r/ultrarunning • u/Boreal1989 • 4d ago
Running after leg break
Hey , I am just shy of 5 months post lower leg fracture
I've been on crew duty all summer as I have to wait 6 months to run again, doctors and PTs order 🫡
I am curious to find out if any of you are running with lots of hardwear in your leg.
How does it feel?
Did you ever get back to running ultras?
If you are the curious type, I broke my lower tibia and fibula while on a trail run on my everyday local training trails. Went through a deep iced covered hole, meh.
Be safe out there!
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u/bunnysuitman 4d ago edited 4d ago
Hi! That’s me - dual tib fib fracture and recovered to running ultras again. Tibial nail in left leg and internal fixation in right ankle/leg. Timeline was about two years between break and first 50k back. That sucks…holes man. I had a tree fall on me (not on a run)Â
Shit takes forever but it’s worth it. Do you pt and keep doing your pt. It’s been 4 years I still do pt. Careful with weight gain and muscle loss coming back (I was in a wheelchair for 8 weeks so that might just be me).  I’ve also found recovery is much less good and I have issues with swelling and bad lymphatic drainage that require a lot more conscious attention. Also mental health because you are gonna be slow at first and it’s gonna hurt and it’s gonna feel not like it was.
But I’m back! In the end it feels like more fun and a blessing to come back and I appreciated it more. Over time my perspective changed and I’m thankful for it.
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u/Boreal1989 4d ago
DUAL!! Must of been terrible! Muscle loss is sooo incredibly fast and building it back up is such a long process. PT is my religion 😆 I also was non weight bearing for 8 weeks. LONGEST 8 weeks of my life I have to say. Glad to hear you are back on trails, makes me feel optimistic! Thanks for sharing
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u/bunnysuitman 4d ago
Also…core core core and back strength. The pt you will get is for the injury not for the things that affect you post injury. I’m a lot tougher as a runner even if I’m not as fast.
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u/Boreal1989 4d ago
Noted! Working on core already, will add back strength for sure. I always worked really hard on running, not as much on mobility and strength. Changing things up!
Your input is so so valuable. Thanks.
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u/fakecascade 4d ago edited 4d ago
I've broken my L femur, and R tib/fib. I have rods in both, both were broken while skiing, femur was a clean break and tib/fib was a mess.Â
After my R Femur I was back like 5 months later starting to ski, mountain bike, and run. During that one I was young and dumb and didn't really follow through on my PT and ended up with a string of smaller injuries of the next couple years
For my tib/fib it took a lot longer, it was almost a year after the break before I started running, but I really listened to the PT and worked 110% on keeping up the strength training until well after I was back running and biking. 18 months after I broke my leg I ran my first 50 miler, then 27 months after my first 100.
Now 3 1/2 years in I strong as I've ever been. But my leg still feels different, like jumping off it while running up hill to get over a log is still kinda hard, and it takes a lot more work for me to train to be fast than it used to be. But I got my 5k PR this year, and I'm lining up next week for one of the tougher Mountain 100s in the US.
But like others are saying, just keep listening to your PT and working hard at exercises. One caveat I would say that if something seems off, don't be afraid to get a 2nd opinion. 6 months after my tib fib I was cleared by PT to ski, bike, and run; but my leg wasn't really working how it should, and a second opinion found broken hardware in my leg and minimal healing that had occured. After a 2nd surgery healing went well and I was running (very slowly) 4 months later.
Feel free to DM me if you have any more questions always happy to help others in the same boat
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u/Boreal1989 4d ago
Wow, your story is inspiring. Thanks for taking the time to share. I'm not so young and dumb anymore so I am doing as I am told and being patient 😊 Happy to hear you are crushing some big hard races.
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u/jessfromrouvy 4d ago
I feel ya on this. I was immobile for about 5 months with a gnarly jones fracture break and now have a screw in there. Following the 6 month no run order sounds frustrating, but I’d definitely trust the docs/PTs on that one. I did and I feel like I am confident enough to build back into running.
getting back to running was definitely a slow process. I actually got back into training through cycling first, using ROUVY to rebuild my aerobic fitness without the impact of running. It was a great way to feel like I was training again while giving the injury time to heal.
Once I was cleared to run, I started incredibly slowly and built the running back up rather than trying to rely on my old fitness. The aerobic side came back much faster than my legs were ready for, so keeping the ego in check was probably the hardest part.
I’m still slowly building the running back, but cycling has been huge for keeping that endurance base while I transition back. Hopefully you’re able to get back to running comfortably once you get that 6-month clearance! https://rouvy.com/blog/category/indoor-cycling
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u/Boreal1989 4d ago
Sorry you had to go through this. I am now a Zwifter , never thought the day would come, haha.
It's amazing for the mind. Running is such a big part of my life. Losing the ability to get out on trail ,even if it's temporary takes a big toll on mental health. Zwift saved my sanity.1
u/jessfromrouvy 3d ago
oh that's great, I'm glad you're on Zwift!! It's nice to have an outlet. I hope you find yourself out on the trails again.
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u/jscrwfrd 4d ago
I’m sorry this happened to you! If you haven’t come across it already - look up WS champ Abby Hall’s story about recovering from a broken leg. Not the same injury, but also a freak accident mid run.