recovering from femoral neck stress fracture, ready to start linear progression?

[nanson]

38, F, 162lbs, 5'4", long distance trail runner

I am recovering from a femoral neck stress fracture, left leg. Stopped all activity Nov. 12 once I realized it wasn't just a hip flexor strain. Diagnosed via MRI Nov. 25th. After being partially to non weight bearing for ~6 weeks I started working on my balance and strength in the injured leg with high rep body weight and light dumbbell exercises. Lunges, dumbbell squats, step ups, pistols to a bench (still need to put the right heel down sometimes when working the injured leg). I am cleared to do anything that doesn't hurt.

General description of training history: no real strength training in the last two years other than hill sprints. Old pr's (before I got more serious with the running) were 205lbs squat, 275 dead, 105 press, 145 bench, 105 power clean.

Any special diet and whether you are currently gaining or losing weight: gained about 10lbs since I've been injured, not that concerned about it. I don't plan on trying to lose it until I am stronger.

Major goals: get stronger so that I can get back to trail running. I'm aiming for at least a body weight squat before I start training running again, then a slower progression up to at least 1.5.

Over the last week I've been testing out squatting, deadlifting and pressing. Since none caused any pain or aching the next day I think I am ready to start a linear progression.

Here is what I managed last week:
Squat: 75lbs for 10 reps, 5 felt easy so I kept going, didn't go up in weight because squatting still feels a little weird, not painful just uncoordinated. I plan on being very conservative with squatting because the first time I tried three weeks ago, clearly too soon, with just the bar) my left quad freaked out and locked up tight for a couple of days (not DOMS, felt different and it hit immediately)... probably trying to protect the hip.
Bench press 95lbs x5,
Deadlift 155lbs x5
Press 65lbs x5
Chinups 1, not pretty

My major concern is with the power cleans. I feel like they would put more stress on my femur than squats or deads despite being lower in weight. I can do single leg hops, and have progressed to 10 min of slow jogging, but I don't know where power cleans fit in the continuum of stress through the femoral neck.

Questions:
Can anyone think of a reason I'm not ready to start? Anything else I should work on first?
Thoughts on the power clean issue? Go for it? Wait for the squat to improve first since that seems to be the lift that stresses my hip out the most?

[Red Finn]

Interesting situation. I suggest you search the forum to see if anyone has dealt with this problem before, and beyond that I think it might be good to post this in Rip's Q&A.

I don't see that power cleans are very important for someone in your position, so don't feel like you absolutely must find a way to do them. As for the rest, the general rule around here is to start light and progress slowly with good form as long as you feel you're not hurting yourself.

Edited to add: As I read your post more carefully, it sounds like you used to lift weights regularly but then stopped as you became more serious about running. You would have detrained (lost strength) considerably in that time, and then you had a stress fracture.

Strength training makes your muscles and bones stronger, so you should think about devoting a little more attention to strength training even once you return to running. Something to think about.

[nanson]

I did a search and found an interesting thread, but not all that relevant.

I like power cleaning, so I'd like to do them. I'm just scared about overdoing it. I should probably hold off on them until the other lifts have had a chance to strengthen the bones some since power cleans are more like a weighted jump which I think will cause too much stress.

Strength training makes your muscles and bones stronger, so you should think about devoting a little more attention to strength training even once you return to running. Something to think about.

Definitely not going to make that mistake again! Stupid part is I knew better... just kept putting off the strength training. Doubly stupid since my strength while running trails is my strength, and my ability to keep going. I'll never be faster up shallow hills than my 110 pound friends (who actually look like distance runners), but I can outpace or outlast them on steep (everybody is walking) hills and I destroy most people on steep downhills.

Off to the gym now