That's me out of action!

[Fighting Frog]

Great...was training on my own today on the heavy bag; at the end did another set of knee kick drills...and got a super nasty stress fracture of my right foot. It's absolutely ****ed.

I'll be in plaster for the best part of two months; but with luck I won't need an op to plate it.

That's totally stuffed my training though. And I shall have to completely re-think how I train in the future; although in fairness it could have just as easily happened while running, lifting something heavy, or jumping off a kerb.

[threeoaks]

:( so sorry.  I HATE injuries.  Watch a lot of fights!!

[Kaitlin Rose Young]

That's really frustrating! I'm sorry to hear it. How long have you been training?

[NewThai]

I've trained in a boot before so you may be hitting things sooner than you expect. So sorry you got hurt though.

[Fighting Frog]

I've been training for a couple of years now; some of the time on my own against the heavy bag, some of the time very intensively with my trainer.

At least I can still do core and upper body work, but even just standing right now is intensely painful (as is just sitting, if it comes to that).

It's a very bad fracture so I really will have to be careful and follow the surgeons' instructions as it will take a long time to heal. I may never be able to flex my foot properly again, so doing pushups etc in the future will be tricky.

[radarjam]

Hope you'll have a speedy recovery Fighting Frog! 

[Fighting Frog]

Well, the foot is still somewhat broken (the top part is still not healed) but it's all stable enough now that my orthopod has said I can return to normal life - go back to work, drive, start GENTLE exercising. Well, it only took three and a half months. Pffft.

It's quite uncomfortable still; and I must admit I'm terrified of flexing my foot and it all falling apart again. I've started adding some gentle jogs for a short distance when I go for my daily walk; it's rather flat-footed (I'm very flat footed anyway), and in sturdy supportive boots. Not exactly great technique, but it's a start.

Next week I shall try a few rounds on the heavy bag; I've been doing just a little each week to remind my muscles what to do, but without going onto my toes. However my situps and knee-based push ups (I can't put any pressure on my right foot) have come along a treat!

[515]

Good luck with the recovery! But good to hear that you can start moving again.
For the push ups, maybe you can try them on your left foot and put the right one over the left one and let it just hang/rest.

[Fighting Frog]

An update on my poor foot: I have finally been discharged from fracture clinic. It's still not completely healed, but it's now as stable as it's going to get, and the last gaps and holes will fill in over time, and the whole bone will gradually tidy itself up. I had another long chat with my consultant about exactly what I do in MT, and he has again confirmed that there is no reason why I can't go back to full training now.

It still aches a lot mind you; and sudden steps sideways are painful. However I feel a lot more confident now that the damn thing won't just explode again! Today I even repeated the knee drill on the heavy bag - this time I managed to refrain from snapping anything.

I am now booking sessions with my trainer again; can't wait to get back to sparring.

[radarjam]

Ah, speaking of injuries, I ended up getting one [hairline fracture on my rib + torn ligaments] from my last fight in Feb. I was out for 3 weeks and the moment I went back training, I started getting aches again haha. I went over to the doctor to get a professional opinion and he basically gave me the clear to train "smart" -- so GLAD he didn't tell me to rest and not do anything.  

At this moment I am working on "active recovery" procedures such as light jogging, strength training that doesn't engage the ribs too much and light pad-work. I haven't done any sparring yet since I am afraid that someone will kick me in my rib [by accident] and I might be out of commission again. It really sucks for you and I having to deal with injuries (I think yours is far worse than mine) but I suppose it takes time to be patient and work with what we can. I am looking to fight in May so hopefully everything will be healed up by then! I hope everything works out with you as well @fightingfrog!  

[danibug]

Hey radarjam, I'm curious how your rib has healed up since March. Have you been having recurring issues with it? I have a cracked rib from sparring last week and am wondering how long I should wait before I start training again. I probably wont spar for another month or so, but I'm hoping I can start with some gentle exercises/drills next week. 

Hope your foot is doing better Fighting Frog!

-Dani

[Fighting Frog]

Thank you for asking! It still aches from time to time - my surgeon says I'll have this discomfort for the rest of my life. However I did get back into full training - we took it easy at first as I found going onto my toes for a left kick painful, and kicking hard with the right leg sent vibrations down which also hurt a lot. After time though it all stopped, and my right leg position improved as I had to hold my foot correctly or it was too painful!

I am now back to working alone (sob); but I am running a lot more to try and maintain some sort of fitness. It sounds feeble but I've entered my first 10K run for next month, and am very excited about it. After my first long run of five miles massively bruised a toe (I lost the toenail as a result) I now have a pair of proper running shoes, and they have made a big difference - I was running in my walking shoes before. Last week, in a desperate effort to catch an earlier train than planned I ran three miles (in a smidge over 30 minutes) dressed in heavy riding boots and carrying a rucksack and bag. So I reckon if I can manage that sort of caper then 10K should be a doddle...

I miss MT training though; but I'm not having much luck finding alternative training. My work lifestyle simply doesn't allow for an hour's travelling each way, or even regular classes. I think I'm going to be stuck with just the occasional private session.

But everyone - do let cracked/broken ribs heal properly before you put pressure on them. Apart from anything else, if they are damaged it can affect your breathing, and if that happens you run the risk of a chest infection which will be hard to clear if you can't cough properly. Your ribs protect a lot of delicate organs - let them do their job! Sorry, caution comes from working in trauma...