Well, I guess I’ll join the sadness! Pubic ramus stress fracture. Aka that time I thought I pulled my groin but broke my pelvis instead. No exercise for a few months- then started over from scratch. Fast forward exactly a year, and broken ankle 3 weeks prior to Boston. Another opportunity to start from scratch in my fitness prior to fall marathons! – Amy T
Achilles tendinosis. It started with overuse but was manageable when I cut my mileage, did PT, and avoided a lot of hills. However, it got worse again after a marathon and I tried Platelet Replacement Therapy in the hope that it would enable me to run Boston in October 2021. Unfortunately it was much worse after PRP and I had to take almost 4 months off running and then build back up slowly. Keeping my mileage fairly low and doing more exercise bike, calf strengthening exercises, and PT got me back to almost where I was before PRP. Then I got hit by a car while running and I am faced with officially six months (but hopefully four) off for a back injury, and then another comeback attempt. At least my Achilles is now totally fine. -Clare M
Pelvic stress reaction. It started as an odd, uncomfortable sensation that gradually got significantly worse. By the time it got diagnosed, I was already just a few weeks out from Boston (2019). I tried to run it anyway, and that made it even worse. Recovery required patience… No running for roughly 3 months. That was almost as “painful” as the injury itself. When I resumed running, I was still dealing with a little bit of phantom pains, and also the worry that I would never build my fitness back to what it was. It took time, and consistency, but eventually I did build my fitness back, and then some. I finally set a new marathon PR 2.5 years later. – Bryan S
Every injury! Femoral stress fracture going into my first Boston. IT band my first post baby marathon season. Torn adductor magnus, torn plantar fascia. And the dreaded, chronic hamstring. – Jen G
A torn meniscus in my right knee with a stress reaction in my fibula because I ignored the torn meniscus for two months. I had surgery that included crutches for five weeks. My doctor said with my limited meniscus left, I should take up cycling, but I convinced him that I could still run some more. I went to PT for three months 2-3 times a week. I was given a plan to strengthen my legs and hips and slowly work back to the Alter-G treadmill, then regular treadmill, the track, and finally the road. The back to running plan took me 4 months to work through. Then with the help of my PT I created a plan to get to a fall half marathon 8 months post surgery. I continued the strength training to this day to protect my knees. I never ran that half marathon, and pushed it to the spring Cap City half to give myself more time to work up to that mileage. I ran Cap City and am now trying to work back to the Columbus Marathon on Oct 16. I have worked back to 35-45 mile weeks. Patience and persistence are my new motto in running. – Fred S
Stress fracture 7 weeks before my first Boston marathon. I recovered with lots of cross training (swimming, spinning and the guidance of a great sports med doc that knew how important it was for me to get there). – Erin A
My dual Sacral and Pubic Stress Fractures in 2019. Took me for ever to feel good again, it was 7+ months before I was running consistently again. I have never been the same since, my sacral/lower back area bothers me constantly but I have just learned to deal with it. I was diagnosed with Osteopenia while recovering from it and not a day goes by that I don’t worry about a stress fracture happening again. I don’t run as many miles as I used to. I feel I have to be more cautious about how much I push the pace, I take more easy days and I often run based on how I feel that day. – Brian K
