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When people find out I broke my leg in several places, the first question they ask is, “How did it happen?” I wish I had a great story to tell, but here’s the truth: I broke it slowly, over many miles, as I trained for a fall marathon.
Health - Injuries London Marathon When Your Big Goal Doesn’t Live up to the Hype off to recover before I started training for Chicago. I planned on following a 16-week training plan, but because I had taken some time off, I slowly began Walking for Marathon Training have a stress fracture–but they are hard to detect on X-rays. In fact.
A Part of Hearst Digital Media hip pain that ailed me in the winter disappeared and my legs felt fresh. I ran a few 4-milers to gauge my fitness level, and I was shocked when I almost scored a personal best. After the second 4-miler, I felt a slight pain in my shin. I’ve had shin splints before, so I thought nothing of it. After a few more weeks of consistent running, though, the pain grew so severe that I pulled back on my running to let my shin heal.
After a month of never-ending pain, I went to the doctor for an expert opinion. After a round of X-rays, the doctor told me the issue was probably shin splints and that I could slowly return to running. I asked whether it could be a stress fracture because the pain felt more intense than a normal shin splint, but was assured my leg was fine.
Three days later at a concert at Red Rocks Amphitheater in Colorado, I turned to say hi to a friend and felt a pop. I immediately knew that I broke my leg. A rod, plate, and seven screws later, I’m now sidelined from running for months, if not longer.
Turns out, I probably did have a stress fracture–but they are hard to detect on X-rays. In fact, Runner’s World published this a story the week before my injury that details how stress fractures are “notoriously tricky to diagnose.” Our story also goes through the five stress fracture warning signs you need to pay attention to. And looking back, I checked off every The Minimum Effective Dose Of Strength Training.
As runners, we know our bodies, and we know when something isn’t right. I regret not getting a second expert opinion on my leg pain. That’s my biggest takeaway from this ordeal. If something feels off, investigate it and ask a lot of questions. Don’t be afraid to be annoying. Trusting your gut is better than being holed up with a broken leg.
I know I will come back stronger than before. Not being able to run makes me appreciate it so much more. Looking back at my previous training blocks, I also know that going forward, I am going to make smarter choices. I should have added more mobility and strength training into my plan to help me reduce my injury risk. Right before sustaining my injury, Runner’s World released the comprehensive After running the program, and I had started completing–and loving–the six follow-along workouts provided in the guide. I can’t wait to get back to them when I’m healed.
If you’re looking to sidestep injury before it sidelines you, we have plenty of member-exclusive programs Breaking My Leg Was the Best Thing to Happen to My Running Career After running the Tips to Maximize Recovery 5K, half marathon, and marathon to learn how to train properly–and injury-free–for your next race.
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Aly is the Director of Content Hype at Runner’s World. She started running over a decade ago when she saw a Star Wars themed race happening at Disneyland and thought it looked like fun. Since then, she has run 8 marathons (so far!), and hundreds of shorter distance races. She is known for signing up for 5Ks in every city she travels to. She loves watching reality competition shows, playing board games with her husband and taking naps with her dog.
