#Junathon Day 4 - further testing and improvement of plantar fasciitis

So, bright and early, my alarm went off at 5:30 for this morning's Juneathon run.  Before getting out of bed, I did some ankle rolls followed by some stretching of my foot.  I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of intense pain!  In fact, my foot felt better than it had the previous morning!  Now, I don't want to lead you astray into thinking I am pain-free.  That is definitely NOT the case.   I however, am not greedy.  I will take "less pain" and "able to run without a limp" and remain very happy!

Knowing that yesterday's 1.5 did have increasing levels of foot pain, I decided I would only jump up to 2 miles today.

[caption id="attachment_2752" align="aligncenter" width="490"] I actually started and stopped where the green dot is. I think I got gypped a tenth of a mile..[/caption]

Birthday Run

I have read (on blogs and in other stories online) of runners that celebrate their birthdays  by going out and running their age in miles.  Well, I don't think I am up to running 38 miles.. or even 38 kilometers.   So I headed out my door yesterday with the goal of running 38 meters (plus a bit extra) in celebration of my birthday.

[caption id="attachment_2690" align="aligncenter" width="490"] My wife made me a home-made German Chocolate Cake![/caption]

The Plantar Fasciitis Trials - Part 3 - The Podiatrist

So.. Picking up where I left off on part 2 - Off to see the podiatrist.

First, lets look at my thoughts/views/experiences regarding podiatrists.  I had never been to one (that covers experiences.)

I love research, so I had googled everything I possibly could in regards to  Plantar Fasciitis and (when I first got them) Vibram Five Fingers.  This had led me  to several Podiatry forums.  I read everything I possibly could on both topics - after all, these were the foot experts right?   Before I looked into Plantar Fasciitis and had been researching VFFs, I noticed a really common theme.  Podiatrists hated them.  This wasn't a huge surprise, after all Christopher McDougall had said the same thing in articles and in his book.  It was amazing to me the outright vehemence that the Podiatrists posted about them. The more common viewpoint seemed to be that any form of "minimalist" shoe was simply a horrible injury waiting to happen, whether you did "too much too soon" or not.  In fact, the whole idea of "too much too soon" as a problem was ridiculed.

The Plantar Fasciitis Trials - Part 2 - The pain.

To pick up where my story left off (while providing enough "Catch up" info for anyone that didn't read part 1), I had stepped on a rather sharp rock in my worn-down (not that there is a whole lot to wear down, but there is a difference) Vibram Five Fingers, while trail running.  I think that under the circumstances,  most people would assume, as I did, That I had bruised the bottom of my foot.

[caption id="attachment_1465" align="alignleft" width="300"] My ice bottle under my desk at my former job![/caption]

The pain really wasn't horrible at this point, in fact I would call it relatively minor. I avoided running (because slamming a bruise into the ground over-and-over for several miles didn't strike me as "fun,") and used an elliptical for a few days.  I was even bright enough to avoid running until the pain was pretty much gone, with only a residual tightness remaining.  (In hind-sight, I've never had a bruise cause "Tightness."  At the time I did not know what this could be indicative of.)  While not running was frustrating, I was pleased with myself for learning from my previous year's experiences. 

Running is fun.. The other options? Seem lacking....

This not running has been a severe downer for me.  As you can tell from the lack of recent posts - I have not been doing much in the exercise/work out department.   I can honestly say that I do not know how Red kept her sanity with no running.  I also have this bizarre ingrained feeling - that if I cannot run 3 miles consistently (as my short run, not my long run) that I am not a runner.   The ultimate irony of this - is I do not hold anyone else to this standard.  I have friends that are out running 1 mile, and all I have for them is praise and assurance that as soon as they tie on those shoes and head out the door - they are a runner.  Yet for some reason I don't apply that to myself.

Since I enjoy running - I can (when I am physically able to do so without pain) get myself to get out and run.  I may not want to get out of bed, I may not feel like getting up off of the couch - but once I get outside putting one foot in front of the other, I enjoy it.  I mean I REALLY enjoy it.  I have tried starting (And will do it) Insanity a couple of times.  I have gone bike riding. I have lifted weights using the "total gym."  Any of these are fun as a variety work out for me.  To do something different one day.  But I cannot get excited about standing in front of my TV for 45 minutes, 6 days a week.  I don't mind riding a bike outside, and have even found that short run - followed by a bike ride can feel good (emotionally and physically.)  While I am happy to run in the rain, cycling doesn't work out so well and this limits me when we have had the amount of rain we have had in the last couple of weeks.  I had debated riding a bicycle to work to help get exercise, but the rain has prevented that one too.