injury

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Am I injured?

I tried to run last night before yoga & the BACK & sides of my heel HURT!!! I walked a lot and then went to yoga – NO PAIN when I walked, no pain when I stretched!? When I got home, I iced my heel and took ibuprofen.

This is how it started.  I ran a 5k on Sat – no pain that I remember.

It was sore when I ran on Sunday so I ran slow and cut my long run from 8 to 4 miles.  I played tennis all afternoon – NO PAIN!

I did NOT run on Monday but played tennis Monday nite – NO PAIN!

I ran a slow 3 miles Tues am.  Heel was the same – SORE.  I played tennis after work – Again NO PAIN.

Now as I sit at the desk, of course, my heel feels fine!

What’s wrong with my heel?

I should see a doctor but who has time for that.

What should I do?

  • Stop running all together
  • Stretch
  • Ice it
  • Take ibuprofen

Well, at least for today, I will do the above.  For the books, I’m not a good patient and don’t follow advice well. 

 I trained for my first half when my foot hurt and ignored it.  I bought new shoes and ran the half in them.  I did the same for my 2nd half. However, this pain is scarier… it feels more serious…

Training for my 3rd half starts July 4.  I hope the pain is gone by then!!!

Happy Running?  Do you ignore injuries?

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Read this if your feet hurt…

Today the article about How to take care of your feet came out in Good Housekeeping:

I am only quoted in the first paragraph but I found the article very informative.

Click HERE to read the rest of the article or buy it at the newstands.

Speaking about my feet, my right achilles is no worse.  YAY!!

I played tennis for 3 1/2 hours Sunday and also for an hour last nite.  Now I have a BLISTER on my left  foot which bothered me on my pre-rain run this morning.  😦

Time to switch to a different pair of running shoes…

Happy Running! Do your feet hurt??

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Irony and My Famous Feet

 When I was training for my first Half Marathon, I complained about my feet. It seemed like I was getting bunions and I was worried about my running future.  Well, Good Housekeeping must have read my blog post, because they called me up and interviewed me about my feet.

So if you read this month’s magazine (comes out on Tuesday), read the article called “My Feet Hurt!”  I don’t really remember what I said.  I’ll have to read it too.

The irony of the story is that my bunions stopped hurting completely! I kept running and ran my first half marathon and a second half marathon.

Then the bottom inside of my left ankle started hurting (after 3 miles).  I’ve ignored it and kept running.

As of yesterday, my right Achilles is sore!!

So I did what any runner would do.  I stretched this morning, took ibuprofen and went for a run!

Ok, I wanted to do 8 miles. I’m not stupid. I compromised and I ran a SLOW 4 miles and iced it afterwards.

Happy Running! Hope your feet are happier than mine!

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R.I.P. Little Plane

at the airport in Mechanicville, NY

It’s been a tough winter!  And it just got tougher!  My hubby’s plane got destroyed.  The snow & ice on top of the hangar got to be too much and it collapsed and crushed the plane…no insurance either 😦

We got it 12 years ago and until we started boating on Lake George we used it a lot!  And had a lot of fun!

landing on Lake Champlain

on Saratoga Lake

flying over the Hudson River

So it could be worse as my hubby said: “It could have been destroyed while I was flying in it!” But I know he is feeling a lot of pain.

While he went to his mother’s who consoled him with eggplant parm, I went out for a long run.

It was my first since the half marathon – 7.25 miles!! The weather warmed up a little – 25 degrees (but felt colder when the breeze picked up.)  I followed my long run route but couldn’t run on the sidewalks (since no one shovels) and had to stop repeatedly when the road got too narrow & cars were coming at me.  I discovered a hilly detour around a park & golf course which was pretty.

I can’t say it was painless.  My feet continue to start to hurt after 5 miles (first left then right) and I even got my first blister ever. 

Then I spent my pre-Valentine’s Day evening with my mentee – dinner & a movie – it was nice to hang out together.

Happy Running & Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Wednesday Winnings and Woes

The Good News:  I won another giveaway!!! Two pairs of socks from AJH.  I love socks!!!

My husband arrived in Florida on Monday where it is sunny and almost 80.  Here in the NE, we are having a BIG snowstorm. Luckily my neighbors have promised to plow out my driveway. We may have a foot by the end of the day!!!

I played tennis last nite – 1 1/2 hours and no foot pain!!! (Can I run in tennis sneakers!?)

The Bad News: I ran my tapering 3 miles on the treadmill yesterday morning with my loose, barely tied new sneakers & my right foot STILL hurts.  It stops hurting when I stop running so……….

Do I skip my last 3 mile run and rest my foot till Sunday?? Or do I follow my training plan (3 miles tomorrow) and grin and bear it??

Happy Running!  4 Days till….

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My “Old” Feet

Yup, 5 days till my Half Marathon and my feet still hurt.

I haven’t talked about it because it’s too depressing. I try to ignore it in hopes it will go away.

The other day after the Chi Running workshop, when I complained that my feet hurt on the inside, the instructor asked me, “Do you have bunions?”

I said “Maybe, take a look.” and then she said “Yup, looks like you’ve got bunions forming.”

Oh no, I thought. I’m OLD. Only old people have bunions!!

She told me to stand and then she said that  to compensate for the bunions that I refuse to have, my stance can throw off my gait and lead to hip problems, knee problems, back problems.  I have them all.

According to the Internet, bunions are “painful swellings that usually develop on the inner side of the foot near the base of the first toe (hallux).” Often genetic (thanks, Mom!); usually found in women; thought also to be caused by high heels (Yes, I love high heels), or flat feet (but I have high arches).

 So, I have these disgusting bumps and they rub against my shoe.  That’s why my feet hurt!!

Solutions I have tried:

  • wearing flat shoes during the day (well, I’ve only done that recently- I think the damage is done)
  • wearing toe spacers
  • wearing bandaids on my “bunions”
  • ice after running
  • ibuprofen
  • new running shoes (my arches feel much better with these but not my “bunions”)
  • tying my shoes loosely and unlacing the top  rows also as shown  below:

 In doing some “Bunion” research, I  found out that  Paula Radcliffe suffered from bunions.  Hers were so painful that she had surgery and then won a Half Marathon 6 months later (after 9 weeks off for recovery, ouch!)

Radcliffe running with pain

Do I buy another pair of running shoes? They say the Asics Gel 3010 features a new bunion window:

ASICS Women's GEL 3020 - Dick's Sporting Goods

Then again, it could be worse— stress fracture?? (Am I a hypchrondriac???)

Pain or no pain, I’m running (or walking) my Half Marathon!! I’ll see about my foot (the right one hurts worse) after that!!!

Happy (Painfree) Running!

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Two for Tuesday & My Quads

My Quads hurt…

  1. I ran 9 miles on Saturday and I felt fine.  I ran 1 mile on Sunday without my knee brace for the 1st time in 18 months and felt fine. Yesterday, I got up and my quads were very sore!!! Why?? I conclude that 1 1/2 hours of getting up & down to cut off timing chips may be the reason.
  2. I have never cross trained.  I’ve walked, run & play tennis. At the gym, I only have used the treadmill.  Do I need to cross-train to strengthen my quads??

Next race is Thurs, a 5K…quad pain go away, please!

Happy Running!

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Recovery Socks are Great

I guess my legs were more tired than I thought.  Monday, I played tennis for 2 hours, ran around the park with a 3 yr-old and then came home and ran 4 miles (my right calf was a little sore).  Yesterday after work, I played tennis for 2 hours and came home and since t he weather was perfect (cool & breezy), I ran 3 miles.  My right calf was very sore…I walked a lot of my run.

I put on the Recovery Socks that I won in a giveaway and today my legs feel great.  I’m resting today, just in case.  It’s raining anyway. I’ll try my legs again tomorrow in preparation for Saturday’s 5K. (Read about the race here.)

Happy Running and Hump Day!