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Mild PF? Need for more stability? (Read 1016 times)

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rectumdamnnearkilledem

    Ok, so a few weeks back I wore my most stable pair of shoes after not wearing them for most of the winter. The experience was fairly painful (shins and knees, mostly, IIRC). I chalked it up to stronger legs from running on snow/ice and doing weight work. So I stuck to wearing my less stable model of shoe. So far, so good. In recent weeks I have had fairly mild pain on the outside of my arch--mostly on the right side. I've often had this issue towards the end of longer runs, but lately it's been more persistant. Not excruciating, by any means, but nagging and seems to be occurring during almost all runs, now. I had read that PF can be sometimes felt on the outside of the foot, in the arch area...so now I'm getting nervous. Might going back to my more stable shoes (at least for my longest runs) be a good idea? I'm almost afraid to try them, since the last time I wore them led to several days of leg pain and I have a 10 mile race in one week and my BIG 25k race 3 weeks after that, so I only have 2 long training runs before my big goal race. I am currently living in fear of injuring myself now and being really pissed-off for the next year if I were to take myself out of the race after training for it for so long. Thoughts? Suggestions? k

    Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

    remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

         ~ Sarah Kay

    jEfFgObLuE


    I've got a fever...

      I've been lucky enough to not have to deal with PF, so I'm no expert. But I'll take a swing because hey, free dummy. 1) Wondering why you weren't wearing your most stable shoes throughout the winter (why'd you stop wearing them)? 2) based on your log, it doesn't look any of your shoes are too long in the tooth. The New Balance 767 AW is the oldest but it's not that bad at 223 mi. 3) Have you made a change in your non-running footwear and/or activity habits lately? It's not sandal weather in MI, but sometimes what we wear when we're not running can be the culprit, as we often don't wear supportive enough footwear. If you suspect PF, you should avoid open-back shoes, sandals, and flip-flops. 4) Have your calves/Achilles tendon area been tighter than usual? One of the PF countermeasures is Achilles stretching. Not sure what to recommend, but I would give your "stable" shoes a try on a short run, to see if that's even an option. Cheers, Jeff

      On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

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      rectumdamnnearkilledem

        I didn't wear my most stable shoes all Winter since they "breathe" a little too well and my feet got wet and cold. The "all weather" 767 (my shoes with the most mileage) is a more mild/moderate stability shoe and really worked great all Winter to keep my feet warm and dry, so I bought a second pair (non all-weather). When I did go back to my more stable 1222 shoe it was painful (shins, moving up through knees and into hips by the end of my run). The 767 worked great for the last several months...I'm wondering if my increase in mileage might have something to do with it, too. I stayed at about the same mileage for several months, only starting to increase in the last couple, in preparation for the Riverbank Run 25k in May. Heh, no sandals or backless shoes. In fact, when I'm not wearing my running shoes for running I am wearing $100+ Dansko orthopedic clogs. Shoes are one place where I don't scrimp. Smile I have had some mild achilles tightness, though I am careful to do plenty of gentle lower leg stretching before and after runs (like the bottom one on this page). k

        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

             ~ Sarah Kay

        Mile Collector


        Abs of Flabs

          I had this condition. You're right in that it's irritating but not debilitating. I get them when my shoes needed to be replaced, or when my orthotics exceeded its lifespan. I don't suppose you wear orthotics? This kind of foot pain builds on your gradually. I would guess that it's caused by your current pair of shoes. Switching to a pair of shoes with better support might correct the situation. Also, roll a foot on top of a tennis ball might alleviate some of the pain too. Just put most of your weight on it as you roll it. And if you decide to ice it, make sure you don't over do it since circulation is rather poor in that area and you might end up with frost bite. Guess I how knew that? Evil grin
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          rectumdamnnearkilledem

            Ahhh...you know, Eric, I have been wearing my older pair of 767s (the all-weather ones that just rolled-over 200 miles recently) for the last few weeks as our weather has been so cold and crappy. I'll bet you're right--it's likely not the model of shoe, but the age/mileage. Now that I think about it, the problem has really only become bothersome and more chronic in the last couple of weeks. But why in the hell can I not get more than 200-250 miles out of a pair of shoes? This crap is getting old. Every shoe I have ever loved has started giving me issues by the time I hit 225 miles or so. Like clockwork. I really thought I would be able to get more miles out of this shoe, since it's thus far my favorite model. Argh. Guess it's a good thing that warmer weather should finally be here. I think I might have to retire my "Winter" shoes. Damn. I was hoping I could hold off on a new "second" pair for a bit longer. Tomorrow I plan to do my long run (14.5 miles or so, I think) in my newer pair of 767s. I'll be interested to see how that goes. If things go better I might just have to bite the bullet and buy a new second pair (that way I always have a dry pair). I know runbargains.com currently has them for $20 off. k

            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                 ~ Sarah Kay

            jEfFgObLuE


            I've got a fever...

              .I'm wondering if my increase in mileage might have something to do with it, too. I stayed at about the same mileage for several months, only starting to increase in the last couple, in preparation for the Riverbank Run 25k in May.
              I think your mileage increase looks fairly safe. Your aggregate weekly %increase from Jan 8 (14.8) thru your recent peak (29.3) was 6.4% (I had to use logarithms to figure that one out. Fun!). I forwarded a link to your post to a buddy of mine who is a podiatrist. Maybe he'll have some insight... Cheers, Jeff

              On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

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              rectumdamnnearkilledem

                I think your mileage increase looks fairly safe. Your aggregate weekly %increase from Jan 8 (14.8) thru your recent peak (29.3) was 6.4% (I had to use logarithms to figure that one out. Fun!). I forwarded a link to your post to a buddy of mine who is a podiatrist. Maybe he'll have some insight... Cheers, Jeff
                Oh, cool! I wish I had a podiatrist friend! That would come in handy. Big grin BTW...logarithms AND trombone? You really ARE a geek, aren't you?! Wink k

                Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                     ~ Sarah Kay

                jEfFgObLuE


                I've got a fever...

                  Every shoe I have ever loved has started giving me issues by the time I hit 225 miles or so. Like clockwork.
                  Now that sucks. I assumed that at 222 you were still in the clear. Sad The second pair thing is actually a good idea. In a higher mileage era, I used to alternate two pairs. The rest time in between runs allows the midsole to decompress, so you should be able to get more mileage per shoe.

                  On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

                  jEfFgObLuE


                  I've got a fever...

                    BTW...logarithms AND trombone? You really ARE a geek, aren't you?! Wink
                    The two go hand-in-hand... I've known a lot of trombone players, and nearly all were geeks. Unfortunately (for me), podiatrist friend is in Grand Rapids. Which doesn't help me, but may help you and other western Michigan RAer's, I suppose.

                    On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

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                    rectumdamnnearkilledem

                      The two go hand-in-hand... I've known a lot of trombone players, and nearly all were geeks. Unfortunately (for me), podiatrist friend is in Grand Rapids. Which doesn't help me, but may help you and other western Michigan RAer's, I suppose.
                      Heh, well...my brother is a software engineer and I think still plays his trombone from time to time (also was in an a capella group in college). He is geek #1 in my life. Big grin Hmmm...a podiatrist in GR would be a useful thing. That's only an hour away from me. Smile k

                      Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                      remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                           ~ Sarah Kay

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                      rectumdamnnearkilledem

                        Now that sucks. I assumed that at 222 you were still in the clear. Sad The second pair thing is actually a good idea. In a higher mileage era, I used to alternate two pairs. The rest time in between runs allows the midsole to decompress, so you should be able to get more mileage per shoe.
                        Yeah, I had thought I would get more mileage, too. But I wonder if wearing those shoes in slop and freezing temps all winter shortened their life, too. A lot sub-freezing runs in that shoe had the midsole feeling rather hard. I know bear_poop had similar issues with the same shoe. I would imagine a lot of shoes do this in the cold, but this was my first Winter running to experience that. I'm still annoyed that I go through shoes so fast. That was one reason I bought the 767--it's significantly cheaper than the 1222 and I couldn't afford to keep buying $135 shoes after such relatively short mileage. k

                        Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                        remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                             ~ Sarah Kay

                        jEfFgObLuE


                        I've got a fever...

                          I'm still annoyed that I go through shoes so fast. That was one reason I bought the 767--it's significantly cheaper than the 1222 and I couldn't afford to keep buying $135 shoes after such relatively short mileage.
                          One trick is to look for the previous version of the same shoe. I found the 1220 here for $84. Of course, size and width are always tricky on discontinued models. Froogle it.

                          On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

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                          rectumdamnnearkilledem

                            I'm leery of trying older NB models. Whenever I read reviews of NB shoes I find that people always seem to be annoyed by how much updates of shoes change from the prior models. I'm already dreading when the 767 is updated. With my luck the 768 won't fit or feel the same and I will be back to square 1 finding a shoe to make me happy. k

                            Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                            remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                                 ~ Sarah Kay

                            zoom-zoom


                            rectumdamnnearkilledem

                              Oh, and the other thing with older models...who knows how long they have sat in a warehouse (the 1220 is 2 models behind the 1222, so I'm guessing any 1220s could be a couple of years old). Could the cushioning have compressed? Might I be saving a few dollars, only to have a shoe that causes me more issues...? *sigh* And to think there's a general perception of running being a "cheap" sport--ha! Tongue k

                              Getting the wind knocked out of you is the only way to

                              remind your lungs how much they like the taste of air.    

                                   ~ Sarah Kay

                              jEfFgObLuE


                              I've got a fever...

                                All good points. Though the 1221 is a men's model, so 1220 is the next ladies model down. I don't think the shelf time is too big a deal -- there's been other discussions about that on the forum. Negligible compared to running in them, IMHO. But the changes from model to model are a big deal. Sounds like did needs to get you an early Mother's Day present.

                                On your deathbed, you won't wish that you'd spent more time at the office.  But you will wish that you'd spent more time running.  Because if you had, you wouldn't be on your deathbed.

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