Discussion: Experience running with a cast on your arm?

I am going to be in a cast soon over my lower right arm and wrist ("spika" I think it is called) for 6-8 weeks after surgery on a fractured wrist left over from a crash in last year's Transalp (i'll never try to tow someone on a bike again). I hope though I can still get some good running and orienteering training in this Spring to be ready for Jukola, plus some indoor biking. The surgeon said both are ok. I remember from my last time in a cast that I was never supposed to get it wet though, and well it is hard to run without sweating or orienteer without falling in a swamp, at least where I live. Does anyone have any tips or warnings, particularly on how to keep the cast dry, not too mention the flesh underneath the cast?

Check with your surgeon and request a fibreglass cast - a bit more expensive but worth it as it's lighter and more durable: you can get it wet (within limits of course ;-)

Can you tell us how towing somone on a bike led to your crash and fracture? This is something we would all like to avoid.

I had no trouble running with a cast after breaking my wrist at the Billygoat a few years back. Definately get a fiberglass cast (can you even get plaster ones anymore?) since they can get wet and are porous enough to dry out. When mine got to sweaty I would rinse it as best I could in the shower and then use a hair drier to dry the inside.
Biggest problems with orienteering with a cast were I could not work the punches easily, and fear of falling. I slowed down a lot in uneven and rocky footing.

A spika is term used when a bandage such a Tensor, is wrapped on the bias to provide support and pressure along a limb, usually at a joint. A spika cast is one that is usually removable, that provides stability of a joint (similar to a hard cast) with a rigid frame and a wrap that supports the cast and holds it in place.

Likely, what you're going to get, then, is a light weight removable cast that won't disrupt your training all that much... good luck with the wrist/arm!

PS: how did a bike tow lead to such an accident?

Encouraging to hear it is possible to orienteer with a cast on! I was probably wrong about the "spika", I don't think it will be removable. Then it would be too tempting to just take it off...the doctors know me.

As for the crash, it was pure stupidity. I showed up for the Transalp in good shape and rearing to go. However, my partner, a top Finnish adventure racer who I expected to be the faster of our pair, showed up unprepared physically, coming off an injury. We should have called it off then. His bike was in poor shape too. The first day just about everything possible broke on his bike on the first climb and every repair failed, so it was either abandon or tow him, something we had never practiced. I found a super-strong bike tube on the side of the rode, so he held it to his handbars and I tied it to my seat, and then towed him to the finish line (80k more!). Being stubborn I wouldn't let him quit and he was too nice about it, even though he was feeling terrible, and for the next three days we pulled out this tube on most of the climbs, and I continued to tow him. This is actually what most of the top mixed teams are doing too, although they have obviously practiced and have something better than just a bike tube, which is of course stretchy. I'm sure my partner was not enjoying this, having to ride at my pace and follow my line on narrow single track. When we didn't need the tube he would toss it up to me and I would wrap it around my seat post. Only one time, when we were picking up speed, I didn't catch it. You probably already guessed...it went straight into my rear disc brake. I did a superman. I still finished the race solo, which was also stupid as my wrist was broken (the race medics thought it was just a sprain but it hurt like hell). Since then, I have heard of other such towing accidents from adventure racers. There is not doubt that on serious terrain it is risky, lots of things can happen and so you must really be focused when towing. If you are going to do it, make sure that there is something holding up whatever kind of rope or line you are towing with so that it can't get anywhere near a wheel or a brake. Lastly, don't practice this for the first time in a race and make sure you buddy is not suffering needlessly! My own feeling now is that it probably shouldn't be allowed at all in races like the Transalp, which I know is a sentiment of many of the racers. Most of the women I saw being towed looked about as miserable as my partner.

By the way, that partner, just won the Bergson Winter Challenge and a place in the AR world champs. Well done Alpo!

Thanks for the story...