anyone have experience getting back on trail after a foot stress fracture?

[John D]

I’m off the AT currently waiting for my heel stress fracture to heal.  I’m wondering if anyone in this group has had a foot stress fracture, just looking for others’ experiences to help guide my return?  I have a plan to fix a number of possibly contributing factors (including not repeating Rocksylvania), and my base weight is around 11, doubt I can go much lower.  I posted on reddit but got few replies.  Thank you.

[Perry H]

I am not a doctor but I can tell you from my experiences in endurance sports / ultrarunning etc if the body isn’t getting enough electrolytes (not just sodium but Calcium, Potassium, and Magnesium) it will pull these from other spots. I developed osteopenia from not getting enough calcium. In other words, it was taking calcium away from bone health to help process the fluids I’d intake during training and events. I HIGHLY suggest looking at nutrition as a contributing factor as well.

as far as actual stress fractures to heal, RICE and more R. And again R. Finally R again. It just takes time.

Best in health

[John D]

That’s a great point, I definitely wasn’t eating optimally, I’ve used the time off (5 weeks so far) to revamp my eating strategies, and I really wasn’t sufficiently hydrated.  I’m going to take some calcium tabs along with me (at a substantial weight penalty, they’re huge!); on your advice I will add some electrolytes for water.  If your body doesn’t need the minerals and electrolytes the kidney just takes care of them…

[Bonzo]

I had a stress fracture years ago; took longer than I wanted to for it to heal…and I was 18, then.  I didn’t rest it enough at the time: I’ve begun to realize that a single day of total rest is worth a week or so of partial, work-around-it compensation.  Definitely take as much time as is necessary to let yourself heal.

I’m going to take some calcium tabs along with me (at a substantial weight penalty, they’re huge!); on your advice I will add some electrolytes for water.

I got some advice on hydration/nutrition from a friend of my that runs ultras: make sure that you’re not just getting minerals, but getting the correct minerals.  Some electrolyte tabs/powders are better than others; I like the stuff from Skratch that has a blend of the correct salts and only enough fruit sugar to give it a light taste.   Suggested mixing rates are about 2 oz. per liter, but I’ve found that I need far less water when I’m getting enough salts…so for me, the extra weight of the electrolyte is more than offset by a reduced need for carrying water.  Your mileage will vary; either way, good luck on the healing.

[Brad Rogers]

I had a stress fracture several years ago (probably a decade or so ago now).  I’d been exparamenting with more minimal footwear (Inov8 – remember when they were the thing) and doing big miles both backpacking and running.   I was in the middle of a weekend backpacking trip and my feet started hurting, which was not unusual in those shoes after 15-20 miles but I just kept going like normal thinking they would get better overnight as usual.  The next morning one foot was fine, but the other was super sore and black and blue.  Luckily I only had 19 miles to go to get back to my vehicle and I made it with some vitamin-I.    When I went to the Dr. that week and they did a CT scan, I had 3 stress fractures in my foot, so they put me in a boot for 4-5 weeks.   After a few weeks the Dr. did let me start riding a stationary bike to stay in shape.  Once the boot was off I was able to go back to running and hiking strong, only in more supportive shoes -Solomon XA Pro 3D.

Good luck on your recovery!

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