The weeks are flying by so fast and summer is in full effect. We kind of had a small break this week from the 90 degree heat but it is going to be back next week. My long runs take some strategic planning when it come to this heat.
This past Saturday I was supposed run the Zooma Napa Valley Half Marathon. The bad news is that I did not make it to the race. When I stepped out of bed on Friday morning, I had the worst pain in my right heel. I could hardly walk on it. I have dealt with a minor case of plantar fasciitis in the past so I know what to do. I decided that I did not want to take the six hour drive and spend $400 on my hotel if I was not going to be able to run the race. It was a difficult decision but I know that I would have felt even worse if pain kept me from finishing the race. I think I prefer a DNS over a DNF!
I had to change my running plans around at the end of the week due to the heel pain. In other words, I missed my long run this week because I didn't want to push it. I was pretty bummed since it kind of killed my mileage for June.
Monday: Rest Day with strength training. I keep these things right by my bed so they are right there when I need to get up and do them. I am really enjoying the medicine ball!
Tuesday: 7.32 Miles@ 8:12/I had a really busy week at work and did not get home from work until almost 11:00 pm on Tuesday. I still made time for my run but I was exhausted by the time I finally got home. I am very lucky to have the job that I have so I cannot complain.
Wednesday: Rest Day with strength training. I can hold a plank for over three minutes now so I am kind of proud of myself because it's progress. I would really like to get to five minutes one day!
Thursday: 6.02 Miles@9:08/I was not in the mood for the treadmill so I took my chances and ran in the 80 degree heat. It was slow, painful and ugly (9:40, 9:14, 9:12, 9:11, 9:06, 8:26.) I know that every run cannot be a good run so I pushed through it and got it done.
Friday:Rest Day with strength training.
Saturday: 7.10 Mile Progressive Run @8:39 avg/The weather was perfect and I wanted to test out my foot to see if my heel would hurt while I ran and it did not. Thank God! I started out easy and then picked it up the last few miles. I have been rolling my foot with a frozen water bottle and tennis ball to get it under control. I am keeping my fingers crossed on this one.
Sunday: 5 Miles Easy@ 8:56/After my run we headed out on a road trip to Las Vegas. My son was pretty bummed that he did not get to go to San Francisco as part of our trip so we made a quick trip to Las Vegas and he was good with that. I will post some pictures of our trip when we return.
Total Miles: 25.44 (Pretty low mileage week, but low miles is better than no miles.)
Have you ever dealt with plantar fasciitis? Any advice?
Bummer about the PF and the race. You know I have lots of advice about the PF:
ReplyDeletehttp://fitfunmom.com/2012/12/03/how-to-recover-from-plantar-fasciitis-heel-and-arch-pain/
I think keeping the calves loose is the key.
Just read it! I am doing most of things that you recommended. I haven't changed anything lately so I am not sure what brought it on. I have also been using KT Tape Pro when I run and I don't have pain when I run. I hope this doesn't last long. I can't back out of any more races!
DeleteSo sorry! I had it once several years ago, luckily it was pretty mild and went away after amonth or so, although I did take some time off running. Lots of foot and calf stretching, icing and rolling
ReplyDeleteI am doing all of the above. I hope it goes away quickly! I hate the feeling of knowing that something is wrong and might affect my training.
DeleteStill bummed for you about the race - but I'm so glad that you listened and you know what to do. Listening to your body is the hardest part but the part we need to do most! Hugs! You'll get there (and you still had a KILLER June!).
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry to hear about your plantar fasciitis. Unfortunately, there are a ton of myths on how to work with plantar fasciitis. (e.g,, stretching the posterior calf musculature and rolling the bottom of the foot are only addressing the symptom.)
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, in most cases, plantar fasciitis has very little to do with the foot where you experience the discomfort. That's just one of the many reasons why so many runners/athletes struggle with plantar fasciitis for months. And in many cases, years.
That being said, if you take a field trip to 10 different clinics tomorrow, I'm betting that everybody and their uncle will focus on the foot where you have the pain and tightness.
To say the same thing in a slightly different way, it's never a good idea for a professional to chase the pain. Once you realize that many (most!) professionals are relying on the next best guess as to what is really going on with your chain, it's much easier to navigate the situation better.
Because let's face it, I've never even seen you run, but I can guarantee that you're not running in the same way that the 20 other people that visited the clinic for plantar fasciitis are. In that's just in one day. So, why then, would you receive the same recommendations?
Plantar fasciitis is much easier to control when you catch it early. Here are a couple of easy things to implement: (1) If you have a hard wood floor or tiled floor in your living space, you want to wear something that allows for *friction* between the bottom of your foot and the floor.
If there is no friction when your foot is interacting with the ground, your plantar fascia will get irritated even more.
(2) Take a look at your current racing/training shoes. It's possible that you're not wearing a running shoe that allows your foot to load (pronate) and unload (supinate) properly.
[Note: Just because you have been injury free up to this point, doesn't mean you're performing in the *right* shoe, for you.]
Another possibility to consider: You might be in the *right* shoe, but it's had better days. Meaning, your current running shoe is not as responsive, and your foot is staying on the ground too long.
If your shoe is broken down, it's very possible that you're putting more weight on the outside of your feet. If that is the case, your shoe is driving you into supination, which makes it difficult to pronate. Similarly, if you were ever fitted for a "stability" running shoe and/or a "custom" orthotic, you're unable to pronate, which means you can't supinate.
I hope you find this to be helpful.
Thank you very much for the information. I am going to take a look at the things that you have suggested. i recently changed shoes so that may be a possibility.
Delete*And that's just in one day.
ReplyDelete