I received a diagnosis of a single closed fracture of the 3rd rib after being kicked in the breaststroke by another athlete during the first corner turn at the start of the swimming event at the Daegu Ironman Triathlon on May 10th.
The impact and pain were significant at the time, but since it was my first competition in a long time, I endured it and finished in 2 hours and 17 minutes. Three days later, I was diagnosed with a fracture at the hospital and was advised to refrain from exercise for at least 4 to 6 weeks and to wear a chest protector.
I have another Ironman competition in June, so I planned to remove the brace and gradually start exercising before then. Whether I was too strong-willed or the doctor understood my love of exercise, he urged me to rest for at least 3 weeks... For those 3 weeks, I devoted myself entirely to rest.
During my rest period, I drank bone broth and took iron supplements and vitamin D, which are good for bone health. I also went for walks every day facing the sun and practiced sculling, one-arm freestyle, and kicking in the pool in the evenings to maintain my swimming skills.
Two weeks before the competition, after an ultrasound examination, I removed the brace and started very low-intensity exercise. I gradually increased my exercise intensity and prepared for the competition.
In the last week, I should have gone through a period of carbohydrate loading and tapering to complete my body preparation, but due to insufficient training volume, I exercised at race pace until 3 days before the competition. Although I was getting better, there seemed to be some lingering pain. I was anxious.
Arriving at the Goseong Ironman 70.3 venue, I decided to ignore any pain and just do my best. I started swimming.
I swam as wide a course as possible, covering 2,060 meters... Cycling in an aerodynamic position caused pain every time I breathed because it compressed my upper body. The sections where I had to hold the handlebars became more frequent, and my cycling record, which I considered my strength, ended miserably.
Fortunately, my breathing became easier at the beginning of the run, and the chest pain decreased. From the middle of the race, I picked up the pace and ran at a decent 4:32 pace.
My final time was 4 hours and 50 minutes, finishing just under 5 hours. Thankfully, there was no major pain afterward, and the hospital said that my ribs had healed somewhat crookedly. There's nothing I can do about it...
It remains to be seen what consequences the misaligned rib will have, but I am gradually increasing my exercise volume and becoming able to prepare for the next competition step by step.
When I first posted about my injury, many people empathized with me and wished me well. Thanks to their support and encouragement, I was able to get back on my feet after the injury.
Now that the days are getting hotter and summer is approaching, news of new bikes will be released and we'll be able to see tours. May everyone always stay healthy and have a fun and injury-free summer!
