Sesamoid Stress Fracture

Uggh. Somehow, I injured my foot on Thanksgiving but can't even point to a specific event that caused it. I woke up Friday morning to pain in the ball of my left foot. Stupidly, I ran 4 miles on Friday and then 3 miles on Saturday. By Saturday evening, I could not walk. I had to attend an event wearing high heels and I could not bear any weight at all. Today I went to the doctor and he thinks I have a sesamoid stress fracture based on palpitation and x-ray. Thursday I have to go in for an MRI. I am in a walking boot and probably will be for 6 weeks.

Any one else with sfx of sesamoid experience? I finished a marathon 3 weeks ago and am currently in a non-training mode. I do not understand how I even got such an injury. My last 3 weeks have been: 0, 20, 23. In 6 years of running I have never taken more than 2 days off in a row (other than one week off immediately post-marathon). Should I cross-train at the pool? Does it take a long time to get back to peak shape after such a long down time?

Bummer Vivian. I had a seismoid stress fracture in 2007 and did an 8 week pool running program that Schuey recommended from Pfitzinger. It's on his website. Unfortunately, in week 9 I walked into my sleeping 60 pound dog and complete
Y fractured the same big toe on the other foot. Although the pain for that one was more intense and immediate, guess which one healed faster? The stress fracture still delivered phantom pain for months afterward.

Also, I used some kind of device that delivered some kind of ultrasound to the break that may or may not have assisted with healing.

So sorry to read about this Vivian. I've had two stress fractures, one to the foot, but not the exact one you may be dealing with. As long as your orthopedist gives you the o.k. which I'm sure he/she will, I wouldn't think there would be a problem with cross training, especially in the pool, which involves no impact at all. I did a lot of my cross training on the elliptical when I had both of my stress fractures. As for getting back into peak shape, of course it will take some time, but not as much as you may fear. I ran my fastest marathon ever after healing from my first SF. As you pointed out, you're in non-training mode, so if this had to happen, it couldn't come at a better time. I hope the MRI rules out a SF and you're not out of commission for that long.
Good luck!

Bummer, Vivian. I fractured my left foot back in 2002 after stepping on a pinecone buried under wet leaves. I didn't run for 8 wks, but I was able to xtrain after a couple of weeks as long as it didn't stress the foot. I actually did pool running, regular swimming, and even the elliptical. I injured the foot the first week in December and ran Boston (not well as it was really hot) in April.

I haven't had a foot fracture, but I did have a tibial stress fracture a few years ago. I pool ran some, but not much, until the Dr allowed me on an elliptical and then I did that. When I came back I started back up with a run walk schedule for a few weeks to be sure everything was OK and then I was pretty much fine from there. I didn't lose near as much fitness as I thought I would and my running times were actually better than ever before when I got fully back in the swing of things. I think I was out for around 12 weeks total but other fractures can heal a lot faster.