Having just about completed Brighton marathon when I really should have stopped about 3/4 of the way in I now know the frustration of not being able to run.

Having only taken up running just over a year ago I have to say I am now addicted. You can imagine how upset I was at being told by the doc and physio that I was to do no exercise for 8 weeks having damaged the ligaments in my knee. I have never been so bored! I really shouldn't have completed the marathon as maybe that would have led to less damage to my knee who knows. The pain and inability to walk has to be one of the worst things and even when I felt I was better I did (eventually) listen to phsio advice on waiting until knee had calmed down enough. I didn't like what they said but in the long term I will be better for it rather than rushing back too soon and not being able to run at all. Some days even just getting up was a strain.

I have now just started running (I use the term loosely) for 15 minutes run/walk. It was great to finally start the road to recovery and so determined to do so that doing phsio exercises to strengthen knee again :-) Having felt so low with injury I am so glad (as are my family and friends! ) to be able to start running again. No plans for any races yet..not there yet but small steps as they say :-)

Lots of resonance for me here too Paul - am still at "diagnosis stage" but thought I was doing all the right things...

I've been training for the Eboro Marathon in May and had built up to 30miles a week just before the Liverpool half marathon last week..  About 10 days before started to get sore shins: different to the "usual" aches and pains.  So I stopped running, went to A&E, got xrayed and no stress fracture..  Saw a Physio who diagnosed shin splints and gave me a painful but effective treatment and showed me how to relieve the pain in my calf.  Physio left it as my shout as to whether to run the half...  I was ok till Mile 7 when the niggle got worse, but by mile 10 it was hurting.  Really I suppose I should have stopped but we all know what it's like when you're in the middle of a race...  So at the finish, I limped over the line, pleased to have got a reasonable time but no PB. 

I've been on crutches for over a week now, and it's not a lot of fun: no weight-bearing on the dodgy leg, going for assessment again tomorrow and possible CT scan. As the pain hasn't stopped it looks like it is worse than a soft-tissue injury - probably a stress fracture, but I'll let the doctors confirm it. 

With the benefit of hindsight, I'd have pulled out of both races, got properly assessed and rebuilt up mileage slowly.  It is SO frustrating not being able to walk never mind run, and knowing that I've probably got another couple of months of this to look forward to followed by months of rehab before I can think of running again..

Anyone reading this thinking "maybe, maybe not..." take note: think medium/long term, not short term...

Great post Paul

A cautionary tale for Christmas there from Paul, who I think is a 2:51 marathoner (you can't hide in the internet age with power of 10 websites etc), but reading to the end, positive. We can all learn from it: although not everyone is quite so obsessive. Running is the best training for running, of course, but as we get older and more injury prone some amount of cross training is no doubt a good way to go as I've found out myself.