Running a marathon undertrained/injured

[Princess Roo]

I wasn't quite sure what to title my question, but am hoping others can share their experiences. I am registered for my first marathon (Marine Corps) in late October. It is also my husband's first marathon and we were really looking forward to doing it together. But I started having IT band problems about a month ago and have had a hard time getting it under control. (I have been doing everything I'm supposed to with ice massage, stretching, and strengthening exercises, took some time off, and now am starting back gently.) Right now discomfort starts about 4 miles into a run. I ran 5 miles last weekend and then walked one more. My knee hurt the rest of the day a bit, but was fine by the next morning. Prior to the injury, I had worked up to a 10 mile long run. In general I am in great shape and have been able to continue cross-training (strength training, elliptical, bike) while injured, but I have never run more than 14 miles.

So, my question for those who have done marathons before is whether you would defer the marathon or still do it, undertrained? There are 8 weekends before the race, which doesn't give me much time to ramp up the miles. My strength training coach (an ultramarathoner) is saying I shouldn't worry at all about just doing 16 miles as my longest run beforehand, and that since it's IT band I can just run through the pain that day. My husband and I weren't planning to "race" it, but try to take it easy and do it for the experience. I'd really still like to have this experience with him, but I also don't want to dramatically hold him back and end up hobbling through the last however many miles. (I am typically a faster runner than him, but he will be much better trained.)

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Ariel484]

Not sure what to tell you except that depending on how bad your pain is, I can't say I agree with your coach that you can always "run through the pain."

I had IT band issues creep up unexpectedly during a half marathon last year at about mile 6 - it went from my knee all the way up to my hip and it was excruciating. So I did a LOT of walking through the second half of the race.

The pain took about a week to go away, and when I went to run again I strained my foot - I ended up going to a doctor for the foot strain and she thought I'd been walking oddly after the knee issues to compensate for the pain there, and that this had caused the foot injury (which took another 2 weeks to go away).

So I can't say I have any advice for you, except to be careful. I ran through IT pain and ended up with a slightly worse injury as a result.

 

[Z-Knight]

I agree with @Ariel484 - I'd check with you doctor to see what he says about running or even walking through it. If he/she thinks you would be ok to take it easy and still do it then I would do it just for the experience. You say you are not planning on racing it anyway, so being with your husband would be what made it fun and if the pain isn't terrible during speed walking (to meet timing requirements) then go for it, but if you think it will be painful and or hurt you in the future then definitely defer. It's hard to be definite either way, you have to understand what your body is telling you and then take into consideration what the Doctor advice is...maybe there is still time for it to heal enough. Good luck.

 

[Ariel484]

@Z-Knight good call...OP see your doc!

What's your speed-walking pace? I know MCM sweeps...

 

[Barca33Runner]

My sister ran her first half marathon with IT band problems. She finished about 30 minutes behind where she was expecting and was in bad pain for most of the run. She did not aggravate any other injuries or the IT Band issue, but I can certainly imagine how it could lead to overcompensation/over-reliance issues and other possible injuries.

I don't know the severity of your pain, but it does concern me that your pain is starting at about 4 miles. 22.2 is a long way to go while running in pain. I have little doubt that it would be possible to run through the pain and finish, force of will and adrenaline can lead us to do just about anything, but I can't imagine that you aren't taking at least some sort of risk.

It really is up to yourself and your doctor to make the best decision for you. I hope your pain gets better in the next 8 weeks and the decision becomes a little bit easier.

 

[Princess Roo]

Thanks for the replies! I saw an orthopedist 2.5 weeks ago and he said it's OK to run on it, and at the time supported me still building up to the marathon, but he also thought I'd be better faster. I know I should see him again...just hate to pay for another appointment with my rotten insurance!

MCM requires a 14 min pace. I haven't timed my speed walking, but I know my walking pace is faster than that because walking a 15 min pace with my mom feels leisurely. DH is really tall, so I have 15+ years of experience keeping up with his fast normal walking pace. We were planning to run at a 10 min pace. (DH's HM pace is ~9 and mine ~8:30.)

I really don't want this to be a miserable experience of pain and extensive walking and further injury. But I also don't want to miss it. Perhaps I am wanting too much!

 

[Barca33Runner]

Thanks for the replies! I saw an orthopedist 2.5 weeks ago and he said it's OK to run on it, and at the time supported me still building up to the marathon, but he also thought I'd be better faster. I know I should see him again...just hate to pay for another appointment with my rotten insurance!

MCM requires a 14 min pace. I haven't timed my speed walking, but I know my walking pace is faster than that because walking a 15 min pace with my mom feels leisurely. DH is really tall, so I have 15+ years of experience keeping up with his fast normal walking pace. We were planning to run at a 10 min pace. (DH's HM pace is ~9 and mine ~8:30.)

I really don't want this to be a miserable experience of pain and extensive walking and further injury. But I also don't want to miss it. Perhaps I am wanting too much!

You don't want this to be a "miserable experience of pain?" You do remember this is a marathon you're talking about, right?

 

[Woth2982]

I ran the Boston Marathon this year after being in a cast for 6 weeks, leaving me 5 weeks to train for the Marathon. I broke my foot in February. It was not easy, and definitely not my best performance ever (first marathon ever too), but it is doable. I only trained 2x a week for the 5 weeks, short run Wednesday, long run Saturday. I do not recommend this training schedule, but if you are injured and still want to run modifying is the only way to do it. The first week back I did a 5k, second week 10 miles, third week 20 miles (the worst ever!), fourth week 8 miles, 5th week 8 miles.

 

[Ariel484]

I think it depends on the person. If I was in @Woth2982 situation I would have had to have been carted off the course on a stretcher.

 

[Castle2Castle]

I know my walking pace is faster than that because walking a 15 min pace with my mom feels leisurely. DH is really tall, so I have 15+ years of experience keeping up with his fast normal walking pace.

Is your walking pace still that speed after 4 miles when your IT band kicks in? Pain tends to slow me down, get a bit worse if I don't quit whatever is causing the pain, and thereby slow me down even more. Something to consider in terms of the experience you can expect to have even with walking.

With that being said, when you're running, are you running straight through your runs or have you tried doing run/walk intervals to see if that helps any? Perhaps if you could find a way to run for longer before it's aggravated, you could get a bit farther along before you start having to fight yourself in addition to the miles.

 

[ZellyB]

I had IT band issues in both a half-marathon and a marathon. It was much worse in the half than the full. Without knowing your pain level it's tough to say what you should or shouldn't do. I can tell you by mile 11 of that half-marathon I was hobbling and in a tremendous amount of pain. I honestly wanted to quit, but was too stubborn to do so. I didn't do any lasting damage or worsen my injury, but it was a miserable experience.

During the full it was more of a nagging injury. The pain was fairly minimal and manageable, but it did slow me down a lot.

If I had to do it again, I should have defered on the half when it was so bad, but it was fine to go ahead on the full like I did. I think severity of the IT band issue is key.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

My wife had IT band problems when training for her half marathon in 2014. I just asked her what she would recommend and she said, emphatically, that she would never continue to train with IT band pain again.

I ran the half with her that day. She was in horrible pain for the last 5 miles of the half, and she was in awesome shape. There is no way that she could have finished a full marathon that day, and she has a very high pain tolerance. IT band pain gets progressively worse as you continue to exercise. It does not level out or diminish.

If you decide to do the marathon, you are going to be in a whole lot of pain. It will likely ruin the experience of your first marathon. If I were you, I would defer and prepare for next year.

 

[PrincessV]

Not sure what to tell you except that depending on how bad your pain is, I can't say I agree with your coach that you can always "run through the pain."

My wife had IT band problems when training for her half marathon in 2014. I just asked her what she would recommend and she said, emphatically, that she would never continue to train with IT band pain again.

I'm going to jump in and echo Ariel484 and BuckeyeBama. I had a massive case of ITBS and the pain was truly impossible to run through. FYI this is coming form someone who strained her Achilles so badly it was nearly severed - and wrapped it , strapped it and danced a ballet performance on it. That hurt, but I could grit my teeth and get through it for a couple hours (no, I shouldn't have and I've paid for that stupid move the rest of my life.) But ITBS pain? Nope, no way, no how. Like having an ice pick jammed into the side of my knee. I spent the last miles of TOT mentally begging the sweepers to show up and put me out of my misery as I hobbled down the road.

That said, running did help with recovery, once I'd taken a couple weeks off to let the inflammation go down. The key for me was to run often (for me that was 4 days a week), but over short distances, and very, very gradually rebuild mileage. Honestly, if it were me, I'd defer and take off the pressure. If that's not an option, I found a workaround to get me through a half when I was about 70% recovered: I'd walk a solid 1/2 mile, then run/walk a 1/4 mile, walk a 1/2, run/walk a 1/4 and so on. That staved off the ITBS pain long enough to finish and keep my pace below 16:00. If you can do that and stay under 14:00 it might work...

 

[Princess Roo]

This is all very helpful for me to think about. Thank you all for sharing your experiences!
I think trying a run-walk this weekend and seeing how far that gets me without discomfort would be a great idea! Why didn't I think of that? I even did my first two HMs run-walk. Replies here are definitely convincing me that if my planned 8 miles this weekend are bad that I should defer.

You don't want this to be a "miserable experience of pain?" You do remember this is a marathon you're talking about, right?

LOL...I think!

I ran the Boston Marathon this year after being in a cast for 6 weeks, leaving me 5 weeks to train for the Marathon. I broke my foot in February. It was not easy, and definitely not my best performance ever (first marathon ever too), but it is doable. I only trained 2x a week for the 5 weeks, short run Wednesday, long run Saturday. I do not recommend this training schedule, but if you are injured and still want to run modifying is the only way to do it. The first week back I did a 5k, second week 10 miles, third week 20 miles (the worst ever!), fourth week 8 miles, 5th week 8 miles.

Wow! There is no way I could do that! I was hoping I could do 8 this Saturday and then get up to 16 or maybe 18 in the following 5 weeks then taper for 2 weeks.

 

[Ariel484]

My wife had IT band problems when training for her half marathon in 2014. I just asked her what she would recommend and she said, emphatically, that she would never continue to train with IT band pain again.

I ran the half with her that day. She was in horrible pain for the last 5 miles of the half, and she was in awesome shape. There is no way that she could have finished a full marathon that day, and she has a very high pain tolerance. IT band pain gets progressively worse as you continue to exercise. It does not level out or diminish.

If you decide to do the marathon, you are going to be in a whole lot of pain. It will likely ruin the experience of your first marathon. If I were you, I would defer and prepare for next year.

This was me in my horrible half marathon last year - I'd been super diligent about my training, hadn't had a whisper of ITBS pain in a few years, and I was on track for a HUGE PR over the first half of the race...and it just all went to...well, you know. I'm still sort of bitter.

That's a great point about it potentially ruining OP's first marathon. If it were me, I would defer.

 

[Slogger]

@Princess Roo.......first off sorry that you are dealing with pain. Never fun. Seeing a doctor, strength training (if possible), and rest are all strategies to consider.

This year I injured myself on the 3rd run of a 16 week program, and basically had to shut down all of my planned running activities. Frustrating, irritating, painful times for sure.
I have dealt with some type of injury or pain before all of my marathons which limited training plans and led to problems on the course.

Did I make it to the finish line? Yes
Was it an enjoyable experience? Not so much.

The MCM is one of the best marathons out there . I ran it two years ago and reaggravated a sore ankle and pretty much walked/limped through the last 6 miles. The slower pace allowed me to take a better look at my surroundings: the scenery, the crowds, the runners, and of course those awesome Marines! I have no regrets and glad I toughed it out.
Hopefully you will be able to make it and have a positive experience, even if you have to lower your time expectations! Only you can decide what is best for you.

 

[Woth2982]

I think it depends on the person. If I was in @Woth2982 situation I would have had to have been carted off the course on a stretcher.

Haha it was not a fun day that is for sure. Had a complete mental breakdown on the 20 mile long run. I was running for charity, so my stubbornness kicked in and I just went with it. Had a shin splint develop the week after the 20, and that lasted through the marathon. I don't ever plan to train like this again lol.

 

[bumbershoot]

My brother, who has done MC, and who just yesterday, as a last ditch effort, had a steroid injection for IT band stuff that cropped up out of nowhere and has persisted for months, says he would defer.

 

[J3nn78]

I would defer. I ran undertrained in 2013 and it was terrible. I ended up with stress fractures and spent 13 miles of the full walking backwards while holding onto my husband because that alleviated some of the pain. I was doing Dopey and the pain began on the final day, so i was determined to finish. I did, but it was terrible and miserable for me.
You want this to be a positive experience. You don't want to be in so much pain that you cannot enjoy it. Defer, take the time to heal properly, and then give it a go next time. IT band pain won't subside without proper rest. It is inflammation that will only increase with usage.

 

[LSUlakes]

I wasn't quite sure what to title my question, but am hoping others can share their experiences. I am registered for my first marathon (Marine Corps) in late October. It is also my husband's first marathon and we were really looking forward to doing it together. But I started having IT band problems about a month ago and have had a hard time getting it under control. (I have been doing everything I'm supposed to with ice massage, stretching, and strengthening exercises, took some time off, and now am starting back gently.) Right now discomfort starts about 4 miles into a run. I ran 5 miles last weekend and then walked one more. My knee hurt the rest of the day a bit, but was fine by the next morning. Prior to the injury, I had worked up to a 10 mile long run. In general I am in great shape and have been able to continue cross-training (strength training, elliptical, bike) while injured, but I have never run more than 14 miles.

So, my question for those who have done marathons before is whether you would defer the marathon or still do it, undertrained? There are 8 weekends before the race, which doesn't give me much time to ramp up the miles. My strength training coach (an ultramarathoner) is saying I shouldn't worry at all about just doing 16 miles as my longest run beforehand, and that since it's IT band I can just run through the pain that day. My husband and I weren't planning to "race" it, but try to take it easy and do it for the experience. I'd really still like to have this experience with him, but I also don't want to dramatically hold him back and end up hobbling through the last however many miles. (I am typically a faster runner than him, but he will be much better trained.)

Thanks in advance for any advice!

I thought about this for a while, and I know you really want to run this race. I can only think of a few logical reason on why you should run it, but the list on why you shouldn't is much longer. I would suggest you defer and take some more time off to recover.