Heel injury

Question
I had an unusual injury approx. 6 weeks ago and my doctor didn't have a useful answer for me.  I have heel spurs which have caused me no problems for the past 18 years of marathon running and competitive cycling.  However, I had a "skidding" injury which fractured my left heal spur and has left me unable to run due to pain.  Any suggestions on how to continue aerobic training while not causing further trauma?  Also, have you encountered this injury before and how long can I expect healing to take (my doctor was clueless never having seen this injury).  Thanks

Answer
Jen,

I am surprised you never had problems before for 18 years. Heel spurs can be a real pain. Do you have access to a pool, such as at a fitness club? If you do, the best thing to do is to do water running. This is an excellent way to keep your fitness and to allow proper recovery. There is no pounding in the water, yet the resistance is great for the body. I had to do this for a week in college and it was very tough. You can even do pickups such as 1 min hard, 1 min easy, 3 hard, 1 easy, 4 hard, 1 easy, and back down the ladder. If you don't have a pool, then the next best thing would probably be to ride a stationary bike. Both of these are good for aerobic/anaerobic fitness and will keep the pounding off your heel. Both will probably result in some muscle soreness as they use some different muscles than running.
It is hard to tell how long the pain/injury will persist. Fractures can be serious, and a big part of recovery is use/nonuse. Staying off of it will help it heal faster. What city are you in?? If you are near Chicago or LA I know two great doctors that have worked with running Olympians. Hope this helps.

Ryan