Marathon in jeopardy!

Here I am just 5 weeks or so out from the Chicago marathon and I have a foot injury! I saw my podiatrist this afternoon and he said its a ganglion cyst right on the joint near my ankle. It makes my entire foot feel weak and it hurts really bad when I run . . . although I can still run. Anyways, the podiatrist said I need surgery to have it removed but that we can do it whenever I want. He also said I could keep running with the cyst (as long as I could stand the pain) and that running on it wouldn't cause anymore damage.

Sooooooo, do I attempt the marathon? Or do I give up ALL the training and preparation I've done to have the surgery now.

I am so sorry to hear this, Limewave! :( I guess I'd say try to keep running, and see how you do. If it's too painful, stop. You've still got the fitness, and the benefits of that. But I do know how I would've felt, 5 weeks out, if I thought I wasn't going to get to do the big run. See how it goes. Good luck. L.

I am really sorry to hear this too - I had to quit my first marathon try because of an injury, though I wasn't quite as far along as you.

First, a word of encouragement - even though I was very disappointed to have not made it the first time I tried to train, I did come back to complete 2 of them within a few years time. So if you do need to stop this time, your motivation will be even stronger the next time around, and you'll know much more about the best way for you to prepare. (I was the one who previously recommended pool running as an option.)

Secondly, just a slight caution about continuing with an injury - even though your doc has advised that you won't make this problem significantly worse by running on it, the pain means that you probably can't avoid changing your mechanics to make the pain as bearable as possible. Altered running mechanics can significantly increase your risk of injuring something else.

No matter what happens, be proud that you've made it this far already!

What a bummer! I think if I were in your position and had been told that running won't cause any more damage, I'd keep training for awhile and see how it feels. Were you given any suggestions for minimizing the pain? Would icing it help? Is it in a position where you can wrap it and get some relief?

I hope this settles down so you can do the marathon after so much training but if it's too painful, take care of it so you can recover and move on to a new goal.

Hang in there.
Deb

This would be my 3rd marathon in 3 years that I would be bailing on. The first one I had to have an emergency laparotamy, the second I got pregnant and delivered the weekend of the Chicago marathon, and then this year . . . the foot injury. Argh!

I have a half marathon this weekend. My doctor suggested some different ways to lace my running shoes and also thought trying second skin on it to ease some of the pressure might help along with advil and icing it afterwards. I'll give those things a try and see how I during and after the race.

Thanks for your support and understanding!

Oh limewave, how disappointing! My opinion is to keep on running so long as you can withstand the pain. If it's not going to do any more damage, then I'd go for it. Think of how much studlier you'll be after running a marathon on an injured foot! Wow! Can they give you a cortisone shot to relieve some of the pain (don't know if that's the right drug I'm talking about)?
Similar thing happened to me last year. 6 weeks out from a marathon (my 2nd), I injured my knee to the point where I could not run at all. The pain was terrible. When I walked, tho, it didn't hurt so bad. My doc told me to stop running, so I did. I was determined to finish the marathon tho, after training for 4 months, so I walked it instead. It wasn't fast, but I actually had a great time. I got to high-five all the kids, pet the dogs, and enjoy the experience (and since it took me 7 hours- there was lot's to enjoy ;) ).
If you don't mind walking, and can combine that with the running, I would still do it. The Chicago Marathon is extraordinary, with so many spectators and entertainment. If you have to walk part of the way, you know you'll have lots to look at and lots of people cheering you on.
Best of luck to you and your foot! Let us know how it all turns out!

I'm so sorry, limewave! I know how bad it feels to have to scrap something you've worked so hard for. If it were me, I would probably try the doctor's suggestions for the half and then reassess. You may have to fudge some on the end of the training program, but you probably have enough of a base to get away with that. Maybe not the best advice in the world, but we runners seldom do what we *should*. :D Good luck and let us know how it goes.

KB

Hey Heather,
Just popped over here to take a peek and noticed your post. I had the same thing on my wrist and opted for the surgery. The surgeon and many other people told me I could have taken a book and smashed it down on the cyst to break it up. I know it sounds absurd, but the surgeon even told me this. Don't know if there's any truth to it though. If you look into it ask if they recommend going to PT or exercises afterward. My surgeon didn't and I don't have the full range of motion on that hand (doesn't like to bend up all the way). And I did lots of stretching as it was healing.

Best of luck with your decision - how did the half marathon go?