DNF as a result of injury

[belleville runner]

has ANYONE ever trained 20 or more weeks (22 for me) for a marathon, and then injured themselves bad enough a week before the marathon that they either couldn't finish or couldn't run it all?  I have done just that.  On Sat. of the long weekend i had a mishap at my father's cottage and I hurt my knee and right now I am about 99% sure I wont be able to run. I am still going to Ottawa with a friend who is doing the half but I cannot imagine how hard it's going to be seeing all those people running by me.  I'm trying to stay positive by constantly reminding myself that I "race to train, not train to race" and deep down I KNOW i would've completed the run.  I mean finishing the training is harder than doing the actual 26.2 (for me anyways).  I am just so disappointed because this is only my 2nd marathon and I made a lot of changes to my training to improve on last years result and was really excited about finding out whether or not the changes helped.  I think i'm still kind of in denial about the whole thing, hoping that somehow I will miraculously heal before Sunday. 

[ShoppinShannon]

Hi Belleville runner,
Well, let me tell you a little story that kind of went like this....
I started training for Around the Bay at the end of January, so I was on a condensed program, however, I was strict to the program, and found the trudging through snow gruesome, but I never missed a training run.  Then....
One week I had developed an undisclosed problem, and went to my doctor, where he crushed my dreams.  He told me that I couldn't do it.  Believe me when I say this.  No one in my life has ever told me I couldn't do anything, because I would always prove them wrong.  This time, I had to listen to him, and it crushed me.  It was one of the hardest decsions that I made that week.  I also had to decide whether to go with the group that I was training with, and cheer them on.  I eventually knew deep down in myself, that I had to be there, or it would have left a big void in my life that would never get filled. (little dramatic but it get the point across)
I felt great cheering them in and watching them finish.  I'm not gonna lie to you, I cried a few times before they headed out to the start line, and I still feel a small amount of sadness, but, I think If I didn't go, I would of regretted it.  Really really regretted it.
There are other races out there and we can only learn from the ones we don't finish, or don't do. DON'T BEAT YOURSELF UP.
Remember, your not alone, we've all been there at some point or another!
Shannon

[SNOWRUNNER]

Sorry to hear that...really,and yes, i`ve been there, last year i raced a mini bike and blew up an arch.
I had pre paid a couple of races, and it was my first year in the cross country circut.What worked for me was just accepting it and move on.It was one month of absolutely no running, and that was tough.So i had not one but 3 DNS...lol...this is a new year, and all is well. :grin:Heal up and hit the trails..good luck.
               David Storey.

[Derek]

That's to bad Belleville runner. All that trainnig  for the marathon and then getting hurt that's got to be dispointed. Like Shannon said don't feel bad I have a friend  that raced his first full in London during the 2nd half he end up with a broken leg,so he did not end up finishing all that trainning. Take it easy and don't rush it thier will be lots of marathon. Sorry to hear about your injury. Derek.

[belleville runner]

how ironic that snowrunner's injury was from a motorized bike type unit!  I crashed an electric scooter!  (the type where you kind of feel like Forrest Gump when you're riding it!).  Lesson learned....stay off motorized scooters, mopeds, mini bikes, what have you, while training for big runs!   You all made me feel better knowing others have been through this.  Now what I have to get over is being mad at myself for being so stupid!  let's put it this way, I SHOULD not have been riding that scooter.....

[BT]

Belleville Runner,
I had a similar experience a few years ago training for the Toronto Waterfront marathon.  In the last month of training my hamstring started to go downhill.  I could still run, but it took less and less to make it hurt and took more and more time to recover.  Still, I felt obligated to run the marathon.  Well, over a year and a half later I am just now getting back to my regular running routine because of that hamstring injury.

My advice: Don’t push yourself through a marathon if you are not 100% ready.  It is a LONG way to go and there are too many things that can go wrong during that time you are out running. 

Completing vs Competing: What a difference that “L” makes!  IMHO, simply completing a marathon is extremely overrated and is not worth it if you end up sidelined for months or years.  After all, why are you running – to impress your family/friends/co-workers, or because it is an activity that you enjoy doing?  You say that you know that you could complete the distance - well, you are the only person who needs to be convinced of that.  Take that knowledge and move on, take some time off to let the knee heal properly and you will pick up your training where you left off in no time.  22 weeks of a proper marathon build-up does not disappear overnight and you have likely developed a solid base that will help you with EVERY race distance from mile-to-marathon.  Take advantage of your marathon training by running some PB’s at 5k-8k-10k races over the summer.  If you still have the marathon itch in August there are plenty of ½ and full marathons to take a crack at in the fall.

[SNOWRUNNER]

how ironic that snowrunner's injury was from a motorized bike type unit!  I crashed an electric scooter!  (the type where you kind of feel like Forrest Gump when you're riding it!).  Lesson learned....stay off motorized scooters, mopeds, mini bikes, what have you, while training for big runs!   You all made me feel better knowing others have been through this.  Now what I have to get over is being mad at myself for being so stupid!  let's put it this way, I SHOULD not have been riding that scooter.....

hahaha..allow me to clarify this...im dumber than that..i was running against the mini bike... ..

[Sandy]

David you make me 

Belleville Runner while I agree with everything said here about allow yourself to heal, don't push it for the sake of pushing it I would go one step further and ask have you seen anybody about it.  Because this is not a running injury (overuse, chronic in nature) I would want to have it looked at to confirm that it's truly event ending.  My suggestion would be Bryan Dunham at Loyalist College who is an Athletic Therapist.  His purpose in being is to get athletes healthy so they can continue to be active but would also tell you if you shouldn't run.  He uses stretching, myofacial release, ultrasound and inferential and sometimes one treatment is enough.  If it were me I would call him and tell him your situation, you have event on the weekend and you would like confirmation one way or the other.

Now if your knee is as big as your head and black and blue then the writing may be on the wall but if you are unsure at all, call.

If in fact you can't run, and as hard as it is to hear, there will be other marathons and remember everything happens for a reason.

Good luck and let us know how your weekend goes, spectating can be a LOT of work and you may feel like you actually ran the marathon.

[belleville runner]

Sandy, I LOVED reading your reply.  because I want to run so badly this weekend, and am considering it, but everyone (all NON RUNNERS) make me feel like I'm some crazy, obsessed runner who would put finishing a marthon above my health.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  I am very good at listening to my body and practicing common sense, so I get sort of, kind of offended when someone who knows nothing about sport and inury starts telling me what I should or shouldn't be doing!  Do you think I have time to see this guy you wrote about?  The reason i am CONSIDERING (I capitalized that so no one will attack me!) attempting the run is because the swelling is almost gone.  I'd say 90%.  I'll give you a brief description of the injury.  I have a major case of road rash just below the knee cap.  Right in the centre and it is a bit larger than a quarter.  The centre of this road rash is very deep.  The knee was swollen the day after the injury but absolutely no bruising whatsoever, and that is still the case, five days later.  I believe, from what i have read on the internet about road rash (a few cycling forums were very helpful) is that the swelling was simply as a result of the trauma to the skin, the wound itself.  I have complete range of motion (or at least i think I do....I'm not a physiotherapist) with no pain.   But there is quite a lot of discomfort from the wound itself....it is precisely where the wound is that I feel any pain or discomfort.  And I feel it as my foot makes contact with the ground when I try to run. The scabbing has started and it is "pulling" and is tight, which is what is so uncomfortable. I think that if i could get to the point that the actual wound was not hurting  I could run because the knee itself feels fine.  (does this make any sense?)  thanks for any input you might  have Sandy

[Jane]

Hi Belleville Runner,

Do you think you would be able to start the race and then make a decision to stop if part way through if it was going to cause too much damage?  Once you get going, will the hurt area loosen up?  It is sad to do all that training and then not be able to race. 

[SNOWRUNNER]

Hi fellow belleville runner..
So , what i would do is this...go do the race.Coat your scabs with vasaline, they will become workable.Since your injury is external, you will more than likely be ok, if it was intristic i wouldnt run.If you feel extreme discomfort, forfit the run, run the race, dont race the race, meet your self half way on this.But do what Sandy says...the first thing she will tell you is to not listen to David...hahaha ..but this is what i would do..
                                    David Storey.. .

[belleville runner]

here's what I've decided....the sore gets a bit better with each day....with the day after being a "10" and today would be about a "2"....on a soreness scale....so there's another day and a half before race day.  I am going to do what david suggested, keep the scab soft so it doesn't pull.  I am also going to start the race and just see what happens.  I am way too much of a wimp to run through any type of pain, so there is no worry of me killing myself!  If I need a lift back to the finish line then I'll just find a good looking cop to give me a lift.....there were lots there last year!!  Cathy, you're right, it's just too damned much training to not try.  Only another runner would truly understand that...thanks everyone for you kind words and advice!
by the way, I laughed out loud when you told me that you were actually RACING a mini bike David!  That made me feel MUCH better because i have been kind of beating myself up for being so foolish so close to the big day.....did I mention there was a little alcohol involved??  C'mon, it was the long weekend!  I was at a cottage!   Don't judge me please!! It wasn't a lot of alcohol...it's just that I'm kind of unco-ordinated at the best of times, esp. on any type of motorized bike...so add a couple glasses of wine, and well, you know the rest.

[Cathy]

Wishing you all the best.  You certainly seem sensible enough to know when you should quit.  Look forward to your race report from either end of the running/not running scene.  We will be thinking of you.

[Jane]

Yes good luck!  I have this feeling you are going to be fine!!

[The Moose]

I know it's very late...but listen to Sandy.

That said, I'd run anyway, but I may not be as smart as the average bear either.  (Heck, I tried Around the Bay with pnemonia  ).  The only races I miss are ones that may take away from a bigger race later.

I'll see you at the finish line in Ottawa.

Mike

P.S. Don't feel bad if you don't start, it probably just means that you're smarter than me...