Arch Sleeves (Read 78 times)

TP Therapy Starter Kit, Rubz ball, and Altra running shoes... and sorry for the novel...

I went through a bad spell of PF several years ago and it lasted two years until the local running store demoed the TP Therapy Starter Kit. For the first time in two years, I was nearly pain-free after just the demo. I bought the kit and worked my calves once a day for two weeks and it was gone.

I ran for years with minimal pain. My mileage hovered between 30-50 miles per week. If I felt a little ache, I hit the TP Therapy again. I went well until both my dogs that I had for 13 yrs passed away 37 days apart. Then I lost the desire to run. I'd join my kids and wife for an occasional 5k or 10k race, but with little to no training. But I injured my the front left heal where the PF attaches really bad when I stupidly did a half marathon with only 7 days of training. It swelled and I couldn't walk very well for month. I rested it for four months and then started training for in earnest again and after three weeks I had to shut it down.

I switched to Hoka shoes to wear at work and it helped. But it didn't go away. I felt it with nearly every stride and on days I was on my feet all day, the swelling would return. I bought the Icebug insoles, the thickest ones and it helped tremendously. But it didn't go away and swelling happened on the days I was on my feet all day. Even had custom orthotics made. I had more pain than with the Icebugs, so I went back to the Icebugs. During this whole time, I recognized that I did not have any pain when I walked around the house barefoot (even on the concrete floor of the basement. Then I read about Altra running shoes and zero drop (like walking barefoot).

Fall 2017, I bought a pair of Altra Paradigm 3.0 shoes. I went with the insole that came with them. I had even less pain than with the Icebugs. I wore the Paradigms for work and home. As time passed, the pain reduced to only upon getting out the bed in the morning.

In late April of this year, I bought a pair of Altra Escalante shoes. I did a 3-mile run/walk. A little pain, but not bad. I didn't quite trust them. I took a few of weeks off, then one morning decided to run/walk at 5 AM. It went well, so I ran again a couple days later.

In early June, I saw a deal on Altra Torin 3.0 shoes and bought two pairs. One for work and one for running. These feel good. I have run 26 miles so far this month and had my longest continuous run tonight. I still use the TP Therapy kit every couple days and the Rubz ball nearly every day before I step out of bed. I also ride my road bike for 16-20 miles once a week. The bicycling seems to help me lock in a better cadence for running with the Altras.

But I'm finally running again. Well enough that I even registered for the Bix 7 on July 28. Now it is a slow build up of mileage and planned rest. If the Bix 7 goes well, I'll build over 8 weeks for the Quad Cities Half Marathon.

But I'm running again.