Training for October 2015 – with metatarsal stress fracture

[C clearly]

Well, I did it! I joined the ranks of the walking wounded. However, with over 3 months to go, I hope to be fit for October. A few months ago I was walking with confidence and resolved to walk 50 km/week in 2015. However, I pulled some old heavy hiking boots out of a cupboard and decided to “wear them out” and save my good boots for occasional use and the actual camino. Instead, I wore out some metatarsals in my left foot. The fact that I was walking almost entirely on concrete sidewalks did not help. Of course I didn’t think it was a fracture – it didn’t hurt THAT much. It got somewhat better after a 4 week period of no walking, but enough soreness persisted that I had to admit that embarking on an 800 km walk like that would not be wise.

Finally after 4 months (!) I consulted a podiatrist, who confirmed the fracture. He said that typically an “aircast” or walking cast gives the best protection for the 6-8 week healing period. I thought that seemed both overly dramatic and unnecessary (because wearing crocs around the house has eliminated the pain, and I have stopped all other walking except from the car to the store)! I accepted his alternative suggestion of a “spring plate” in my left shoe. That is a carbon graphite plate that renders the shoe completely stiff. Seriously I don’t think it is necessary either but my track record on self-treatment is not very good.

So - no walking for another month. I have 2 weeks of laziness under my belt already, which I already notice in the waistline! Then in August I hope the pain is gone and I can start training (with more intelligence) for a mid-October camino.

Do any of you have experience of walking after stress fractures in the foot?

 

[jayree]

I sustained a metatarsal hairline stress fracture after deciding one day to run too far too fast. My dorsal foot became quite swollen. Because of significant pain I used crutches for a few days along with ice and elevation. The Aircast ("Rooney boot" to "mend it like Beckham") allowed me to keep walking while the foot healed. In fact I traveled to Italy and Croatia for 2 weeks using the Aircast. Three months later I walked the CdN without problem.

 

[lendog]

Add me to the "me too!" group C Clearly. In February I was noticing some pain above my normal metatarsalgia. May 5th an MRI confirmed a stress fracture in my 2nd toe left foot. Stopped all walking for exercise/distance at that point. Doc I saw wanted to prescribe a post-op shoe. I tried it on and it didn't seem significantly better than a stiff soled shoe. Wish he had suggested a spring plate. He was not insistent on the shoe and just said "don't do anything that hurts". So that's what I've done I think. Still work around the house and walk short distances and it doesn't bother me - but occasionally I get a twinge where the fracture is. So eight weeks of no walking and I'm not feeling very confident in ramping up to a late September Camino which will require walking 12-15miles/day. Before this, I was walking about 45miles/week and at this point we're putting off making air reservations. Hope your recovery works out in time for your Camino.

 

[C clearly]

Hi @lendog . Your situation does sound similar. I had my initial symptoms in January, so it has been 5 months, but I never gave it more than a 4 week rest at a time. I am assuming that if I can avoid causing pain, then that is adequate treatment. I think I would injure myself more with a walking cast. I already have my reservations - I'm happy that I don't have to make that decision right now, and can just be optimistic!

 

[lendog]

I sustained a metatarsal hairline stress fracture after deciding one day to run too far too fast. My dorsal foot became quite swollen. Because of significant pain I used crutches for a few days along with ice and elevation. The Aircast ("Rooney boot" to "mend it like Beckham") allowed me to keep walking while the foot healed. In fact I traveled to Italy and Croatia for 2 weeks using the Aircast. Three months later I walked the CdN without problem.

Jayree I see you're from Gig Harbor and I just had to relate our recent Gig Harbor experience. On the way around the Olympic Peninsula we were low on gas so got off Rt16 at Borgen. After getting wrapped around the axle in all the roundabouts we waited in line at Costco for gas only to find we needed to be a member. Running on fumes we were sent to Conan Fuel on Burnham where we paid almost $4/gal! Whew! Wasn't until I got home to see where we were and found that it was Gig Harbor. Washington is one beautiful state though!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

I have t admit to wondering if I don't have anissue with my metas since retuening from the Primitivo last month. When ever I put my foot down I can feel the bones complain. Same foot that has the fasciitis. Now the pain is top side. Never thought my feet would be the part of my body O cared the most about, until I realise that they are the only one that really matters to walk the Caminos.

 

[C clearly]

Now the pain is top side.

Dr YouTube has some good videos for self-diagnosis. Of course they all tell you to hurry off to your doctor. But the treatment is usually just a walking cast to start and rest for 6-8 weeks. (I rejected the cast as unnecessary because I'm able to totally avoid pain by limiting my walking and by wearing crocs around the house.) It was useful for me to get confirmation of the fracture at this point, so that I will take the matter more seriously in the future. But I don't think I'd rush to the doctor next time. Since you've just finished your camino, maybe you should take 6-8 weeks off for recuperation anyway.
Disclaimer!!! I am not a medical professional!

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Yes, but I wouldn't recommend walking the camino until a stress fracture has healed, and that might mean 6 weeks of rest! I now know I am vulnerable to such fractures and can recognize the symptoms earlier. Let's see if I can heed my own advice!

Oups, I responded to the wrong thread. Have just deleted that message! You are right, a great diffence between broken bones and training for endurance and strength.

 

[C clearly]

I thought I'd update on the condition of my metatarsal stress fracture, especially given some other recent threads on sore feet and shoe sizing. This might be helpful to other people trying to understand their sore feet.

The injury to my foot was almost certainly caused by a short period of increased walking distance, brisk speeds on concrete sidewalks, wearing some old boots from my basement that I decided to "wear out." (Those were good leather boots in a size 8 whereas I usually wear a 7 or 7.5, but I don't blame the size, since they were the right size.) However, they were too heavy and stiff for the circumstances.

Chronology:

1. I comfortably walked SJPP to Sahagun in October-November.
2. December - Got new light Salomon boots and walked 100-200 km to test them out. Relegated them to occasional use, to preserve them for next camino.
3. January - Got the culprit heavy boots out of the basement. Got very sore foot after a week or 2 of hard fast walking on concrete in them.
4. Feb - Tried to ease off to let foot heal. Pain was moderate but persistent.
5. March-April - Took 4 weeks off, and tried anti-inflammatories. Got somewhat better but not completely.
6. May - Ignored the problem and walked regularly, up to about 15 km. The pain persisted but was not crippling.
7. June - I knew there was still a problem that could jeopardize my next camino. Went to podiatrist and got diagnosis with bone scan.
8. mid-June to mid August - Stayed around house, wore Crocs inside, walked as little as possible and always avoided pressure and bending on the bad foot.
9. mid-August - Got new orthotics, "broke them in" for a week, and now I have started training again.

Take home messages:

• Stress fractures are common, especially when athletes (including us!) step up training or change conditions.
• There are degrees of damage to bones; bones are constantly healing themselves, so the sooner you recognize that you've damaged your foot and give it a rest, the better. That's why heavier training should be interspersed with rest days.
• Stress fractures do not necessarily feel like broken bones. My pain was not terrible. I was usually able to walk several km before it bothered me much.
• My key symptoms were the constant feeling of a bruise on the ball of the foot, worse pain when walking barefoot on hard floors, even some swelling/redness on the top of the foot in the early days.
• It takes 6-8 weeks to heal in most cases, once the damage has reached the stress fracture diagnosis. I gave it 4 weeks once, early on, but that wasn't enough.
• A bone scan shouldn't be necessary to tell me to rest my foot until it stops hurting!

Now, let's hope my training proceeds and I can walk in October. Unfortunately I have another potential problem that won't be resolved until late September, so I am trying not to get too excited. I suppose the training is good for me anyway (sigh).

 

[lendog]

Hi C- My experience with a stress fracture has been very similar to yours. Diagnosed via MRI May 5th and no real walking until July 30th! 12 weeks! But, it seems that the time off was what was needed - plus I had plenty of time to paint my garage. I feel under-trained for our Sept 19th start from SJPdP due to the layoff, but recent longer walks have gone well and I'm no longer in pain after 12-13k , so I'm cautiously optimistic. Hope all your issues are resolved by your start. We (my wife and I) are Camino virgins so have plenty of other stuff to imagine worrying about! - Len

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Hi C- My experience with a stress fracture has been very similar to yours. Diagnosed via MRI May 5th and no real walking until July 30th! 12 weeks! But, it seems that the time off was what was needed - plus I had plenty of time to paint my garage. I feel under-trained for our Sept 19th start from SJPdP due to the layoff, but recent longer walks have gone well and I'm no longer in pain after 12-13k , so I'm cautiously optimistic. Hope all your issues are resolved by your start. We (my wife and I) are Camino virgins so have plenty of other stuff to imagine worrying about! - Len

There is no such things as under trained: you "train" as you go. Just don't push it. Who said you had to do Xkm in X days? And do indulge in OTC Voltaren

 

[C clearly]

I had plenty of time to paint my garage.

So true. I got a few things done around the house, as well! I even avoiding going out in the car since we have a manual transmission, and depressing the clutch caused mild discomfort.

Now I need to heed @Anemone del Camino 's advice and resist the urge to overtrain. I think that's a real risk for me.