Out Of Commission (Read 834 times)

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+1, elliptical cross-trainer.  It is a great workout and will help maintain your fitness.

It's official, doc said I went from PF to a "stress reaction" on my right heel because I just couldn't stop running. I tried cutting back (I really did), I tried resting, I tried stretching, PT, icing, taping, etc...

 

I've said before publicly on this site that i wasn't sure that I loved running but I was sure I was addicted. As it turns out, I LOVE RUNNING! What will I do without it for the next 6 weeks?

 

People keep telling me I can always ride my bike or swim. I HATE RIDING A BIKE (don't have any tolerance for a bike seat)!  It is also almost winter here in MN and I don't have regular access to a pool so what to do?

 

I've crossed my New Year's Day 1/2 off the calendar and I'm eyeballing my April marathon with some doubts. 23 weeks to marathon after 6 weeks off doesn't sound like enough time since I was planning to crush my 1st marathon time by 20 minutes. Your thoughts?

 

There are plenty of other marathons to choose from next year so I'll have to see how recovery and base building go. Who knows, maybe this time off will do me some good physically but I wouldn't want to live with me during this time.

 

Run some miles for me and stay safe!

Juniordo:

Assuming your doctor is correct and your "stress reaction" (whatever it really means...) had been developed from Plantar Fasciitis, then any activity that involves your arch to flex would not be a good thing for you right now.  That, most probably, also includes elliptical though the stress shouldn't be as much as running.  I would bet biking is the same way.  My best bet for you would be pool running--not just running in the pool but, one of those things that you wear a vest and float in the deep end of the pool and "run" in the water, floating.  That would be the best bet.  

If you truly love running as you claim you do, then I would strongly suggest you sit down and use what you got between your ears and get a decent training program that is based on sound physiological fundamentals.  You just don't simply say "I LOVE RUNNING!" and jump in the NYC marathon next month and try to run (assuming you can get in); but basically that seems like what you did.  Your heart ("I LOVE RUNNING!") jumped you ahead of senses.  Well, basically you are paying for the consequences.  As I see your training log (the graph), you were running 3-5 miles and, all of a sudden, you've decided to run a half marathon and started to shoot up the long run...like a metronome; 6-mile, then 8-mile, then 9 to 10 to 11....  And at the end of this patterned long runs was a half marathon that actually followed this pattern.  What I mean is; in reality, if you look at any well-thought-out training plan, the pattern should..., well, okay, it would probably have to be something like this in the beginning but then it would reverse and the mileage drops...before the actual race.  It's called "Tapering".  If you follow some on-line training program, then (sorry) it's a crappy training plan.  It's easy for anybody, anybody who don't even need to know about running, can write down; "Okay, if you want to run 13-miles in 10 weeks, you just increase the long run by 1 mile each week, starting from 5-mile, and you'll be running 13 in 2 months!"  Looks logical, doesn't it?  But if it works out that way, Milo would have lifted a full-grown bull weighing 2-tons above his head.  It'll give your body chance to recover from hard work so far done and by the time you "race", you're well-rested and ready to go.  The other side of the coin, if you're tired and "stuffed" by the time you toe the start line, THAT is when you injure yourself.  Because it's a race; you can't bag it.  So you bull through it no-matter-what...  But I'll bet your arch probably started to hurt at the end of July or beginning of August; you "bulled through" it and ran the half regardless.  Now your body is pissed at you, saying: "Hell!  I've sent her (brain) plenty of signals to take it easy (probably sore knee or sore arch) but she kept ignoring.  I'll force her to take some time off then!!"  

If you truly love running, then you shouldn't even be thinking about running a marathon next year.  You should be thinking about putting together a sound and realistic schedule that you can handle without hurting yourself.  Otherwise, you'll fall into yet another one of those who bulled through a couple of 26-milers but his/her body, and mind, just simply can't handle the stress and take a looooong lay-off which wouldn't contribute developing the base at all so he/she would just go through the cycle and soon give it up.  Hate to say but I've seen far too many like that.  All the injuries and foot problems are NOT feathers in a hat.  It just simply shows that your heart got ahead of your body and brain.  Don't let that happen.

It probably didn't help that you went into the marathon with only four days a week of running.  It put a lot of race day stress on your body that it hadn't been quiite built up and ready for.  That's really not the point of this thread though I guess.

PF like lots of other injuries is a combination of overuse, abuse, and lack of strength.  That said, PF is not easy to beat, but you know that already.  I'm not sure what a stress reaction is but that doesn't sound like fun.  However, if you address all three arees that cause the injury, then you are very likely to beat that injury no matter what it is.

Overuse:  This is probably obvious as most injuries occur by increasing mileage and intensity faster than you should.  The old 10% per week increase in mileage is a good rule, but 5% is probably more accurate for the beginner runner.  If you want more exercise then you should cross train on a bike or swim so that aerobically you are still working, but changing the stress points on your body.  the best way to stop overuse is to back off your mileage and intensity.  Believe me, I know this is hard.

Abuse:  By this I mean basically form, location of running, equipment, etc.  I see you had over 600 miles on a pair of shoes.  That's generally not too good, but if you're a hard striker then it's even worse.  I like 400 miles on my shoes and no more.  My experience with injury and overall wear and tear on my body is caused by improper shoes, mostly from mileage.  Doing some forms would also help as it will assist any form issues you might have that may make you prone to injury like heel striking, over pronation or supination, etc.  Also cross training can help alleviate the abuse on part of your body that might not be able to take the abuse.  Self massage can help a lot with PF!  do it several times a day, rub your foot out 2-3 times a day.  I would do the morning, after work, and then right before bed.  Also make sure you have the right shoes for your foot.

Lack of strength: Just google PF exercises and you'll find a lot out there and a few you could even do at your desk during the day.

You need time off until it doesn't hurt.  Then hit a bike or elliptical to ensure you can do low impact before you run again.  Then start with 2 milers a couple times a week, after the 2 miler hop right onto the bike or elliptical so you continue your workout without continuing the abuse.  Any signs of pain and you have to shut it down immediately and go back a week or two in level of exercise.  If you run with injury pain you are causing more injury.  Get yourself back to 3 times a week with 3 miles of runnung.  Once you do that you can start adding 10% a week.  don't stop strength exercises ever, don't stop stretching ever, and don't stop cross training. 

Good luck!