RunningAHEAD - Topic: Sorting through the options...

rururunner

posted: 7/20/2008 at 1:22 PM

I am dealing with a grumpy piriformis which seems to be getting a teeny bit quieter but other problems are popping up. I'm not sure what my next steps should be. Here's the scoop: I got orthotics last year (for over-pronation) and it cleared up my piriformis problem for a while but it came back about a month ago. I went back to the orthotic guy and he said they are fine, but my shoe is too short. So I bought a larger and lower stability shoe which seems to be helping the piriformis, but now my left shin is hurting. It starts at the beginning of the run, near the end, and afterwards. My left ankle hurts, too and I can feel the IT band. The other thing my left foot does is hit hard and slap as I touch down. This is worse at the beginning of the run. The guy in the running store said that the wear on my last shoe said I was hitting too much at the back of the shoe. I'm wondering about a number of things and I don't know what to do. 1. I am now tying my shoes snugger and using a special lacing technique that the pedorthist and running shoe guy showed me. Is that causing the problem? Should I loosen the lacing? What does that do to the stability? 2. Should I just start doing more strength exercising on my left side so I re-balance? 3. Should I cut back on my running to reduce the risk of injury? 4. Am I just adjusting to the correct lacing and shoes and should I just give it time? 5. Should I just stop over-thinking this and HTFU? Confused

Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.

brerfootbill

Half Fanatic #846

posted: 7/20/2008 at 2:57 PM
modified: 7/20/2008 at 3:16 PM

Quote from rururunner on 7/20/2008 at 1:22 PM:

now my left shin is hurting. The other thing my left foot does is hit hard and slap as I touch down.

The best advice is to see a sports injury doc - very highly recommended!!! I'm no expert, but I'll share some things that helped me. This happened to me last spring and summer to my left foot and leg - not all the time, but I rested frequently and cut back my mileage a lot for several months because of it, and it didn't go away. I finally went to a specialist - wish I had gone sooner! The foot slapping can be a classic result of a nerve being blocked (maybe the peroneal-sp?), which can be related to "shin splints" (specifically, chronic exertional anterior Compartment Syndrome in my case). Laces that are too tight can obstruct circulation and I'm guessing can impinge on nerves. Does your foot ever feel like it's "falling asleep" or on "pins and needles"? - mine did whenever I foot slapped. I noticed that you have been increasing your monthly mileage, and there are 3 things that might really help: (1) schedule only one long run per week - no more than that; (2) don't run any hard workouts "back-to-back" like those tempos; and (3) make sure to schedule a cut back week every 3-4 weeks by reducing your mileage for that week by up to half. The reason I had a problem like this was due to overtraining ; after my experience, I trained smarter than I had before, listened to my body more closely, and have gone from about 20 mpw to 35 mpw in about 10 months. I want to get to the high 40s, but not till the end of next year - just takin' it easy! See a Doc, and good luck!! Smile

"I don't always roll a joint, but when I do, it's usually my ankle" - unk. "Frankly autocorrect, I'm getting a bit tired of your shirt". I ran half my last race on my left foot!

rururunner

posted: 7/20/2008 at 4:59 PM
modified: 7/20/2008 at 5:00 PM

thanks - that sounds like good advice. Yeah, I guess I neglected to mention the mileage - good that you looked. Blush

I looked up shin splints and while what I don't have all the symptoms, it is related to over-pronation. Hmmm....still sounds like things are out of alignment then. I don't get any numbness - was getting that before I got the orthotics and larger shoes but that's gone. Phew! When I went to the sports doc before, he recommended ankle strengthening exercises - I'm going to try that and some shin splint exercises. I ran almost 10 miles yesterday and feel tight on the left side only, not really pain. In the end it is probably a bit of many things working against me. I am going to stick to 25miles per week I think and see how things adjust.

Suffering Benefiting from mature onset exercise addiction and low aerobic endorphin release threshold. Hoping there is no cure.

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