only runs on the treadmill and fracture in her sacrum.. the story goes it was caused by running.. even though the doctors all asked if she was in a bad accident.. Is this even possible to have this happen when running when you only do 4 to 6 miles 5 days a week? She is back running again.. you’d think she would find some other workout?? And she had her bone density checked.. It’s 100% fine.. and she’s only 38!
Laura @losingrace
I had a fractured foot last year from a car accident… I tell you what- that was more painful than any injury that I ever had (INCLUDING when I rore my ACL/MCL in college). The pain from it used to keep me up at night, and if I did fall asleep it was maybe for an hour. Somehow I got REALLY lucky and had a much faster recovery than they told me I would, and I actually became a better runner afterwards. About 2 months of no running, another month and a half of run-walking, and then I was running after that. It took time to build back up (particularly my endurance) but listening to my PT and doing what I was told (particularly NOT doing what I was told NOT to do) made a huge difference.
My toothbrush is Clear with bright blue accents. My travel one (always in my purse) is a pink collapsible one.
Karen @ Runner Girl Eats
Best thing I ate was creme brulee. I can’t resist it. I am slightly terrified of increasing my mileage too quickly from all the horror stories I hear so I usually take it reallyyyyy easy when increasing. I do NOT want to be unable to run/workout!
Leah @ Running with the Hayneses
I’ve never had a stress fracture, but I do run 50-60 miles a week when I’m in training, and I do struggle with getting injured frequently. Lately I have been re-thinking my high mileage, and this post just solidifies those thoughts. Right now I’m not training for a race because I haven’t committed to anything for the fall yet, so I’m just doing about 30-40 miles a week plus biking, swimming and weights. I think I’m going to continue this schedule through the rest of the year and see how it goes!
Kimberly @ Keeping up With Kimberly
I had a stress fracture my freshman year of high school at the end of Cross Country season. I took the winter off and most of track season and was back in gear by the start of Cross Country season.
My toothbrush is purple & I had two oreo shakes over the weekend that were pretty amazing!
Tristen
I believe I had a stress fracture in my foot about 5-6 months ago. I didn’t go to the doctor though, but I limped around for a good 2.5 weeks and didn’t run for about 6.
I just started get back into my running routine, but jumped in a little to quickly. Currently, I’m struggling with mild hip problems.
And the best thing I ate was definitely almond butter…straight. out. of. the jar. (:
Charlie @therunnerbeans
best thing I ate was a huge froyo, with strawberries, blueberries, smarties, brownies, toffee sauce, flake and crunchies on top. It was amazing.
Angie @ Pint of Goals
I’ve luckily never had a stress fracture, but I did sprain my ankle in high school and that sucked big time. Tomorrow I have my six week postpartum visit, and I am excited to get clearance to start running! It’s been over twenty weeks since I’ve ran and would love to train for a fall 10K or half :)
Oh, and I had an apple fritter this weekend and thought of you!
meredith
I teeter around 30 miles a week – sometimes more sometimes less. I am so afraid of a stress fracture that I try to prevent overuse but let’s be real, that isn’t even all that possible as a runner. I want to run everyday!
Jessica @ Running the Miles
Looks like a great weekend with family! Best thing I had to eat this weekend was chocolate birthday cake and ice cream! I’ve had a femoral stress fracture about 5 years ago. I was training for a marathon with Team in Training and had to pull out. It was not fun! I took about 8 weeks off and eventually ran a half marathon with the team. But I can look back and know that no matter what injury, you can come back and running won’t be over forever!
Jen
So ironic to read this this morning, I JUST got the same advice on shoes, mileage and intensity from a PT on Friday. I’ve had 2 stress fractures in my feet, 1 in my femur (which occurred 3 weeks before Boston in 2011), and 2 in my tibia (a mess, I know – oh, and not all at once…this was over the course of 8 years). NOT FUN. I have flat feet and always blamed my overpronation. Looks like I need to look more at my mileage, my shoes and my diet. The past few years, I keep getting unjured right when I cross that 40-50 mile/week threshold. Very great timing to share this, thank you!
Chelsea @ LittleOneRuns
I had stress fractures in both my shins, took me 2 years to heal, only because I thought nothing of the pain, thought it was just shin splints, so I ended up running on the fractures for a month before I couldn’t take the pain anymore. It was defiantly hard for me to let it go, I wasn’t smart and would get in little runs here and there.
I’m running 20-30 miles a week now, my body can’t handle running everyday now due to the stress fractures, so I run every other day.
My tooth brush is white!!
Best thing I ate this weekend was Chocolate :)
Erin
I was diagnosed with a calcaneal stress fracture in January. I was running about 50-60 miles per week. I really wanted to run the Boston marathon in April so I rested for 4 weeks, felt like it was completely healed, and ramped back into training (late February). Because of coming back too much too soon, I am STILL not healed. It is the hardest thing as an athlete I have ever dealt with. In fact, just a few weeks ago I was just starting to increase my activity again and I started feeling the pain again. I know that if I had just waited it out back in January I would be healed by now which is so frustrating!! Anyway, thanks for this post – it really helps to read about others who have been in a similar situation and how they coped/healed from it.
Jill
Hi, Erin. I’m Jill. My post is below. I feel your pain, literally. Calcaneus and Talus are big bones that support a lot of weight. They don’t heal quickly :( Could we have picked worse bones to fracture?
Anyway, I’m here with u! Hoping for a quick and healthy return.
Erin
Hi Jill,
Thanks for your comment! Yes, we definitely seem to have picked the worst bones to fracture. Good luck with your recovery as well, stay strong, and we will be running again before we know it! :)
estee
Hi Erin-
I hope this message finds you well. I’ve been struggling with a calcaneal stress fracture for 8 months now. I had a boot, then a cast and now I’m able to walk but my recent MRI showed it’s still not healed. I continue to have mild/moderate pain. Any tips? Did you swim/bike/do yoga during your recovery? Thanks so much!!
Estee
Linda @ running4two
I have had 2 major stress fractures…one in each leg. Both were so severe that I was forced to walk with a crutch so that they would heal. I was sidelined from running for about 4 months each time :(. I have been trying really hard to avoid these injuries again, but now I just seem to have other things going on…I love running but I’m not sure my body feels the same way.
I had an awesome dinner on Friday night, which was the last night of our vacation. Surf and turf and chorizo truffle mac and cheese! :)
Molly@ There Goes Molly Rose
Thankfully I’ve never experienced a stress fracture. Though I’ve done some damage to my legs in the past (torn ACL twice! Yikes!) also, I keep my mileage to probably 10 miles or less a week. One long run (for me thats 5-6 mi) and one or two shorter ones (2-3mi) which according to that article is maybe why I haven’t had stress fractures?! Good info you shared, thanks!
My current toothbrush is blue…..
Jill
I am currently dealing with a stress fracture in my left Talus. Big bone in ankle foot that takes a loooong time to heal. I increased my mileage too quickly and I knew better.
I have not run in 11 weeks and it is killing me physically and mentally. I was pool running, strength training and yoga while just in the walking boot. Now I am on crutches for a month :(
I read your blog daily to live vicariously thru your readers. I will definitely use your coaches suggestions and come back slowly and strong!
Abby
It’s actually quite rare for X-rays to pick up a stress fracture. I don’t recall the percentage researchers have determined, but it’s low. I’ve seen them as a PT, but thankfully haven’t had any myself!
Way too much good food this weekend… diner banana chocolate chip hot cakes, street tacos, almond torte, Parmesan fries… it was an amazing few days of food!
Ashlee@HisnHers
Judging from the comments it seems like a LOT of people have had stress fractures! I bet this post will be realyl helpful. Luckily no stress fracturse over here!
I’m loving the way you’re parting your hair now!
Amanda
I’ve never had a stress fracture, but I had tendonitis at the top of my foot that developed as I was training for my first half-marathon. I even thought it was a stress fracture, yet I ran the half anyway. Stupid, I know. Thank God it was only tendonitis and I only had to take 3 weeks off!
Sam @ Better With Sprinkles
I love how her toothbrush is Elmo ;-) Mine is white and green – not particularly exciting!
No stress fractures for me, which I’m definitely thankful for!
Christine
Hi janae, looks like you’re having so much fun with your family :) I follow the Today Show on Pinterest and wanted to pass this article on to you. Not that I think you’re doing anything wrong, but knowledge on choking and more importantly on dislodging the food could save a life :)
Amy @ Rum Mom Run
I had a stress fracture in my foot once. It was no fun.
My toothbrushes are always red or blue because that’s what comes free from the dentist!
Liz @ The Girl on Fire Now
Brooke is adorable :) Love that toothbrush :)
I haven’t had a stress fracture, but am having pain in my shin that I am watching very carefully
I think I probably run about 14-19 miles per week, depending on rest days and long run length
My toothbrush is green, but I have to replace it soon and will use a clear one (they are so cool)
Clam chowder or an Asian Chicken salad at Applebee’s
Meaghan @ Tale of Two Teachers
My toothbrush is black and bright green – very distinctive!!
Best thing I ate all weekend is really tough because I was a bridesmaid in a wedding and there is a lot of amazing food at weddings… Mini cupcakes were pretty fabulous though!
Sarah
I had a 3rd metatarsal stress fracture. I was up to 50 miles per week and not maintaining proper nutrition. In hindsight I was dealing with the female athlete triad issues. The Dr. said 6-8 weeks but I ended up taking 8-9 months off when it still hurt to run after 8 weeks. I was a pretty miserable person during that hiatus! I would periodically “test” it with an easy jog during those 8-9 months but still felt pain so I picked up cycling to keep my cardio base strong. But now, like you, I’m at my strongest, thinnest, healthiest, & lowest body fat % (but at my highest weight) thanks to healthy eating and strength training. Avoiding another stress fracture is my motivation to healthier nutrition! Yay food!
Anissa Angelosante
The worst Stress Fracture I had was in my tibia. I was in a boot for 14 weeks. It was my worst nightmare. The first 4 weeks I was not allowed to do any lower body exercises.
My toothbrush is purple!
And I ate so many great meals this weekend. I don’t know if I can pick on one meal.
Jenn S
Haven’t had a stress fracture yet and am hoping to keep it that way. I’ve started to learn what shoes I can use for low mileage/treadmill runs and racing vs slow/long runs. I’m probably going to get a new pair of long distance shoes this week because I need a little more cushioning and a larger size to top having toe trauma. I’m currently closing in on 25-30 miles/week as training ramps up for my first marathon in a little under 3 months!
Best food all weekend – we visited friends of ours in MI and went to a farm where they had fresh ice cream – it was amazing! I had white cherry, my son had the best vanilla I’ve ever tried and my husband had chocolate chip and coconut/chocolate/almond.
Kay
Aw she looks so happy with her toothbrush!
Lauren
I had a stress fracture in my knee which required THREE surgeries and now I am still on the healing front. But I was able to run up and down my street all week and it’s SO exciting!!!!! KSADJFLKASJDEF
My toothbrushes are pink and purple. (I have two because I’m a teeth freak)
The best thing I ate all weekend was sushi!
STUFT Mama
Crab legs! And purple (in the wrong answering order).
kaitlyn
Cold quinoa salad. My stress fracture turned into a real fracture that required surgery. I still have the screw in my foot holding it together. They are no bueno for sure.
Jazz
That’s a good idea for the b day gifts, I should do that when my guy turns 1.
My toothbrush is hot pink…
I only run about 20miles/ week, not training for anything or trying to get any further ahead fitness wise right now!
MartinaNYC
Knocking on wood, I never had a stress fracture and, after reading stories like yours, I’m being super-extra careful! I’m training for my first marathon in November and I decided to pick at 45 miles per week and my longest runs will be 20 miles long. You have no idea how much hard time some fellow runners are giving me! Some of them keep saying that if I don’t peak at 50-60 miles per week, I’m not gonna finish the marathon. Guess what? I trust myself and m body more ;) I’d rather not get that sub-4 I’m so hoping for than end up getting injured and not running the marathon at all. In the future, when my body will be more used to high milage, I’ll start adding more miles since I love running so much! But for now, I’m more than happy with my plan!
Leigh @ beach and back runner
I had two tibial stress fractures, one in each leg, in high school. I was running cross country and also playing soccer with my travel team. I kept running on it thinking it was nothing, but finally my left side got way worse and I ended up out for 12 weeks. I didn’t rest at all when it was just shin splints, so I wasn’t surprised.
Running Rosa
I’m petrified of getting injured so I really try to do everything I can to not get to that state. It’s tough, though, when you would rather be running than not.
I’ve been running about 35 – 45 miles per week for several months now, mostly because I did a marathon in June and am training for the Half Moon Bay marathon and CIM at the same time. I’m just having too much fun with it!
Alina
I’ve never had a stress fracture….BUT I might have one right now :(
I haven’t gone to get it checked out because I’m scared they’ll put me in a boot :((((
Hopefully it’s just tendinitis.
Leigha
Last week I twisted my ankle playing basketball so I couldn’t run the rest of the week :( I got back out today and it felt great! I haven’t had a major injury yet… knock on wood! All weekend I was at a softball tournament so all I ate was hotel breakfast and cousins subs lol. My miles have been pretty low but I’m hoping to get them back up with xc starting next week!
Andrea @ The Fit Scoop
No stress fractures here (knock on wood!) Any injury I’ve had seems to be of the tendon variety (i.e. achilles tendonitis or patellar tendonitis). These were from long ago before I learned the hard way that you can’t run hard every day :-P
I was running 50-60 miles a week until becoming pregnant in the spring…excited to get back there again after November (increasing mileage gradually of course!).
Lauren
I’ve never had a stress fracture but I did hurt my lower back a few months ago and had to take 2 weeks off of any exercise. Just walking hurt like crazy! I got so antsy from not being able to work out and it completely put me in a terrible mood for those 2 weeks. Injuries are the worst!
Miranda @ Miranda Runs
I had a stress fracture back in April-May. It was horrrrible! I was supposed to be training for a half marathon and had to take 2 full months off from running. I basically died during my half because I hadn’t ran more than 3 miles since March.
Amanda
I’ve never had a stress fracture, knock on wood, and hope to never get one. When I’m healthy I normally run between 30-40 miles a week but right now I’m working up to 20…oh IT band injury you are so miserable
Michelle @ 3cheaprunners
Homemade pizza…so yummy
Katie
Brooke is so cute with her new toobrush!! :) hehe yayyy. And thanks for the info on stress fractures. That is definitely something I never have to deal with! I will be taking many precautions, that’s for sure!
xo
Annette@FitnessPerks
Yikes, stress fractures sound horrendous! So glad you’re not dealing with that now. Ugh.
Love your maxi skirt!
MILF Runner
You’d think a stress fracture is a runner’s worst nightmare, but stress fractures can heal. I had a metatarsal SF ages ago. It healed up great. Try degenerative osteoarthritis on for size. That’s a diagnosis that’ll really rock your world.
I have a mostly white toothbrush (all the family does) with a little yellow circle thing on it so everyone in the family knows it’s MINE!
Tastiest food of the weekend: tie between an amazing salad I made and a bowl of sunflower seed butter and dark chocolate chunks lightly microwaved so as to be warm and a little melty. Yum.
Ali
Two stress fractures, both post-collegiate career. Both in my pelvis! Different side each time. First one took 6+ months to heal…had a lot of relapses too, and the second time I was diagnosed a week before I found out I was pregnant. So we’ll say I had plenty of time to let it heal! They are no fun! Oh and both times it took forever for them to diagnose me properly! The second time around I could just tell but the doc didn’t think so until another month of painful running had passed…
Sheena
I’m a frequent sufferer of shin splints, and one turned into a tibial stress fracture a couple years back. Since then I still get tender spots on my tibias, and everytime I feel it, I FREAK OUT.
Nicole
I’ve had stress fractures in both my feet. Not fun. I was out for about 6 weeks.
On average, I try and do about 20 miles a week.
My toothbrush is purple and white.
Best thing I ate alllll weekend: Friday night stop at Baskin Robbins: 1 scoop Mississippi Mud, 2 sccops Oreos and Chocolate. GET THERE!!
Liz
Love love love your maxi skirt!! I’ve been searching for one like that all summer and I can’t seem to find one :(
Kelly @ Running Wild
I had a stress fracture in my pelvis last year. I kept running on it because I wasn’t smart and wound up causing it to break the entire bone. It took about 6 months to fully heal and after that ordeal I’m super committed to not having that happen again. All of your advice you’ve given in this post and your past posts has really been a help to me. I really loved the post you did on dealing with injuries.
Fingers crossed that was my only stress fracture!
Marissa
No stress fractures, thank goodness!
This week, I’m at 34 miles this week. I’m on week 5 of an 18 week training for a full in November.
I’m boring, my toothbrush is a white Sonicare.
The best thing I ate this weekend were camp fire roasted marshmellows!
Mer
I’ve had stress fractures before in my shins, and I’m going back to the doctor on Wednesday to see if it happened again. :( I’ve been training for a 10K (I’ve never run that distance before), and I was excited to just hit 10 miles per week. But I’ve had that familiar nagging shin pain for about a month and it reached the point where it’s too painful to run. I’m really, really bummed. My race is 9 weeks away and if it’s a stress fracture, I’m in trouble.
I do want to say I’ve spent all weekend reading every post you’ve written about injuries and it’s helped IMMENSELY! Thank you!
Kim
Lots of stress fractures!! I’ve had one in each of my hips (the last one was last fall), 5 in my right foot, and 2 in each tibia – sort-of prone!! I’m working on running smarter these days because my DR is saying another hip one will probably require a hip replacement.
kendra
i’ve never had a stress fracture but i have plantar fasciitis right now (for 4 months now) and it is my first and only running injury in 13+ years of solid 5-6 days a week of running. it was like i hit 30 and literally went downhill. i just turned 31 last week and no sign of my heel healing. i was up to 42-46 miles a week when plantar fasciitis struck. i did increase gradually and slowly from about 28 mpw (what i normally do throughout the year) so i guess it was just my time to get an injury. it has humbled me and made me a VERY aware of my body runner.
Kate
I haven’t been diagnosed with a stress fracture, but I’ve had peroneal tendinitis in both legs now for some time (about 3 months). I’ve stopped running, taken anti-inflammatories at a dr. request, iced, wore a brace, etc and it still isn’t healing. I’m wondering if it is indeed a stress fracture that needs a lot more time to heal. I walk a lot and squat weights, but from your post I’m thinking I may need to do all non-weight bearing activities more to give my legs 100% time to heal. I want to run again and I’ve missed every race I signed up for, plus my first marathon this fall coming up. It stinks. Thanks for sharing about your experience, I thought fractures all show up on x-rays, but I don’t think I can get an MRI any time soon.
Ty (@seeksboston26mi)
I ran the Chicago Marathon one year on what I thought was shin splints. It was a lower leg stress fracture. I took close to six months off which was more than the time I needed, but I came back stronger than before and ran my first BQ in my next race. I currently run around 40 miles a week, but that increases up to 70 as I approach marathon distance training. My toothbrush colors vary like my run shoes, and the best thing I ate this last weekend? Bacon-wrapped sirloin and twice-baked potato. #yum
heidi
I had the same femoral neck stress fracture. it was the worst. pain. ever. i was totally over training and not eating right. At first i thought, oh well, im 48 im old. an orthopedic surgeon diagnosed me with female athlete triad syndrome. i had never heard of it but it was totally me. Now i’m 5o and hired a coach (clearly i cant run unsupervised!) and so far havent had any injuries. I have a half marathon in 3 weeks in san diego and 4 more after that. hoping i’ve learned my lesson and can run injury free now.
Raina
Fastidious replies in return of this issue with solid arguments and explaining all regarding that.
Emily
I’ve been running just under 20 miles per week lately, however this week I’m stepping it up a bit and I’m aiming for 23ish. Last couple weeks of hard training until my half.
I did have a purple toothbrush, but just last night I switched it out for a new pink one. Always love the feeling of a new toothbrush, my teeth feel so much more clean with a new one! :) Best thing I ate was the grilled turkey sandwich my mom made. Muenster cheese, hummus, turkey, tomato, and onion on rye and brushed with my family’s cheezy bread sauce and then grilled to perfection! :D
Ebby
I have been suffering from a stubborn to heal tibial stress fracture since January. I went through periods of rest/no running and tried to resume running without success and an increase in pain. I am now in a walking boot for 3 months and regulated to swimming and biking only. If no progress is seen after 6 weeks I go to non-weight bearing (crutches/hard cast) and he has mentioned surgery. This is definitely the most frustrating injury I have ever dealt with. Glad to see you were a success story though.
Allie
Good information! I had a stress fracture of my femoral neck that ended up in surgery. Not fun, but a very eye opening experience for me to train smarter, appreciate the ability to run, and treat myself better. They are no fun!
Colleen
Surprisingly, I have not had a stress fracture. I am super active (full-time group ex instructor) and hard core runner. I honestly think that the only reason I haven’t had a stress fracture is due to my cross training and diet.
Jennifer
Unfortunately, this post is perfect timing for me. :-( I have a suspected (waiting on confirmation from the doc) femoral stress fracture. I had two pelvic stress fractures in the past and was really, really hoping that I was done with the stress fracture stuff. I’m smack-dab in the middle of my marathon training (was supposed to be running a half on August 24, and then my full marathon in Erie, PA on Sept. 15) and I’m crushed. I’ve been doing fairly high mileage for a little while now (started in Nov. of 2012) – around 50-70mpw. It has been going fine, but now I have this injury!! For those of you that have had this, what were you able to do in the first week or two after your original diagnosis? Janae – I know from the archives that you did some pump/spin, but were you able to do that right away? I want to do spin/cycle, but I am not sure if I should yet or if I should just do upper-body weight lifting (though I will miss the work-up-a-really-good-sweat feeling). Thoughts from anyone on any cardio I can do safely? Help! :(
Jennifer
Also extra bummed because this season I was so careful with my diet (eating clean) and worked so hard to be diligent about doing core 3x a week and yoga at least 2x a week. I feel like I did everything right and yet somehow I still ended up with this. Sorry to vent – just trying to process everything and get my attitude back on track so that I can bounce back. :)
Nicole
Best thing I ate: an ube hopia. Basically, a filipino version of a moon cake filled with sweet purple potato filling :)
Saw this article and thought I’d share, it reminded me of your love for salad bars! http://kotaku.com/how-chinese-ingenuity-destroyed-salad-bars-at-pizza-hut-834835079
LosingLindy
I had a stress fracture and in a boot for 3 months..it was horrible. Last year I had major issues with my knee..currently trying to stay healthy
Hali
No stress fractures!! (Hope to keep it that way). Thanks for the great information/article. I am slowing building my mileage up (27 last week) as I train for my first full marathon. I have a boring white tooth brush because it is electric ;-) best thing I ate… INDIAN FOOD! Yummm
Tim
First off, GREAT website/blog! I have actually been reading it for awhile and thoroughly enjoy it. Anyways, I thought the timing of this post was impeccable as I was just diagnosed with a tibial stress fracture on July 26th. I am supposed to run the St. George Marathon come early October. Now that is pretty much out of the picture. SO SAD!
Ela
I’ve never had stress fractures so far and I hope I will never have one! It seems to be really terrible…
I think that very frequently runners forget about the fact that our body is the one that gives us the possibility to run (that we love so much! don’t we?) and we don’t treat it appropriately. Isn’t it that very often we forget about stretching, about having enough calcium and other nevessary vitamins and minerals in our diet?
I had two injuries that forced me to stop trainings for 2 months and I truly hated this time and since that moment I decided that I’ll start to take care of my body for real and I must say that it seems like it appreciates it because my results are much better! :)
Btw your daughter is so cute! I just love her smile :)
Lisa
I am on week 10 of a 12 week recovery plan for a stress fracture in my heel right now. Missing out on all of the fun, short summer races! But, with a good training plan I will be running a 1/2 marathon in October :) Not expecting a PR, I will just be happy to be running again! I am biking 5 days a week as a sanity replacement/calorie burner.
Christina @StinaOnTheMove
I was just diagnosed with a tibial plateau stress fracture yesterday. I am crushed!
They told me 6-8 weeks of rest and put me on crutches. No running, no biking, no free weights, no yoga, no normal walking.
Ashley
I had stress fractures in my shins when I was a gymnast/tennis player. It was incredibly painful!
Lisa
Right now I am running 6 miles max per week, because I’m trying to heal other problems. :) And my toothbrush is PURPLE.
I hope everything’s all right on your end– missing new posts from you!
Patricia
What a great idea for a first birthday!
Meg Radunich
Janae! Awesome post as always.
Stress fractures are the worst! I found yoga and swimming to be the best forms of therapy too :)
Logan @ Mountains and Miles
I normally run 40-45 miles a week, but right now I am gearing back up for training, so doing about 30-35 and my training session this fall will have me going up to 70…yikes!
Erin
Love the 19 days idea! Our little guy’s first gift fav in May was a smoothie with a straw that he loved because he joined our official smoothie club. :) I have posterior tibial tendonitis and it hurts a lot and got progressively worse. I am in physical therapy and saw a sports dr, which I highly recommend. No running for 4-5 weeks so I am swimming laps and cycling.
Holly
Eeeeek! Ok, so your ‘ps’ freaked me out. I normally run about 50-60 a week…and I have built up to that, and was planning to build up more. I guess that a bad idea :/ Ahh, that kind of makes me really sad. Maybe I’ll have to text you :)
Meg
Brooke is the cutest! I loved this post as I currently have 3 stress fractures one in my fibula and two in my tibia! I got one from kickball and continued to run on it and then sustained three more! I am now all about smart training and listening to my body! I am finally able to start returning to daily activity and am off crutches after a month on them! But I have one more week of my walking boot!
Sam
Thank you AGAIN for all of this! And your email. (For other commenters–I’m a stress fracture victim, currently–femoral). It is so awesome to see how well you handled it and thanks for posting a great resource.
Oddly enough, I was only running 25 mpw when I got this, but I think I ramped up too quickly after coming back from plantar fasciitis, which had me out for 3 months; I basically dove back into sprint training and raced at the track about every week. Luckily I do OK on lower mileage so I’ll take it even easier this time.
Thanks again, Janae. You are one classy lady. Stay healthy out there!
Amy
Not sure if anyone will see this because I’m posting 7-8 months afterwards but I’ll post anyway as a word of caution. I had a femur stress fracture at age 27 (I’m 42 now). Back then they were not as aware of stress fractures. They did not do an MRI and said I had a muscle strain. I was running 25-30 miles a week but got thrown onto some rocks coming in after a very cold 3 mile open water swim in La Jolla, California. Long story short, I was not careful enough and jumped off a houseboat a few weeks later. My leg completely snapped in two under the water and I had to pull myself up doing break stroke kick with one leg and my arms. I had to be airlifted in a helicopter, had emergency surgery and woke up to them telling me that my leg was full of hardware and if there were problems they’d likely have to amputate. I healed and was very lucky but learn from me ladies and take the stress fractures seriously. And remember that being really skinny doesn’t help. I was pretty skinny at the time and no one said anything about that but I think it probably didn’t help.
I’m fine today but I think I’m lucky and it could have been pretty sketchy!
Liz
Wow….that’s horrible! Stories like this are why I am NOT rushing back into running again once my femoral neck stress fracture heals. Not rushing at all–even though I miss it terribly. I am fine with biking (a lot!) so long as I can do something…..right now I can only exercise my upper body.
Christie
Hi, hoping you can offer some insight… I know this is an older post but I’ve also just been diagnosed with a femoral stress fracture… 8 weeks out from my first marathon! Just wondering how your recovery went and if you are back running just as well as before?
Oh and my toothbrush is purple :-)
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Kim
Just found out today that I have a stress fracture in a bad area in my foot. I was supposed to run Boston 2015, but my doctor said I can’t. So sad!! I worked hard for it and they don’t give registration money back. ) :
[email protected]
Liz
I acquired a lovely femoral neck stress fracture on March 29, right after my completion of my second half marathon. I was breaking prs left and right in March…apparently that wasn’t the only thing I was breaking :(.
Never heard of anyone having a stress fracture in their femoral neck. Mine was diagnosed via MRI on April 30. Earlier x-ray showed nothing. I’m not in pain unless I run or walk up an embankment. Otherwise….I feel fine. Nonetheless, I am on crutches for six weeks at least.
I am a “new” runner–only been running 16 months when this happened with no prior injuries; however, I was having hamstring issues and I believe this played a role in my fnsf. I am also 40. I have a very healthy diet, in excellent health, and I’m not frail or prone to injuries. Actually, I also suspect my weight pushed the stress fracture along too….am 155 pounds at 5’2. I know I wasn’t overtraining. In fact, I was running fewer miles per week during March BUT I was racing again. I push myself hard during races.
On a good note…my toothbrush is fine. And it’s blue.
liana
i had pain in my left foot back in the begining of april ignored it for about a week. went to er nothing went to podiatrist a week later was told to wear walking cast/boot for 2 weeks i did most nights after 2 weeks bones healed but now i have tendonitis minor pains here and there is this normal? when will i be completely healed?????
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