Less than 25 days to marathon, possible injury... Need help!

[DisgruntledVirus]

So the Akron marathon is Sept 24th. I've been training for it since May, and was doing great until about two weeks ago (18 mile run week). I started having a sore spot behind the shin muscle (i.e. the soleus muscle sp?). I eased up on the runs and didn't push so hard. Took a few days off hoping it would heal. Unfortunately it has since just gotten worse. It's now very bad to the point where just walking hurts.

What can I do? During the long run this past weekend (supposed to be 23 miles) at mile 16 I was getting pain and from 16-19 did a walk/run. From 19 on I walked until the next stopping point at about 20.5 miles in and stopped. Got home took an ice bath first thing, but Tuesday morning run was rough. I had shin splints going on the whole run. Also, I have been getting issues on my right ankle (inside of it that travels along the inside of my foot to basically my big toe) and on my left foot pain on the top of foot where the big toe ligament/bone/whatever is.

 

[darkxshade]

lol I have a marathon in Oct 16th(sun?) and yesterday I sort of strained my right calf. Completely stopped and walked home... Will probably sit out a few days and let it heal and ween back in.

I'm not sure what marathon protocol you're in but supposedly you should be done with your distance training anyway... that is you should be lowering your weekly milage by now. So what you have is 24 days which should be plenty of time to heal IF you rest and let it heal. Ideally(if you weren't injured) you would be tapering off at the end of this week anyway doing half the distance next week and a quarter of it the week after and rest the whole of the week before. Since you're obviously hurt, you don't want to make it worse by forcing yourself to do half of it next week so my best recommendation is you stop running this week, let it recouperate and heal... do some distance walking if it's not too bad next week and depending on progress do 1/3 the 2nd week before(vs 1/4 if you weren't injured). Your muscles isn't going to detrain just because you stopped running for a few weeks.... Worst case scenario, the marathon just got a bit harder to finish is all.

 

[RagingBITCH]

lol I have a marathon in Oct 16th(sun?) and yesterday I sort of strained my right calf. Completely stopped and walked home... Will probably sit out a few days and let it heal and ween back in.

I'm not sure what marathon protocol you're in but supposedly you should be done with your distance training anyway... that is you should be lowering your weekly milage by now. So what you have is 24 days which should be plenty of time to heal IF you rest and let it heal. Ideally(if you weren't injured) you would be tapering off at the end of this week anyway doing half the distance next week and a quarter of it the week after and rest the whole of the week before. Since you're obviously hurt, you don't want to make it worse by forcing yourself to do half of it next week so my best recommendation is you stop running this week, let it recouperate and heal... do some distance walking if it's not too bad next week and depending on progress do 1/3 the 2nd week before(vs 1/4 if you weren't injured). Your muscles isn't going to detrain just because you stopped running for a few weeks.... Worst case scenario, the marathon just got a bit harder to finish is all.

Even with a 3 week taper, this should be his peak week. Some of the more advanced folks here do 2 week taper - it's all personal preference.

In regards to the OP - taking a few days off and then going and doing a 21 miler is about the worst thing you can do. At this point, RICE it. You start losing fitness in 2-3 weeks, but at this point - it's just going to keep getting worse. I'd lay off for 1-2 weeks, and do a reverse taper leading up to the marathon. Your legs will get plenty of rest, and it'll be a good test to see if you can even do it as you increase the mileage. If it hurts, you might see if you can defer until next year and target a diff marathon later in the year or early spring.

 

[Megatomic]

DV, I'm with Raging, you need to be RICEing. My ultra is on the 24th also and this is my last real week of training. If I was you I wouldn't feel too badly about resting, you won't detrain significantly between now and then.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Thanks for the info/thoughts guys. I have been torn on what to do.

So the "protocol" we are following peaked last week at 22-23 miles. This week is 20, next week is 16 IIRC and the last one before the marathon is like 12-14 IIRC. I have been doing parts of RICE daily (the E and I don't always get dont, but I try to do cold water baths at least). Last night I decided to wear compression sleeves to bed, and this morning... holy crap do I feel better. I did the 5 mile run this morning at a slower pace (about a min slower than normal), but didn't have pain like I did Tuesday doing 5 miles.

So, I'm going to wear the sleeves to bed and perhaps parts of the day while I'm at work/school. In the mean time, I don't want to totally *stop* running (as part of a class and getting college credit for it). If I did a reverse taper, would it look something like:
Week 1- rest
Week 2- 3,5,3,8 <-- depending on how everything feels of course
Week 3- 4,7,4,26.2

Since it was feeling a lot better today, should I still just cut the running?

 

[mcveigh]

Akron has a marathon...what the hell?

 

[marmasatt]

How are you feeling now, DV? Any better the last few days? I would take a few days completely off if you get hints of it coming back.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Akron has a marathon...what the hell?

Yup. I think it's around the 10th one actually. Supposedly it's pretty good, but I don't know personally yet. It's a pretty cool course though that takes you out across the Y-bridge, through the university, Sand Run metro park, through Stan Hewitt hall and gardens, and then down Market to finish in Aeros stadium.

How are you feeling now, DV? Any better the last few days? I would take a few days completely off if you get hints of it coming back.

Well, I talked to the leaders/trainers of the marathon training group I'm a part of on Friday about not running Sat. The response I got was, "Well you should still do 10 minimum, and keep with the weekly stuff." I decided to see how I felt in the morning though.

So I went and did 10.5 miles at 9 min/mile pace which is about a minute off my goal pace, and 2 minutes/mi off my 10k race pace. Took it real easy and didn't push it. I started to feel some of the trouble spots starting to become noticeable around mile 8, but didn't get the severe pain I had in prior weeks. I decided to go ahead and stop at 10.5 because of it. Got home and hopped in an ice bath for 20 minutes. Today I've taken very easy as a total rest day, and tomorrow will be a lot more rest.

The pain seems to be better today, but it is still there. I'm going to keep up with the calf sleeves while sleeping, and with any luck things will get better in the next week or two since it isn't quite as bad as it was last week as of now.

 

[darkxshade]

Quick bump to wish you luck and good health this Saturday. Hope you're fully rested.

Finish strong!

 

[RagingBITCH]

Well, I talked to the leaders/trainers of the marathon training group I'm a part of on Friday about not running Sat. The response I got was, "Well you should still do 10 minimum, and keep with the weekly stuff." I decided to see how I felt in the morning though.

So I went and did 10.5 miles at 9 min/mile pace which is about a minute off my goal pace, and 2 minutes/mi off my 10k race pace. Took it real easy and didn't push it. I started to feel some of the trouble spots starting to become noticeable around mile 8, but didn't get the severe pain I had in prior weeks. I decided to go ahead and stop at 10.5 because of it. Got home and hopped in an ice bath for 20 minutes. Today I've taken very easy as a total rest day, and tomorrow will be a lot more rest.

The pain seems to be better today, but it is still there. I'm going to keep up with the calf sleeves while sleeping, and with any luck things will get better in the next week or two since it isn't quite as bad as it was last week as of now.

Sorry but your leaders/trainers are morons. Sorry didn't see you replied back, feel bad for not replying back. :|

The 22, then 20, 16, 12 taper? Overkill. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a taper that recommends a 20 as tapering. And then for them to recommend you keep up your weekly mileage and run a 10? I agree some light runs are necessary, (not knowing what you did/didn't do the past few weeks) but rest is pretty crucial.

Regardless, you got a few days - rest up. If you have beer money to spare, go see a sports chiro (ART) or massage therapist and have them work on your calves/lower legs. It could be nothing more than a really tight spot that might get worked out - at this point you have nothing left to lose. If it really becomes an issue during the race, drop out, and see if there's another one later on in the fall/winter once it truly gets a chance to heal. There's no point in pushing it to the point of no return, injuring yourself and having to do rehab for 6 months after the race Good luck sir, let us know how it goes!

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Quick bump to wish you luck and good health this Saturday. Hope you're fully rested.

Finish strong!

Thanks! I plan to! We will see how it goes. I've been feeling better the past few days. This past Tuesday did a 4.5 miler, and I busted out close to my PR pace for 5 miles. I felt AMAZING. The last 1/2 mile dropped down to ~6 min/mi pace, then turned around to go back to the next person and raced them for the last 1/4 mile. I had no pain, ton of energy, etc. I can only hope that Saturday is like that.

Sorry but your leaders/trainers are morons. Sorry didn't see you replied back, feel bad for not replying back. :|

The 22, then 20, 16, 12 taper? Overkill. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a taper that recommends a 20 as tapering. And then for them to recommend you keep up your weekly mileage and run a 10? I agree some light runs are necessary, (not knowing what you did/didn't do the past few weeks) but rest is pretty crucial.

Regardless, you got a few days - rest up. If you have beer money to spare, go see a sports chiro (ART) or massage therapist and have them work on your calves/lower legs. It could be nothing more than a really tight spot that might get worked out - at this point you have nothing left to lose. If it really becomes an issue during the race, drop out, and see if there's another one later on in the fall/winter once it truly gets a chance to heal. There's no point in pushing it to the point of no return, injuring yourself and having to do rehab for 6 months after the race Good luck sir, let us know how it goes!

Yeah, I thought it was overkill too. I cut my own stuff back and cut out one day of running. This week I'm feeling better though, and last week I could tell there was a bit of an improvement with this week being better.

It does seem that it's mainly just a sore spot/tight muscle(s). Right now the big thing is I'm worried about 18-finish miles. That's where my body dies, and my stomach is usually hating me because of the sugars from 2-3 gels+powerade I've had at that point.

 

[Megatomic]

Good luck on Saturday DV, I'll try to send positive thoughts your way from the trails. What time do you start?

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Good luck on Saturday DV, I'll try to send positive thoughts your way from the trails. What time do you start?

7 AM.

I would post a link to the twitter account I created which will post updates, but not sure if I want to do that due to being a privacy nut.

I will definitely post after-race info though! Thanks for all the help everybody. It's hard to believe I'm 2 days away from something I've tried doing for 2 years without success.

Also, good luck on your ultras MT! That's next years goal

 

[RagingBITCH]

Thanks! I plan to! We will see how it goes. I've been feeling better the past few days. This past Tuesday did a 4.5 miler, and I busted out close to my PR pace for 5 miles. I felt AMAZING. The last 1/2 mile dropped down to ~6 min/mi pace, then turned around to go back to the next person and raced them for the last 1/4 mile. I had no pain, ton of energy, etc. I can only hope that Saturday is like that.



Yeah, I thought it was overkill too. I cut my own stuff back and cut out one day of running. This week I'm feeling better though, and last week I could tell there was a bit of an improvement with this week being better.

It does seem that it's mainly just a sore spot/tight muscle(s). Right now the big thing is I'm worried about 18-finish miles. That's where my body dies, and my stomach is usually hating me because of the sugars from 2-3 gels+powerade I've had at that point.

PM me your Twitter Would love to see how you do! In terms of the stomach issue - make sure you drink plenty of water. I had the same issue my first few - I went 1:1, if not moreso on the carbs/sugar. That kills your gastro system. Knock back at least a 2:1 water:sugar if you have issues. I also recommend some solid foods that people normally hand out, if you've attempted it before. (Pretzels, snickers, oranges, bananas) It really does offer a good break from the usual sugary stuff you ingest.

And remember, racing is totally different from your long, slow runs. All the people, the energy, etc. Just don't start off too fast - you have all the adrenaline pumping through you - stick to your race plan/pace. Ignore all the people blowing by you. Stick to the gameplan 100%...don't rush it b/c you got a long way

Good luck sir!

 

[Megatomic]

Awesome advice Mel. Sticking to the gameplan NO MATTER WHAT is key. Of course, minor adjustment on the conservative side is sometimes necessary to prevent injury, but yeah...

 

[RagingBITCH]

Awesome advice Mel. Sticking to the gameplan NO MATTER WHAT is key. Of course, minor adjustment on the conservative side is sometimes necessary to prevent injury, but yeah...

Yep agreed! Always better to go conservative rather than too aggressive. Especially for your first.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Yeah I'm going to go out at the 8:30 pace provided I feel good when I wake up. The weather is looking to be absolutely PERFECT. Partly cloudy and 55 degrees at start, then by 11 am should be <70 degrees still and still partly cloudy.

Now just need ot get my last full meal and tomorrows breakfast, and that's all I have left to do before running it. I feel empty though because I don't have any real work to do for training... I feel directionless in a way. The past 2 years I've had this goal, and here I am the day before finally doing it. I am wondering "what now?" I don't have training runs left. I don't have to do much with nutrition. I have my gear ready (I'll double check it all tonight, but have gone through twice now). I got 9.5 hours sleep last night. Been eating a healthy dose of carbs (although not any extra calories) this week. I've been making sure to stay well hydrated the past few days. Now all of that effort and work is over. There is nothing I can really do at this point to change what happens tomorrow, and I really feel lost without that direction at this moment.

To everybody on here who has helped, been inspiring, provided encouragement, feedback, and/or advice I thank you. Without you, and the rest of the people who have helped me along the way, I wouldn't be running tomorrow. RagingBITCH, I sent you a link to the twitter account, and while I haven't advertised it out to many people knowing that there are people following on it will provide me mental encouragement tomorrow.

 

[RagingBITCH]

Yeah I'm going to go out at the 8:30 pace provided I feel good when I wake up. The weather is looking to be absolutely PERFECT. Partly cloudy and 55 degrees at start, then by 11 am should be <70 degrees still and still partly cloudy.

Now just need ot get my last full meal and tomorrows breakfast, and that's all I have left to do before running it. I feel empty though because I don't have any real work to do for training... I feel directionless in a way. The past 2 years I've had this goal, and here I am the day before finally doing it. I am wondering "what now?" I don't have training runs left. I don't have to do much with nutrition. I have my gear ready (I'll double check it all tonight, but have gone through twice now). I got 9.5 hours sleep last night. Been eating a healthy dose of carbs (although not any extra calories) this week. I've been making sure to stay well hydrated the past few days. Now all of that effort and work is over. There is nothing I can really do at this point to change what happens tomorrow, and I really feel lost without that direction at this moment.

To everybody on here who has helped, been inspiring, provided encouragement, feedback, and/or advice I thank you. Without you, and the rest of the people who have helped me along the way, I wouldn't be running tomorrow. RagingBITCH, I sent you a link to the twitter account, and while I haven't advertised it out to many people knowing that there are people following on it will provide me mental encouragement tomorrow.

Got it! I'm RunnerDrinkBeer on Twitter. (had to drop the S due to limitations on username length) In regards to how you are feeling - it's part nerves, part excitement, part newness. I will say, I would set multiple goals in your head. 8:30 = about a 3:40 full, right? I tell most first timers to not set any expectations. No matter what you do, it can all go wrong come race day. You prep right, you rest right, and it falls apart.

Regardless, no one ever throws away their goals just so they can "finish" - so set two other goals, like a 3:55 secondary, 4:10 last ditch goal.

Another point I will make - you don't seem like you are a one and done, mark it off the bucket list kind of guy. Run tomorrow the best you can...knowing no matter what, you will learn and take away something from it. Your next one (you know you are doing another) will be better, and the subsequent will be better than your second, etc. Chalk tomorrow up as an experience and a learning request. If it falls apart, don't kick yourself. If it goes well, all that much better.

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Well, alarm was set for 4:35. Woke up having to pee at 3:50 AM and haven't been able to get back to sleep at all. Anxiety is finally getting to me, but at least it waited until after I got 6 hours sleep. I'm feeling pretty good. A little more sleep would have been nice, but physically my body feels very good. My calves, which prior to this past week, I could feel being tight just when I got out of bed are fine. I'm still babying them a bit while I get ready and wake up though.