Saturday, April 11, 2009

How to get a Stress Fracture in your Sacrum

7/6 Edits Leg Length Measurement and MRI

5/4 Edits blood tests clear..

4/18 Edits (add Stats, leg length info and conclusion revision).

In the interested of clearing this white board in my office where I've diagramed and timelined and built a fault tree diagram to try and figure out what happen - I'm going to copy it all down here.

Stats:In a study of running related stressfractures (1978) 55% Tibia, 23% metatarsals (toe bones), 14% fibula (small calf bone), 6% femur (thigh bone) 1% ankle bones, 1% pubic arch bone and 0.1% sacrum. (Noakes - Lore of Running). (I suspect it was underreported back then with fewer means to detect - but still).

Not too common of a place to get a SFX but somewhat common for a high end distance runner from what I've found in my studies on it.........

Root Cause Analysis – Stress Fracture in the Sacrum.

Problem Statement – Injury in the area of my Right Buttock after the San Antonio Marathon caused an inability to race or even run for many months.

Timeline (blogger style – newest first – I wrote this chronological then decided to flip it around so I could add new stuff at the top as things progress – if anyone actually reads this it might be helpful to start at the bottom and go up - might flow better):

7/6 - CT Scan to measure leg lengths - waiting results but I got a copy of the data - by my measurement the the legs are very very close to each other - within a couple millimeters - we'll see what the doc says. Still waiting MRI results.

7/2 - MRI today - waiting results. Tech's words were getting better - not as good as all better but at least better than no change.


5/4 - received blood tests for samples taken 4/14. Apparently Vitamin D takes a while - not done local. Results came back all within normal limits. But just in case I've been religious about taking Ultra-bone vitamins I got at the supermarket for the last few weeks. All pain is gone and I'm walking normal with no limp. Still holding off any exersizing - I'm probably being a bit over cautious in cutting out the crosstraining I was doing but I don't really understand why 3 months between MRI's and the bone doesn't look better - doc seems to think it was the running but there was so little of that - just doesn't make sense to me - I'm thinking perhaps the crosstraining was a part of the slow healing so I'm holding off on that too.

4/15 - Dr. Visit to review MRI result and drill him with questions :). Made me feel much better about having some pain - most comforting words were a broken bone hurts for 4-6 weeks - I was very concerned that with each movement I made that had a little pain I was making the break worse and had lots of bad scenario's ringing around my head - very nice to hear some pain is just normal. Walking is so much easier today - still limping but not nearly so much - feels like the corner is turned :). The thought of a few months off gives me not the slightest disappointment (ok maybe slight) as long as it all heals up normal.

Currious thing - I was convinced leg lengths were the same but my wife assisted me in measuring up to the hip bone on each side and found a full centemeter difference with the right leg shorter - that could explain it all and so easy to fix with a shoe insert. I know someone else who had this same injury and she found the same difference in leg length. Doc's going to do a CT Scan to get an accurate measurement before I start running again.

4/14 - MRI Results - a crack (small line on right side of Sacrum) - treatment - 3 months rest - high likelihood will fix - no repetitive exersize - let the pain guide what's ok shortterm around mobility - maybe bike/swim after 6 weeks or so - depends - take new MRI after 3 months to be sure all is gone then can start running again. Prescribed to get bloodwork to be sure no underlying issue preventing healing. Checking if electrical stimulation makes sense (low expectations - expensive with questionable value and unlikely to be approved for something like this - still pursuing just in case might be helpful), Screw/pin - rarely used in this area - high risk - bone graph would be next option in the unlikely event just rest didn't fix. No mention of sports hernia on the report - I'm hoping this was a false diagnosis related to the abductor pain I had felt a few times only for about 1 week prior to the MRI - perhaps just a mild thing that needed a little healing time.

I was just happy he stopped using words like catastrophic making the healing process seem pretty normal. Although I thought I was being pretty cautious with this SFX over last few months - I can see looking back over this log I was not cautious enough - bone is a very different animal than soft tissue injuries - the slightest extra pushing can be very bad on bones. Seems most likely the crack came from running 3/28.

4/11 – Get another MRI…..awaiting results – bracing for a “crack” result – no idea what would be done for something that he says doesn’t heal – maybe a screw or a pin – who knows but it doesn’t sound like just wait “X” months……..We’ll see – I’m a little worried….

4/10 – progression is getting worse – buy crutches as now I’m limping most every step – the words of the doctor “Cracks in Stress Fractures don’t heal” are ringing thru my head.

4/9 – Visit a different doctor (orthopedic) – much more helpful than the last – goes thru the prior MRI with me and explains the injury better - I had somehow thought the SFX was a very small crack and I had squinted at that MRI trying to see it – he pointed out a whole section of the bone that was swollen from what he described as an extended period of over stress/micro fracture/heal – not like a single crack – guess that is what a SFX is and not a single crack – he explained SFX’s heal slower than a clean break – typically prescribes 3 months of no impact type sports (i.e. no running – biking and swimming are fine since they don’t impact). It’s nice to have a more helpful doctor. He was consistent with the other doctor in downplaying the significance of “Sports Hernia” impression from the radiologists on the last MRI – hope they are right. But he kept using words like “catastrophic” when we looked at the MRI and talking about the difference between a “crack” and a SFX – a crack in a SFX apparently will not heal.

3/29-4/11 – no exercise – initially no pain but progressively each day is a little worse than the prior from normal activity.

3/28 5.0 Ended quite disappointed that the pain in the butt was back and was definitely a building pain that was not going to go away with more miles. Time to stop running again – hopefully I didn’t re-injured by this run.

3/18 1.0/1.7,3/19 1.0, 3/20 0, 3/21 0.56 (after a bike ride – man that’s a tough transition), 3/22 2.6, 3/24 3.0, 3/25 4.6 – All these with minimal discomfort – I considered normal aches and pains of starting run after a time off although I didn’t like that that discomfort was in the area of the injury (clue?).

Running (5.5 weeks since the 5k, 10 weeks from prior “last” run)

3/21 56 (flying fast 21 mph average), 3/22 47

3/15-20 – skiing all week – no problems – a few short bike rides as well.

2/21 55 miles, 2/28 47, 3/1 36, 3/6 16, 3/7 33, 3/8 46

Biking (no pain from this activity around injuries)

2/9,2/16 – swimming lots of laps – much improved.

2/2-8 – 4 weeks off since last run – try to gingerly run (treadmill) – M 0.5, T 1.0, W 1.5, Th 2.0, F .57, S 3.1 (a local 5k I jogged very very slow – noted pain in the butt after 2.5 miles –should have walked the rest but didn’t).

1/26,2/2 weeks – learning swim strokes in the pool (Total Immersion).

Swimming (no pain from this activity around injuries)

1/19 week – nada

1/12 week – nada

1/9 – get MRI results – SFX in Sacrum Ala and Sports Hernia “impressions” (Doctor – orthopedic - unhelpful with any input whatsoever – just says to take time off – not even guidance on how long – so I go google)

1/2 – MRI

1/1 – 2.1, 1/2 – 4.8(upper thigh abductor pain), 1/4 – 5.6(upper thigh abductor pain), 1/6 – 4.25 (upper thigh abductor pain)

12/28 20 miles for prior week – Christmas Day up to 5-6 miles – No more pain in the butt but the upper thigh pain starts again then comes abductor pain shooting down the leg towards end of the run – walk home.

12/21 – no running – XRAY shows all clear – appointment for MRI keeps getting delayed thru holidays.

12/14 – no running

12/7 – 18 miles total – 5 mile max at once – expert massage – also using tennis ball for massaging – someone got me thinking toward piriphormis syndrome that seemed to fit the symptoms so I was self treating for this.

11/30 – 22 miles total for past week – pushed to 10/8 miles on a couple runs – still noted back of hip joint pain then upper thigh pain.

11/23 – tried a run on my own – ended up 13 miles with walk breaks every few miles I notice – I note symptoms of – back of hip joint pain than after a while upper thigh pain.

11/22 – Club run – 10 miles – first few pretty slow then 5 up to ~7mpm pace then dropped off pace of the others and walked much of the last couple miles back to the start as they went on a few more miles – I don’t recall the issues. When I got to the start I asked the club massage therapist for a massage (I’d never done that before) – I recall noted to focus on sore calves and SI joint area.

11/17-21 – M 5, T 0, W 7, Th 0, F 9 – all very slow running guided by – enjoy the run of whatever distance feel good – these post race runs after a marathon for me are much driven by the euphoria of the race and a reliving of dream kinda thing – no pressure to go farther or push any limits. No recollection of any issue abnormal on these runs.

11/16 – S - San Antonio Marathon – Don’t recall anything in the race. I did start the race with 2 IBP so it could be any pain I should have been feeling was masked. Finished race with lots of euphoria so perhaps wasn’t noticing any pain.

11/10 – bailed on a workout – noted in the log “hip pain”.
9/2008 – PT noted I have a weak right hip by having me lay flat and raise right and left leg as he pushed them back down . Along with this I had issues when not running balancing on left foot and raising right foot with pain around the hip.

2/2008 – Groin Pain following a 5k race a couple weeks after the Houston Marathon (right leg abductor pain). Impacted running for a few weeks – I found I could after a slow and cautious warm-up I could run any distance or speed I wanted without impact. (Perhaps the Genesis of a Sports Hernia??)

Causes/Preventions for Next Time
Stress Fracture in the Sacrum causes (and preventions) from my studies are several – I don’t know my exact cause but have lots of risk factors that likely added up to the injury.

Typical Causes:
Quick ramp up in intensity – bones not stressed and strengthened to the new intensity level and vulnerable to SFX due to this low strength:

My Risk Factor on this – Only the San Antonio Race itself lends itself to this description of a quick ramp-up in intensity. In training I had 3x20 mile runs - fastest 6:40 average then going to 26.2 at 6:05 pace on race day (10% faster and 30% longer than anything in training) - perhaps too big a jump at once - perhaps should have had harder workouts in training to prepare the body/strengthen the bones for the raceday stress. Training in general was slower prior to this race than any other of the year due to the heat of the training months prior to the race. Race Day was accelerated over training speeds by the combination of a very cold day for the race and the extra benefit from what I’ve called the turbodrive routine I did prior to the race to give me a little extra race day speed.

Imbalances in running form – Leg length differences have been seen to cause this injury, also running on a slanted road, also an abducted foot (slanted out).

My Risk Factor on this – I run a large variety of running surfaces so the slanted road doesn’t seem to make sense for me. Haven't done the leg length measurement correctly yet but by home-measurements I do find my left hip bone is about 1 cm higher than my right. Also off the MRI laying on my back I found the top of my left femur to be 9 mm higher than my right on the film - need to get that measured right and consider a shoe insert.

An exagerated visual of the impact of leg length difference - extra forces transfered to the point of my stress fracture seems to make visually make sense:

Also I do notice on video footage I happen to have I do have an abducted right toe – I found a perfect scene in 2008 Boston video to see I’m running along the yellow line in the middle of the street where my left foot lands exactly parallel with the line but my right foot is slanted with my toe about an inch outward off center from my heel. I even have a certain whole body sway I see in all video’s I can find that seems to highlight a right side imbalance. I’m also noting nearly all my running injuries have been on the right side so I’m thinking this is root cause of lots of stuff. I do get the impression this is not hard to fix this with shoes and certain strength exercises now that I know to go fix it.

Mineral Issues – Low Calcium – This was apparently what happen to Deena Kastor who suffered a broken bone in her foot a few miles into the Olympic Marathon “I was doing a long run in Colorado while there for the Boulder Bolder, and drank out of a stream. Most mountain girls would know better, but I thought I was at a high enough elevation to quench my 15 mile thirst. I was really sick for 3 weeks (one of those weeks in which I ran the NY Mini 10K) until I finally took medication. In that time I lost 5 pounds that was difficult to put back on in marathon training. My blood was depleted of minerals so it grabbed the nutrients from my bones."

My Risk Factor on this – although I drink lots of milk I don’t focus much on vitamin intake and have never focused on taking Calcium but I do find listed as a preventative for stress fracture to take Calcium and Vitamin D – This is now and will continue to be a focus I will do once I get running again.

Weak Abdomen/Core – Stronger abdomen/core helps to stabilize the pelvis and put less stress on the bones.

My Risk Factor on this – I never did core work – definitely will be a focus area once I get running again and before.

Conclusion:

I don't really know what happen specifically but I did have enough risk factors that I was unaware of that in the end I think I was destine for something like this as I got faster - with speed comes harder pounding and with harder pounding comes higher stresses and a weak point is revealed. I suspect the a heal insert to even out the leg length delta, maybe fixing the gait issues (running form) as well as some core strength building and focus on vitamins could have prevented this - I got away with it at slower speeds but at some point I got fast enough that these weaknesses became important. Lesson learned for next time. One of the hazard of not being coached is I'm having to figure it all out myself where a coach probably would have pointed out some of these things that now seem somewhat obvious.

In hindsight recovery has been done all wrong - needed a solid several months off without impact sports and still haven't had it yet. All prior injuries were couple days off or run through and it gets better eventually kinda things - this was was clearly a different animal although it took a while to realize. Better listening to signals and responding could have made this so much less an issue.....probably most important lesson of all - and one I hope to never have to relearn ever.

John.

ps - been thinking of a new handle for my next running life - I'm hoping the comebackkid or some variant might work...

21 comments:

Jonsson said...

My two cents . . . probably not worth much but just had to toss them in . . .

I didn't read close enough . . . Has you have your doctor checked your bloodwork to see if you are deficient in some vitamins and minerals, etc. Again, this would be just a piece of the puzzle.

Also give yourself permission to rest. Again, easier said than done.

I think sometimes when we are injured, the initial injury is aggravated by are mental state, we tense up making things even worse.

Sitting is tough on the hips, try laying flat on your back with your legs 90/90 with your feet/calves on a horizontal surface like a bed/tall table. Ice to bring down any swelling which I guess you have in your hip region.

Again, just brainstorming for ideas.

Jonsson said...

*previous post Has your doctor (not Has you have your, hmm)

kayry said...

Hey Moni - Good to see you at Starbucks Saturday - that was right after my MRI - I was trying hard not to limp and look pathetic :). But I had to have my starbucks.

Have not done a bloodcheck - good idea - I'll request that from the doctor to do that.

Your the second that has mentioned the mental side to me - other comment was how important staying positive is to help recovery. Good advise - I get in the dumps occasionally but I don't tend to stay there long - generally I think I stay pretty positive..

I'm kinda letting pain dictate my motions - not that I'm in a lot of pain (the pain itself is little more than a nusance) but it seems to be an indicator of doing something that makes things worse so I'm avoiding whatever causes the slightest pain - which pretty much means I'm just avoiding moving as much as possible.

Neeraj Rohilla said...

Hi John,
I will focus on positives in your post. I am really impressed about your documentation and analysis of the problem from an engineer's perspective. Another good thing is that you are enjoying biking and swimming. Is "sports hernia" completely ruled out?


I came to your blog to share my PR's with you but reading your detailed analysis made me think about core workouts (I never do them) and running form. I have noticed from pictures that when I run at faster speeds, my left leg lifts off in a funny fashion. You can see the picture on this page:

http://runwithbcrr.blogspot.com/2009/04/bellaire-trolley-run-flying-owls-5k.html

I need to address this issue as I am mentally preparing myself to start training for Houston marathon with a goal of 3:10 (time I need for Boston). Here are my times from last 3 races:

Bayou City Classic: 41:09
Bellaire Trolley Run: 19:37 (First sub 20 5k)
Flying Owls 5k: 19:17

Different running calculators suggest that I may be able to pull off a 3:10 with a determined/scientific training schedule. Do you think it makes sense start working with 3:10 goal and make adjustments based on results of fall races (marathon warm up series)?

kayry said...

Hey Neeraj

Very nice racing lately - you keep getting faster. 3:10 looks quite doable with the right training - your bucking pretty close to sub3 territory as I think 40 min 10k equates to about sub3 marathon and your not far. Keep it up!!

re Sports Hernia ruled out - I won't know for sure until I can test things out on the road but I do hope so. I never seemed to have the symptoms I heard described but it can happen in so many forms that it wasn't possible to be sure.

No idea on the leg lift stuff. For me I have a strong feeling my right leg is rotated out (at nearly all times btw - if I just sit flat and relax my feet my right foot rotates out quite a bit more than my left) because I've sat too much with my legs crossed - right foot on left knee - after doing that alot for decades I think the hip just adjusted to it and the whole leg is slightly rotated.....I don't sit like that anymore :).

John Fenton said...

Thanks for the detailed update. I look forward to being inspired by your second running life.

Stress fractures of all sorts have terrified me ever since I started training seriously. Your experience hasn't helped any. ;)

I guess I'll just keeping taking my calcium.

John

kayry said...

Hey John - nice of you to stop by - I was scanning around your blog - I'm guessing sub3 at flying pig -- good luck!!

I think I've made this whole SFX much harder than it needed to be. The Dr. scolds me pretty hard about my testing it out every 4-5 weeks to see if ok - basically just restarting the healing clock again. Sure wish I had him as the doctor the first time back in January - that guy was a quack - basically reads me the MRI report and talks about sfx isn't a big deal just stop running a while and gives me no timeframe at all. I had in my mind I'd been taking it easy for the last couple months prior - surely I get a little credit for that the recovery time -- NOT.....

anyway - keep up the Calcium :)....and good luck at Flying Pigs!!

ANGrunner said...

Hey John, Good to hear you’re on the road to recovery. Could it be possible to get the Doctors name that you have been seeing?
Thanks Stew

kayry said...

http://www.ksfortho.com/dr-caldera/

Haven't seen enough to give full recommendation but so far so good - talk to me in 3 months :).

Anonymous said...

Hi John,
thanks for sharing!
I guess part of our running nature does not want to risk stoping running, that is why we don't see doctors before it is too late...

Do you think think that training in some heavier (more cushioning) shoes may have prevented the problem (I assume that all of you light fast fellas train in some tiny light trainer shoes in order to run faster)?

I had a self-diagnosed stress fracture back in 2005. Reading through my "Runners Repair Manual" (recommend it, it is out of print, I bought used copy), I also concluded that I had some calcium deficiency (I was eating cereal with rice milk before long runs, for easier digestion, and eventually I switched to rice milk even during the week + I was not eating cheese = calcium deficiency).
Later I discovered that the culprit was bad shoes (and I though I was getting a bargain when I found $140 shoes on sale for $40 - remember Adidas shoes similar to Nike Shox?). I also don't see Nike Free shoes around any more... Too many fallen runners maybe?

Now I stick with known shoe models and calcium tablets (and, of course, still have my fair share of problems)...

Good luck with your recovery!
Predrag

kayry said...

Hey predrag,

I wouldn't say I wasn't seeking help - I spent the first month convinced my issue was soft tissue and not bone so I first tried the massage then I went to a chyropractor for several sessions and followed a stretching protocol he gave me then when it wasn't getting better went to the "real" doctor and got delayed diagnosis thru the holidays....just wish I had a better doctor at that point.

For shoes I've used the Adrenaline 6 for the longest time but could find any more and ran out of the extras I had bought so went up to the 7s and 8s in last part of the year - I'd hope they were not much differet. Anyway - they are fairly cushony. For racing I started using the lighter brooks racers instead of the trainers - I suppose that could be a contributor during the San Antonio race - but I really suspect I was working on overstressing that bone months before it finally stopped my running along with the discomfort ("pain" would be overstating it) I felt August/September/October - guess I could have saught medical attention back then but it was at a pretty low threshold.

I really had no idea so many runners take calcium pills....

Cheers.

John.

elf said...

I love your analysis. I've thought and thought about what I could have done differently to avoid this, and hopefully we've identified the main causes correctly so that when the irritation finally goes away, it won't come back. We'll see.

Thanks for the encouragement, though. We'll both be comeback kids soon... :)

Michael Busch said...

Hi John,
Glad to hear that things are looking a bit better these days for you. I think you are correct that the increase in intensity at San Antonio likely was the proverbial "straw that broke the camels back" in terms of causing your issues. I am certain you will come back strong as you are showing remarkable wisdom and restraint. I wish I had your self control. For me, I am still not doing well but managing to get in my runs, albeit at lower mileage. I toy with taking a month or 6 weeks completely off but would first want to know for sure what is wrong. I don't know any good doctors so am still pursuing the self-diagnosis route. My problems don't seem to get worse; some days are better than others but I have never had to alter my gait or had problems walking, etc. I just have issues with groin adduction and tightness in the abdomen/pubic area. Oh well.
I am assuming that in your writeup when you say abduction you do mean outward movement of the hips? If so, your symptoms are the opposite of mine. Anyway, you are definitely moving along nicely and I hope this continues. Do keep updating as you progress.
Best, Michael

kayry said...

Michael

"I am assuming that in your writeup when you say abduction you do mean outward movement of the hips?"

I looked it up - apparently I should have said adductor not abductor - it was on the inner thigh - I'm guessing the Adductor Magnus from between the pelvis to the lower femur looking at this image.

Good Luck!!

Michael Busch said...

Thanks John for the clarification on the abduction/adduction thing. Today I tried to get in a 12 mile run and just couldn't finish. I had pain in my pelvic region just above the adductor magnus. I just can't continue without knowing what is wrong. The pain isn't severe but is enough to cause me concern that it might be the same type of sfx as you have. I have an appointment with an orthopedist next Friday and will not run or exercise at all until I find out what is wrong. Thanks for your help here and I will keep you posted.

Sarah said...

Hello,

I found your blog searching for non-healing sacral fractures. I fractured mine in the Boston Marathon this April...three months later the MRI shows no improvement at all.... "There is a persistent low signal oblique line within the upper one thrid of the sacrum extending from the SI joint and innner pelvic brim compatible with persistent fracture. Edema in adjacent marrow." Even better, my spine surgeon admits that he knows nothing about sacrums and does not feel comfortable treating me any longer....I am waiting for a referral to a very well-kknown sports orthopedist for the Carolina Panthers to go through but there is a very long wait to get in to see him. No answers and no one can seem to help me out on this. I really need help in understanding why it's not healing. No impact exercise for the full 3 months mostly swimming just introduced biking while seated 4 weeks ago. My back is still hurting, though now I can walk without limping. Vitamin D levels normal, estrogen is low so I started on birth control. The Dr. will not order a bone density test bc I am only 29. My right leg is shorter than the other (right side of sacrum is broken). I keep trying to be aggressive about my tx but cannot get any MD to abide my requests. I need help;( Mostly I just wanted to communicate w/ someone who is going through the same thing. Thanks for reading this. ~S

Michael Busch said...

Sarah,
It isn't very uplifting, but I recommend reading the following forum on Runners World. I am also in a similar situation and it is definitely a tough one. It is up and down. One day it seems healed, the next not. I wish you the best of luck in getting past this.
Here is the link. It is a long read, but worth it:
http://www.runnersworld.com/community/forums/index.jsp?plckForumPage=ForumDiscussion&plckDiscussionId=Cat%3aInjury+PreventionForum%3a678106477Discussion%3abafb8e7e-35e5-4a72-861a-77eae6c0d99c&plckCurrentPage=4

kayry said...

Sarah,

I feel your pain. I'm on 8 months myself dealing with this thing as you can see from my chronical above. There are others like us. Kate566 for one who posts a couple times in the link Michael posted --- we keep tabs on eachother corresponding occasionally at runningtimes forum. Also JValentine at the runningtimes form had a sacrum sfx back in November but recovered effectively with ~11-12 weeks off and is now back up to 100 mpw running. One things she told me that I'm trying this time around is to watch for soreness the day after exersize - if any soreness than wait a couple more weeks before starting again. I don't know if the swimming/biking is causing you any soreness - I decided to cut that out too after the second time re-injuring in back in April.

I look at my January and April MRI's and see very little difference - Doc blames the tiny bit of running I did in February and End of March as the cause but I suspect it was the sum of all the things I was doing with swimming and biking and that tiny bit of running combined.

I think my threshhold for pain was just set too high so I was ignoring little pains/soreness thinking it was healing when probably I was keeping it from heeling. Then when I tried to run at the end of March I re-broke it pretty bad even though it really didn't hurt that much at the time I did it. Doc said 2-6 months it would take to heal and it's been 3.5 since then and not quite there but I think (hope) I'm close.

For the last 3 months I dropped to nothing until the soreness went away completely. I noticed even with swimming I could feel a slight twinge as I rolled from side to side so I stopped doing that. Once the soreness went away completely (a few weeks ago) then I started swimming - no soreness - then after MRI looked much improved I tried a couple trial runs over the weekend but the tinyest bit of soreness came back the next morning as I was waking up so I'm stopping again a couple weeks. Soreness seems to have stopped today (second day) so I may try a bike ride tomorrow and see if that causes soreness the next day.

Anyway - not sure if this idea of lowering way down the pain threshold will help you - it hasn't got me there completely yet but I'm hoping.

Anyway - It would be good to keep in touch as you go - I'd love to hear your progress.

John.

Kelli said...

I know you don't now me, but I found your blog because I have been dealing with a sacral ala stress fracture for four months. I have never been so frustrated in my life. Can you email me so i can get more info on your progression? Thanks. I too, i have ran consistently for 15 years. My email address is kellimalmberg@comcast.net

Kelli said...

Sorry, it's me again. If anyone reading this could give me some hope. I just had a little girl in Septemeber. In February I started training hard for a half marathon. Harder than I have ever trained before. By the end of March I started to feel pain in my hip and butt region. I play soccer too and decided I would still go play that night. Only to make ist so bad I couldn't even walk. The doctor diagnosed it as my S.I Joint or a gluteal tear. So, I stayed off it for two months. I started to or I thought I started to feel a little better and went out for a two mile run. It hurt so bad. I went and had an MRI and they found out it was a stress fracture. I have swam once which hurt it and biked once. It has been so hard watching my muscle deplete. There are days that it hurts and then days it feels great. Does anyone have any words of encouragement?

kayry said...

Kelli,

I sent u my email - feel free to drop me an email anytime.

So from your comments it sounds like you think this was from ramping up training too fast after the baby - guess that makes sense.

Can't say I've been the best example on how to beat this thing quick. I gave up pretty quickly trying to maintain my fitness and just kinda tried to enjoy the vacation from being fit - not that enjoyable but I am looking forward to a comeback of sorts - there is something to not having the daily obsession to figuring out how to get my workout in.
I'd like to enjoy many many more years of running so I'm trying not to sweat a few weeks/months.