I posted (again) about my persistent heel pain here on the forum about a week ago. Firstly, the amount of assistance I got via e-mail and P.M.'s was such a pleasant surprise. I was pretty down in the dumps and getting outside to run everyday on the 100 run challenge was really drudgery. Running was so darn painful- and still isn;t 100% comfortable. Sometimes it just helps to know there are some good people out there willing to lend a helping hand. I very much appreciate that. Thank you guys.
I got e-mails and P.M.'s describing similar symptoms with related experiences and recommended treatments. One very kind poster and customer, an occupational therapist, offered to stop by the store for a diagnosis. The consensus was it is an issue of flexibility in my lower leg (…my duh…). A common recommendation was to use the Triggerpoint Therapy stuff to help roll out the problems. I bought a Triggerpoint kit at Ford Ironman Wisconsin last year. Expensive stuff, but worth it.
Today’s run was better than yesterday’s, and yesterday’s better than the day before.
I’ve been participating in Dev’s 100 Run Challenge and haven’t missed a day even through a pretty bad flu and some other bumps and bangs. 70 days into the think I didn’t want to just back off. I know a part of that makes sense but part of the reason the 100 Run Challenge is important to me is that I know it will be a powerful piece of mental ammunition this race season when I am in the middle of a tough run and feel rough. I can think back and say, “Man, I did 100 runs in 100 days so I should be able to pull through this. I have consistency and persistence on my side. I am fit and prepared for this. It’s just another run…”
Last year at Ironman Wisconsin I lost 22 minutes in the final 13 miles of the run and missed my goal of breaking 11 hours. It all boiled down to the run. I am determined to avoid that this year in my races. I want to try to prepare now to get through the run comfortably and in control, if not faster.
The Trigger Point stuff is helping. The advice from ST’ers has been much appreciated both functionally and inspirationally. I appreciate it. Thank you very much.
I think it would be a really good idea to give the person who pointed you towards the Triggerpoint Massage Roller a massive/at cost discount at BikeSport.
Using the Triggerpoint Therapy roller-thingy and the massage ball to “roll out” my lower leg/calf/foot. This has helped noticably and instantly. Over the course of a week there has been a (guesstimation) 50% improvement in symptoms. Running is much more comfortable, especially the first five minutes.
Wear a Strassurg Sock at night. This thing kind of holds your toes up in the front with a velcro strap. It is uncomfortable and annoying to my wife in bed but it helps a little. The heel pain in the morning is reduced and it may help throughout the day- hard to tell if it’s that or something making any improvement. It isn;t hurting. I still limp in the morning for the first 15 minutes. I’m old and creaky.
Using some weird “massage bar” thingy I bought at Dave’s Performance Footgear in Sylvania, Ohio. It is similar to the Triggerpoint thingy but easier to use. I have the Trigger point stuff here at work now (rolling my foot as I type this) and the massage bar at home.
Using some kind of “heel pain” insoles in my main pair of running shoes. I got them at Dave’s Performance Footgear. I can;t remember the name of them but they are better than Superfeet Green which is what I was using before.
Stretching with taht roller, stretchy lever thingy. Someone showed a photo of it on the forum a few days ago. You set you foot on it and rock it backward and it stretchs the Achilles area. Works good.
Kept my runs short and consistent and took a lot of Motrin.
I just got over some achilles tendon pain in my left foot and then within a week, out of the blue I have some pain in my left foot arch and it sounds like the onset of plantar …
Thanks for asking. It is 80% better. Many times it is hardly noticeable. That’s significant since my runs are now slightly longer and a good bit faster, with most below 8:00 pace now that we’re heading toward race season.
Sorry to hijack and I may have missed this on another thread but how did 100/100 go for you? Do you attribute your regained running prowess solely to 100/100? Did you also lose weight? Do you feel more durable?
Good questions. 100/100 was good for me. Very good. I didn’t say anything about this but I had a pretty bad accident on December 19th and was told no running or any exercise for a month at least. They told me it would take “months” for the injuries to heal. I couldn’t sleep lying down and had a lot of pain and difficulty breathing. I still ran though, and it was excruciating. I popped a bunch of pain meds, put on my shoes and went out the door, every day, without fail. I ran when I had the flu, had a cold, was injured… A predominant benefit of 100/100 was it reminded me that this is a sport that rewards toughness. Sometimes you simply have to suck it way up and get out the door.
100/100 was about little gains at a time and about sticking with it. I lost 19 pounds. Yesterday I weighed 159 lbs. I also re-vamped my eating habits. So far, big improvement. Thanks for asking.
Man, you name it, I did it… freakin’ everything: Strasbourg sock, foam roller, insoles, new running shoes (a few pairs), Trigger Point massage therapy equipment. AS I type this I have my right foot on top of a TP ball under my desk rolling it back and forth. It helps.
You’ll be surprised how far that run fitness will take you. I’ve only ridden about 20% as much as I’ve run since January, but this weekend’s ride showed me I’m at least up to par in my ability to put power to the pedals. Now I just need some cycling endurance to be able to do that over 56 miles…
159? I’m envious. I’m still hovering at 168 or so this year…the last 8 are going to take more effort than I’ve given it…meaning give up my nightly beer, and sugar in my AM cup-a-joe.
Plantar Fasciitis can be a tough one. I just got over a 2 year bout of PF! It came on when I was attempting 30 runs in 30 days. I was in decent shape going in and the increase running mileage was not really that much. It was bad timing because I was really motivated to do some off season 1/2 marys and 10Ks and had just started running with a group. I had to go and watch my wife do a bunch of races from the sidelines. It was so bad that I could not bike either. After about 4 weeks I could manage the elliptical machine if I taped up my foot. Then after 2 months I was back on the bike but could not really run for about 4 months. Then I started over with 1 mile runs and gradually built up from there. It put me out of racing for a year. Then one day about 4 months ago…poof…it was gone. Absolutely zero pain right now. I am starting an IM run build and am doing decent mileage and some decent intensity with no pain at all. It is hard to express how grateful I am for this after 2 years. Then last year I had a bad neck strain that resulted in lots of left side muscle weakness and an inability to hold my head up or turn my head. That cancelled my race season last year. 10 months later I still have a little weakness and stiffness but I am training hard. Hoping to get some races in this year! At 41 years old this year I expect to have lifetime best fitness in the run and bike barring any crashes or new injuries!
Nothing like a long lasting injury to make you appreciate being able to train normally. Injuries happen and are just part of the game but dang if they don’t make life miserable for a while. Not because of the pain, but because of not being able to train and race. The pain is only a minor annoyance compared to that.
This is my 17th consecutive week of non-stop running and I just came in the door from doing a 5.1 mile run at a 7:30 pace and it felt quite moderate. I’d say Dev’s idea definately worked.
I think that solved it for me as well. I tried for many-a-month to reduce my running to give my heels a break. Never really worked - the pain always came back.
My secret weapon was a cortisone injection - after two weeks the pain was completely gone. I think of it now as sort of “hitting the reset button.”
I’ve since more than doubled my weekly mileage - relatively pain free. It’s as if I’ve somehow taught my plantar fascia to just accept the fact that I’m gonna run 30+ miles a week and they just have to deal with it.
So far so good - a 50k in the bag and I’m on track for my Boston qualifier this spring.
