Stress Fracture Update Part Four

On Saturday (4/23) I wrapped up a 28 mile ride. Conditions were not the best, but at least the snow is gone...perhaps for good. After the bike I decided to test the status of the pelvic stress fracture.

The thinking was that in a window of six to eight weeks, I should be healed up and ready to slowly get back into running. Saturday was the six week water mark. I lasted 0.4 miles. I have a ways to go. While the pain is gone when walking, biking, or swimming, it is still very much present when I try to run.

I'm thinking I'll need at least another four to six week of recovery time gauging how it felt during this very short test run. The positive was I was able to wear my Mizuno® Wave® Universe 3...all 3.8 ounces of them. Yep, not going to miss the LunaRacers too much. These are awesome race flats.

I think all my May and June tri/du events will be off the table. I just don't see the possibility of running any time soon. So maybe July....I hope. And then I can try and get in some late season events. Unless the Boy® or Well Kept Wife™ wants to do some relays with one of them doing the running leg?

I'm doing my best to keep my head and attitude positive. What is the saying? When life gives you lemons......? So I am starting to scope out Aquabike events around the country. Aquabike is an endurance sport composed of swimming and cycling stages. The Aquabike Series was a USAT pilot program in 2005 in which athletes can compete in the swim and the bike portions of a half or ultra distance triathlon, but not do the run. This could be my ticket to stay interested in training if the run recovery from the stress fracture continues to take its sweet time. Two possible events would be:

June 11 - Iron Mountain Aquabike (Arkadelphia, Arkansas);  USAT sanctioned – 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike


Sep 24 – Redman Full IM or Half IM Aquabike (Oklahoma City, OK) USAT sanctioned – 2.4 mi swim , 112 mi bike or 1.2mi swim, 56mi bike,


Why two events? Like duathlon, to garner official national ranking one must complete two USAT sanctioned Aquabike events. And I really can't complain about my swim or bike too much despite having not done any training since March 3. I would just have to hope the water temperatures at either of these events allows for a wetsuit. There is no way this old man is going to even attempt a 1.2 mile swim without his trusty wetsuit!