PLAGUED with injuries...will it ever end?

Again, thank you for the encouragement..means a lot. I'm hoping for the best and trying to remain positive

On the heel striking,

I was able to stop after have a gait analysis. The trick that they used with me and it worked over time is to walk and run backwards. Start with walking to get the feel of your feet landing below your center more, it is very hard to overstride when going backwards.

Try to do that several times a day. Also running backwards for maybe 100 m or so. I used to do that every mile of my easy runs to reinforce the way it feels. It took me maybe several months before it stuck with me.

You will feel sore in your calves and achilles in the beginning so you have to take it easy.

Hopefully that will work for you - definitely have someone watch your form from time to time to check in.

so tired of it wrote:

I have never had a period. I weigh plenty and I'm pretty sure I eat enough

This is always so sad to hear. A period is a sign of normal health in a young woman and amenorrhea is a serious sign that something is wrong (even that birth control methods may be wrong). So many stress fractures sounds like diet...

OP the American idea of "weighing plenty" is so skewed by societal culture it's really not fair.

OP should read:

It may be that total stress is too high,not just running, so get that fixed and best of luck.

+1

this is why you keep getting hurt.

so tired of it wrote:

Again, thank you for the encouragement..means a lot. I'm hoping for the best and trying to remain positive

Go to a small, academically rigorous college, and have fun, a lot of fun.

I am stressed a lot but I guess most teens are. I'm pretty sure I eat enough so I have no clue why I don't have a period. I lost weight a few years back but I weigh 126-128 at 5'8 and I have enough body fat I'm pretty sure. If I had a period would these injuries stop?

Also thank you for that article. I do eat really healthy, I'm getting s full blood panel done, getting a dexa scan, and going to a bone doctor to figure this out. Im very scared and I hope it's not too late.

The Scot:

I was glad to read your post. It reminded me of my high school/college experience. I got Pneumonia my senior year during the track season. It wiped out track and the Prom and lots of other things.

My high school coach was the strong, silent type and really only knew about sprinting. I also had a undetected hearing disability so I could not learn from my teammates. People do not understand that there was virtually no sports medicine doctors in the 1970s, at least not for the general public.

To make a long story short I wound up having only one year of college eligibility because of one very nasty injury.

TO THE INJURED GIRL:

I've seen many others in the same boat. The most encouraging thing I can say is that I ran faster after this injury than ever before. I also spent my post-collegiate years running very well. I love to run.

In recent years I've learned how important balance training is to the runner. In addition a personal trainer might be able to work with you to help you gain flexibility, strength, and endurance in areas that are not working that well on your body. Running is far from the perfect sport. Lots of core work is also a must. Core work is often misunderstood.

I think you need a team to help you:

1. Sports medicine doctor

2. Physical Therapist

3. Personal Trainer

At least one of these people should have been a dedicated runner at some time during their life! In addition it might help to talk to coaches and runners.

They might help you more than anyone else.

There are a lot of crackpot cures too though.

Like the other posters on here said, it would be difficult to tell you exactly what to do.

If I was working with you, I would be very cautious in how I approached treating you. It might take some time to get you back right. The positive of all this is the cross training, wt. training, balance work, etc., will make you a better runner and you will meet some neat people :)

When you do get back have a progressive periodization program already in place to use.

Jed Clampett

P.S. I write a lot on here and am happy to help you :)

Yes it will end if you find the right people to talk to, and learn about how to stay healthy. Although ARTHUR LYDIARD is often misquoted, if you read a lot about what he said it will make sense to you.

There is a lot of emphasis on hard interval training!

Lots of coaches and athletes do not realize that you have to have a progressive periodization program. In short this means that you work on the Aerobic System all year long, with short sprints (100 yards or less) one day per week, for most of the year.

Be sure that you have enough time to recover completely from hard runs. Even long, slow runs can debilitate you if you are not getting recovery.

The AEROBIC SYSTEM determines your ultimate peak.

Clearly you do need to run hard intervals (10 x 200, 6 x 400, 4 x 1000, 3 x mile, etc.) but you do them in the right doses and at the right time.

10 weeks out from the first serious race of a season you start building up the hard interval sessions. Do this in a progressive fashion. Then with 4 weeks before the key race, you begin cutting down the intensity, and number of interval runs. (I would start out with ONE DAY of intervals, then after 3 weeks go to TWO days of intervals. (It does matter how hard you run and how many, that I cannot help you with from afar!)

Also most people race too much. It is not only important to limit the number of meets, but do not run more than one race per meet!

ARTHUR LYDIARD said that if you run too hard you run the risk of having too much acidity in the pH of your blood. This will cause injury, sickness, or staleness. We see top runners run in races when they are sick! Unless it is the league, or state championships that's pretty silly.

A program like the one I suggest is not common, neither is winning. One must do the things it takes to win. (Perhaps your problem is that you are simply not getting enough easy days. An easy day can be a 5 mile run, but it depends!) Read, and find good people to talk to about this. No book or what I just told you is complete!!!

Jed Clampett

Excellent idea! It's rare to read something that is original on Let's Run.

I'm going to try to copy what you wrote and use it when I can return to running!!!

Thank you,

Jed Clampett

Thanks for the info. The hardest part where I live is getting in to a see a doctor in a reasonable amount of time. I have a PT, nutritionist I need to see more, and I doc but there's only 1-2 sports docs where I live.

another update. apparently I may have a labral tear in each hip. the doctor is not sure, she misdiagnosed me years ago with a labral tear. sending my MRI to the doctor who perfected the labral teasr surgery, dr. marc philippon in colorado for him to look at it. will I ever run again at this point if this is true? I can't believe I may have to get a double hip surgery at this age. i'm hoping the doc here is wrong.

so tired of it wrote:

another update. apparently I may have a labral tear in each hip. the doctor is not sure, she misdiagnosed me years ago with a labral tear. sending my MRI to the doctor who perfected the labral teasr surgery, dr. marc philippon in colorado for him to look at it. will I ever run again at this point if this is true? I can't believe I may have to get a double hip surgery at this age. i'm hoping the doc here is wrong.

Yes, you'll run again. You have to be patient, get everything healthy, and don't let anyone push you into surgery.

so tired of it wrote:

another update. apparently I may have a labral tear in each hip. the doctor is not sure, she misdiagnosed me years ago with a labral tear. sending my MRI to the doctor who perfected the labral teasr surgery, dr. marc philippon in colorado for him to look at it. will I ever run again at this point if this is true? I can't believe I may have to get a double hip surgery at this age. i'm hoping the doc here is wrong.

oh come on. Labral tears in both hips at 17 years old? This is so unlikely, and people are talking invasive surgery? Give me a break. You seem to be surrounded by a lot of idiots.

I am. Misdiagnosed for months with this fracture, misdiagnosed with a tear years ago, and other things that have prevented me from getting healthy S that's why I sent the MRI to Colorado to be sure.

I have see a lot of advise to run barefoot and in barefoot running shoes on here for you.

Runner's World had an article that said if you are injury prone, you do not want to do barefoot running or minimalist training!!!

It does not sound like doctors know what is actually wrong with you. So for exercise the only things you can do are the ones that do not hurt.

I bet you can recover but it will take time. I am 58 and have several injuries but I am getting better and will run soon. It has taken me several years.

It's frustrating but the #1 thing is not to push the envelope!!!

Have you tried easy walking? This has helped me a lot! If it's to hard on your injuries you can always stop.

Final update: dr. Philippon confirmed I have 2 labral tears that need surgical repair. They have been the cause of the other injuries all these years he said because of the way my muscles around my hips have weakened and pulls my pelvis out of line/tilts it back and my leg lengths are different because of it and my body is under a tremendous stresss that it normally wouldn't be running