Running with a broken elbow (or, "It's just a flesh wound!", or, "Come back here! I'll bite your legs off!")

Yes, you can!

When I broke my elbow at Zumbro (story in a future post), I googled "running with a broken elbow" and "running with a broken arm" the same night.  There's not a lot out there on the internets about running with a full arm cast (though a number of stories about short arm casts), so I thought it might be helpful to share my experience.  The summary?  Yes, it can be done.  If you're a little nuts.

At my first appointment with my orthopedic surgeon, I asked "Can I run?"  It was 5 weeks before Superior 50K, my first ultra, and I was not going to miss it, by golly.  She assured me that I could run as soon as it was in a cast, a week after surgery.  Before, that, low/no impact exercise was fine.

That curvy piece off to the left is supposed to be attached to something.

With my arm in a giant splint and a doctor's blessing, I was at the YWCA bright and early the very next morning.  I hit the elliptical [I believe that may be a first for me! I didn't even die of boredom], then cranked the treadmill up to 15% grade and walked, briskly, for 30 minutes up a big imaginary hill.  Hey, it beat another half-hour of elliptical.

As an aside, you want some funny looks and great conversations, go do a really sweaty workout at your local Y or running trails with a full arm splint or cast on.  Had a great talk with a guy who broke BOTH wrists and several fingers two years ago in a bike accident, recovered, and decided to bike across the country.  He concluded his story, "So you WILL get better! Hang in there!"  Oh yes I will.

My awesome orthopod fixed me up four days post injury with a ginormous plate and six screws.

Talk about race hardware!

I enjoyed two days of frequent naps, quality cat time, and Vicodin, then swapped the good drugs for Tylenol and hit the Y.  Still in a splint, I biked, elliptical'd, and did lower-body strength work (lunges, squats, situps, whatever I could think of).  Got into a cast on post op day 6 and the next day I ran a mile, on the indoor track at the Y.  It was slow and awkward, but nothing hurt.  The next day I ran 5.4 miles, no slower than usual.  (There's nothing like an 10 day, unplanned, radical taper to help your speed).  The 50K was ON!

On post op day 10, 4 days after getting my cast, I did the last big training run before Superior -- 25 miles at Afton State Park.  I wore my Hoka Stinsons, my go-to trail shoe at that point.  I carried a Velcro luggage strap in case I needed a field sling.  (I didn't).  Reasoning that I tie up my only functional hand with a handheld, I exchanged my usual Ultimate Direction bottle for a new-out-of-the-package Nathan Intensity hydration pack.  (Luckily, it worked magnificently the whole day).  I filled it with Nuun, stuffed 900 kcal of snacks into the front pockets (Shot Bloks, Gu and Roctane, Picky Bars), and I was off, in 39 degrees and crisp air, at 5:30 am.  A 30-minute out-and-back while waiting for others to get there, then the 15.5 mile race loop, then a very slow and gimpy solo 7 miles back around Africa Loop/Back 40.

It went pretty well, considering my entire dominant arm was in a massive fiberglass cast.  A little IT band problem on the opposite hip in the first 3 miles or so went away fairly quickly.  It came back in the last 5 miles with a vengeance, and I mostly walked the last 3 miles or so, occasionally jogging a segment or two.  I've never had IT band problems to speak of before or since.  I theorize they related to decreased arm swing on the right because of the added weight of the cast.  I had a pretty serious bonk at the end of the full loop, around mile 18, but got a second wind after eating an entire Picky Bar.  It was very difficult to get back up and head back out for the last 7 miles, but I did it.

I was in the cast for 3 weeks and ran over 75 miles in it.  It was funky, and awkward, but it worked okay.  I always felt like I would feel worse if I didn't run, so I just kept going for runs in it.  When I got it off and graduated to the articulated arm brace, it was a relief, but also a triumph.  Nothing was going to stop me from doing my 50K.

Graduated to a brace. I added the Superior bling myself.

Weekly training summary, with Afton run

I suppose this is technically Week X of Twin Cities Marathon training (or week X-2 of Wild Duluth 50K?), but I am determined to spend as much of the summer as possible winging it. I'll start paying attention to my schedule again (modified Hal Higdon Marathon 3) when the long runs get to 16 or 17 miles in a month or so.

Monday: Rest (recovering from a 10 hour drive back from St. Louis)
Tuesday: Run 8.3 miles in 1:31
Wednesday: Rest (busy! work!)
Thursday: Run 7.1 miles in 1:15
Friday: Rest (busy!)
Saturday: Run 15.5-ish miles at Afton State Park in 3:35
Sunday: Run 5.6 miles in 1:07

Total mileage: 36.5

The Big Deal this week (which was devoid of cross training or strength training, thanks to a busy work week) was the run at Afton.  Since we're three weeks out from the Afton Trail Run 25K and 50K, it was fun to see so many runners out on the trails.  Lots of fun to run with friends from Superior, Upper Midwest Trail Runners, and some new acquaintances.

The Afton 25K loop is pretty stout.  Here's the elevation chart (courtesy of the race website):

Yes, I know no climb is more than 300 ft. It's still invigorating.

It's the second time I've done a full loop there; the first was 3 weeks before Superior and involved a long arm cast.  That was a 25 mile, 6 hour run (did some before, then repeated Africa Loop/Back 40 a second time after fighting off a serious bonk) so I was excited to see how it felt without the physical burden of a giant cast and the mental (and physical) burden of another 10 miles.

It was fun to see the course again, and nice to be on it without any snow, ice, or (many) downed trees.  I think I'd forgotten the hill up to the campground, I felt better on the downhills than last time, and the Snowshoe Loop, which had been a real mental struggle last time, was actually kind of fun (in a "crap, I'm really redlining it now!) kind of way.  That last hill out of Snowshoe pretty much did me in, though.  I was very pleased to be finished after a single loop.  But, coming at the end of my biggest mileage week since Superior, I'll take it and put those miles (and hills) in the bank.

Notes:
- Ate 8-10 dates and half a Larabar, plus 6 S-Caps. Drank ~ 2L water.
- Carried my Nathan Intensity hydration vest. This is the 5th long (13+ mi) run I've worn it for and it has won a permanent spot in my summer running repertoire.
- First long run wearing my new InkNBurn tank top. It's a winner! Awesome fit, no chafing, totally comfortable, got lots of compliments. Only downside relative to my Icebreaker tops: after sweating profusely in it, it stinks. Hope it holds up in the laundry! (the InkNBurn shorts do, so I think it'll be okay).
- Longest run (and 3rd run ever) in my new Saucony Peregrine 3s. Very pleased with these, though my left big toenail was starting to complain on the downhills by the end. The feel is a lot like the Kinvaras, and those have lately been my go-to road shoe.

This morning, my quads called in sick.  They perked up a little during my slow hilly recovery run around the river, but I think they may have now called in dead.  That's okay, this coming week at work is going to be a gnarly one.  My main goal for the coming week is to survive work and make it to the French 5K (race 2 of 4 of the Endless Summer Trail Series on Wednesday night.  Gotta get all the coffee mugs!