Returning from aqua running to the roads

In my experience, it took few days to feel comfortable on the land again. I don't think there was any real loss of fitness, though. I was able to race within 10 or so seconds of my PR within 3 weeks.

Thanks. And a self-interested afternoon bump.

How long were injured? What was your injury?

My coach introduced me back to land running very gradually with a well planned 3 month schedule. Started with easy jogs, then progressed to grass longer faster runs, gym circuit session once a week,6x400m reps on track with 1 min recoveries.

after 10 weeks of above solitary training i was allowed back to train with team and gradually increased mileage from 25 to 60 miles per week within 6 weeks.

Now back on track with 75-85 miles per week and no injuries to date. Just glad to be back to competition level.

I've been in the pool 4 weeks now with a 5th metatarsal (little toe) stress fracture. There is no sensitivity to pressure anymore, and the doctor thinks I should be able to start running on dry land in 3 weeks.

Before the injury my non-recovery weeks were a pattern of alternating 100 mile with 80 mile weeks (11.5-12/9.5-10 hours running). In the pool I've been doing 10 hours a week, mostly in 90 minute sessions, trying to vary the workouts day by day between long tempo runs, VO2 type efforts, and short, fast stuff where I try to turn over as quickly as possible. Every 3-4 days I'll do an hour easy effort.

Indeed, after 4 weeks of all that I feel tired and will take a recovery week before going hard again for a couple of weeks prior to dry land running.

My immediate goal is the half-marathon at Grandma's (Bjorklund) on June 16. Per the doctor's advice that I can get out dry land in about 3 weeks I have a month on dry land before the race. My plan is to keep a lot of pool work in the schedule until then, gradually switching the hard workouts to land and keeping the easy ones in the pool.

Thanks for the feedback.

Don´t forget that your calfs will be very weak. If you´re not careful, you can get problems with your achilles tendons.

Two years ago I had the same injury (stress fracture of the 5th metatarsal). I took one week completely off, and then did four weeks of fairly hard aqua-jogging. After four more weeks of running I broke my 8k PR by 30 seconds. Three weeks after that I broke my 10 mile PR.

The first couple days of running did feel a little awkward. I conitnued to do some workouts in the pool for the first week or two to get some quality in until I could start running harder.

Good luck!

I'm currently transitioning back to running after a femoral stress fracture.

I was forced to take about 5 weeks completely off, and then I did about 5 weeks of sessions in the pool and on the indoor bike. I started running about 4 weeks ago, with a 3 minute run, and I have increased my run up to 17 minutes so far. After my run, I either get in the pool or on the indoor bike for a 45-60 minute workout. I will be increasing my running up to 30 minutes over the next 3 weeks, while maintaining the secondary workout in the pool or on the bike. And now that it's getting nicer out, I'll probably add one or two longer rides on my road bike outside.

I think that the key is to ease yourself back into running. Your injury may not require you to be as conservative as I am being, but I think that the key to a smooth transition is to introduce running little by little, but also maintaining the cross training.

Pool running will definitely help you maintain your fitness, but you need to give your body some time to adapt back to terrestrial running.

Good luck to you.