Sacral Stress Fracture. A fracture of the sacrum caused by repeated (rather than sudden) mechanical stress. 3 words with a very straightforward definition. They signify a slight stress reaction occurring in the sacrum. However, in my case they held so much more meaning behind them. They were the tip of the iceberg. The part that broke the surface and made me realize, or acknowledge, what was lying beneath. I am writing this blog so that hopefully other ladies (and gents) can realize and act upon the warning signs earlier than I did and hopefully avoid a major setback from doing what they love. I want to help others realize how incredible our bodies are, how insane it is that we can do the things we do, and how much respect, nurturing, and help our bodies need to keep functioning at this crazy level we demand from them. To do this I will try to start from the beginning. Rewind a year, and I found myself racing well, finally feeling like I was on top of my training, but most importantly I was on top of my recovery and nutrition as well. I adopted a dog, which filled me with joy and compassion and started a new job, which was testing me mentally. Overall, I was so stoked on all aspects of my life. So how did I end up on crutches, writing this blog? In May, as I was training for Lavaredo, I found myself being sent to China for 2+weeks and working 12+ hour days, while trying to train 80+ miles a week on the treadmill. I didn't let my foot off the gas, if anything I pushed down further and further and crushed my training for Lavaredo. But getting to the start line of Lavaredo, I was a neurotic mess and my mental game was off from the start, resulting in a pity party of a race. This was the beginning of doing too much and it was starting to show its ugly head. But that ugly head got pushed away, and after Lavaredo I was so mad at myself for my performance that I didn't let myself rest. I kept running, using Jade as an excuse. “Jadey needs to run.” Poor jade couldn’t even stick up for herself. This was when all the weird niggles really began. My left hamstring was sore and tight at the insertion, then I had some quad pain, some opposite adductor pain, the list goes on. I continued to push my body through all sorts of weird niggles and pains that were not typically a part of my training. But I figured they were just par for the course of being a professional athlete with a full time job. I would go through phases of waking up super excited to run and tackle my training to sleeping in and putting it off until later. I thought it was just part of the deal of being a professional trail runner while holding a full-time job. I was always in a state of stress from something but prided myself on doing it all. I no longer looked at my sleep app because I did not want to be reminded that I was barely getting over 7 hours on average per night. I was not being as truthful to my coach on how I was feeling. I was not planning out my meals as frequently and constantly found myself rushing meals and eating things I did not really want to eat. I was constantly stressed from training, the demands of learning a new job, and not taking any time to rest. I just didn’t feel like myself anymore, and I wasn’t willing to face it. “The biggest lessons I learned were probably the times where I had the biggest setbacks and the biggest challenges.” Olympic Figure Skater Michelle Kwan Sweeping things under the rug instead of dealing with them only works for a while, especially when it comes to injuries. Until it doesn’t. Rugs are only so big. It may sound stupid, silly, foolish, or even absurd, but I am actually very grateful for this recent injury. About now, I pretty much know what you must be thinking; she finally admits it, she is crazy! It has put things back into perspective and has forced me to acknowledge all the things I was ignoring, you know, all those things under that damn rug!. I am coming up on 2 weeks without any form of exercise, which is more than I have in 5+ years, and I am still not antsy. That is telling. Yes, for once, my brain and my body are in sync, and both are sending me the same message, to stop. They need some downtime. I am practicing acceptance and patience. This body needs to heal, and I am going to help it, not rush it, and let it rest. The underlying cause is still TBD on my sacral stress fracture. It is most likely a combination of an injury sustained from Lavaredo last summer resulting in biomechanical imbalances, insufficient rest, and certainly some nutritional deficiencies (low Vit D, low ferritin, low magnesium found by Inside Tracker). AKA, too much stress, how ironic. As for this season, I will not be returning to Lake Sonoma 50 to defend my crown. Knowing this has broken my heart. I was looking forward to racing against the stellar group of ladies and pushing for that CR. Combining my new-found acceptance and patience with reality means I will most likely not be racing until the end of July at the earliest. But I will be able to do these things again soon. Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic Champion and among the all-time greatest athletes in the heptathlon and long jump once said, "It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret." So that is what I will do. I have come to terms with it all and have found myself happier and less stressed than I have been in a while. We can all learn to be okay with these setbacks. They are a chance for us to get stronger and focus on life ahead through the windshield and not the past through the rearview mirror. To look our weaknesses in the face and tell them that we will overcome them. To really give our bodies a well-deserved break and nurture them back to health. Time to show them some sugar, some love, and all of the appreciation they deserve. Icebergs are majestic and intimidatingly beautiful. However, sometimes what is unseen can cause the most harm (think TITANTIC, and not the hit song…. too soon??). Here are some little things I have realized through this all to help avoid these kinds of situations when we are trying to get the most out of our body, our mind, and our lives. DISCLAIMER I AM NOT A PHYSICIAN OR PRACTITIONER OF ANY KIND - THESE ARE MERELY SUGGESTIONS OF THINGS THAT WORKED FOR ME. :D 1. Be nice to yourself. If you find yourself whispering things to yourself in your head that you would never say aloud, try to re-phrase them. Focus on complimenting yourself on things you really rocked instead of insulting yourself for little things you may have goofed on. 2. Prioritize recovery. If you want to be able to do all the things you love, your body needs rest. Sleep a lot, keep your easy days SUPER easy, and take an off day every week if you need one. I promise that if you win a race, or hit a new PR, no one will dare comment on the pace of your slow days or your weekly mileage. 3. Nurture and feed your body. Make sure to fill your body with a lot of hearty, nutritious foods. Keep the calories high and the quality of the foods you are eating higher. Sometimes, even if you are eating the right number of calories, they are not the right calories, and you may be left hungry and starved of the nutrition you need. 4. Don't ignore the signs. I can personally attest to historically ignoring this one, but really, it is okay to admit defeat. Feeling a weird niggle? Not sleeping well? Easily irritated or not enjoying what usually ignites your fire? Take some days off. No one loses fitness in 3 days. And sometimes we need an entire week or month off. That is okay. We have so much time and if we want to do this for our entire lives, we must listen to the signs as they come. That niggle is a warning, don’t sweep it under the rug, heed it! 5. Eliminate unnecessary stress. Try to say “NO” to things that cause unnecessary stress and are not crucial to your happiness. I know, you might be saying, what if I say “No”, that opportunity may not reappear. We can’t always “be it all” and can’t do everything, so learning when to say no to things is key. Practicing mindfulness and meditation can really help control your mind and decrease your stress levels as well as strengthen your mind for an upcoming race day. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- And speaking of upcoming race days, I am starting my preparation early by strengthening my mind with a mental break some good old-fashioned downtime. My first race starts today, a so-called “meditation marathon”. But I’ll back on the trails, I promise! Keep kicking butt out there but keep it real and in perspective. We only have one life, one mind and one body, so respect them. And as a parting gift …. “We only have one life, and it is very precious, and there's a lot we can do, and there's a lot we should do”, uttered by Selena Gomez (really?) 😉 Enjoy! Thanks to all of my sponsors for the continued support through this injury : Nike, Gu Energy Labs, Inside Tracker (helping me get on top of what is going on the inside!)
And a 100000 thanks to Colleen, my PT, who got me into a rockstart doctor and has been with me and will continue to be with me through my strengthening and recovery phase. My Coach David Roche who is the most supportive, kind individual I have ever interacted with, who is excited for my comeback. Jade pup for learning how to walk with me slowly on my crutches and not being a diva with her lack of running. :P And finally, chris for EVERYTHING and all of my other friends and family members who have sent their support and ideas for things to do in my spare time.
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Keely HenningerPortland, OR Archives
February 2021
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