Greetings running friends,

It has been awhile since I have posted and done any serious running. As many of you remember, I was training for the Marine Corps Marathon (my 3rd marathon) and working on getting faster.

I was running about 30-40 miles/week, had just completed a couple of half marathons in March and April, nothing too fast, but well within my usual times. I experienced some aching in my right shin, and calf area. This ache was nothing that I hadn't experienced before and I simply ignored it. It felt like a shin splint on the front of the lower leg.

Then it hit, the dreaded stress fracture -- I was running a nice easy 8 miles one day, when I realized that my gait was all messed up, every right foot strike sent an ache up my leg and then I felt the sharp pain shoot up my leg.

I gave my self a week off, followed the RICE principle, without the compression, and decided to test it out easy on the treadmill. I still had problems and gave myself a another couple of weeks off. Another failed treadmill test and I knew I had to see the Doc.

I went to the military clinic (WARNING TANGENT APPROACHING) -- Military Medicine is about as oxymoronic as Military Intelligence, and I absolutely hate going to the clinic, even for routine procedures. -- (TANGENT OVER)

The young petty officer who initially saw me, didn't really know what I was talking about when I started to give him my background, training log and request for an xray to rule out stress fracture. I didn't have an obvious broken bone and he didn't quite know what to do next. I convinced him to humor me and shoot the xray. Finally the MD comes in, went through the whole spiel again, showed him my training logs, etc., he went to check on the status of the xray, then returned with the this, "I see a thickening of the bone, which is indicative of a healed or healing stress fracture, take a week off until we send the xray off for further review."

About one week later, the MD sends me an e-mail with this diagnosis, "The x-rays taken on your right leg were read as suggestive of a healed stress fracture. Please avoid any high impact exercise (running/jogging, jumping, etc) for the next 6 weeks."

I set up a follow up apointment to discuss further options, bone density scan, MRI, referrel to an othopeadist that would confirm this diagnosis. I did not get the referrel or follow on testing, resigned myself to working through my healing by doing other aerobic activity and hitting the weights.

After the 6 weeks, I started going easy on the treadmill, for 30 minute segments and a slower than normal pace with no aches and pains.

Over the past couple of weeks, I started going back on the streets, leaving the watch behind, and running my usual 5 mile lunch time loop a couple of times per week.

Regretfully I paid the deferment fee for the Marine Corps Marathon and will run it next year. I am forcing myself to not "race" for the remainder of the calendar year, no 5Ks, no Fun Runs, basically anything that I have to pin a number to my shirt, I am not doing; I am way too competitive and don't want to hurt myself again. I am planning to start training easy in mid to late November for a half marathon in March.

Throughout all of this, I have learned several lessons:

1. Don't go "hammer down" on every run, slow and easy means just that
2. Cross Training makes you a better well rounded athlete
3. Listen to your body
4. Running is not always about competition, times, PRs, etc.
5. Recovering from an injury sucks
6. Run because you love it.