When people find out I broke my leg in several places, the first question they ask is, “How did it happen?” I wish I had a great story to tell, but here’s the truth: I broke it slowly, over many miles, as I trained for a fall marathon.

After running the London Marathon this year, I took a few weeks off to recover before I started training for Chicago. I planned on following a 16-week training plan, but because I had taken some time off, I slowly began building my base back up three weeks before the official start of my plan.

Everything went great to start. The hip pain that ailed me in the winter disappeared and my legs felt fresh. I ran a few 4-milers to gauge my fitness level, and I was shocked when I almost scored a personal best. After the second 4-miler, I felt a slight pain in my shin. I’ve had shin splints before, so I thought nothing of it.…