The Verdict Is In
Saw the physio and the massage therapist this morning, and the verdict is in! What I thought was plantar fasciitis is just an ongoing problem stemming back to my original ankle injury which begat the "wonky ankle" of which I have become quite fond, in a love/hate sort of way. The good news is that it's not a new issue. The bad news is that I have more evidence that my wonky ankle will continue to haunt me for the rest of my days, perhaps to the point that I may not be able to reach the mileage milestones that I've planned. Is a marathon in my future or is it not? Only time will tell.I won't bore you with the sordid details of my anatomical shortcomings, but if you click on the picture above you will be able to see where my current problem originates. The tendons I've highlighted insert under the foot (one behind the little toe, the other behind the big toe) and that is what I am feeling when the pain flares up. It is back to the wobble board for me, as well as more stretching to increase the dorsiflexion in my foot. Also, more glute and hip flexor strengthening is in order. If I follow this regimen, and begin to run using better form with the help of the Chi Running book, this should all clear up in time.
That makes me so happy!
The physio also showed me a fantastic taping technique (and sold me about 4 feet of this space-age tape that feels absolutely awesome, but the name escapes me right now. Something along the lines of medi-tape, or myo-tape, or somesuch) that will hopefully see me through my training and races this year.
As far as the calf goes, I also had some reassurance on that front. The massage therapist was not surprised in the least when I told him of my aborted run home last Friday, or the pain that stuck with me over the weekend and into this week. He said that the aggressive treatments of the two weeks prior were behind the crampitude, and that my depletion of energy stores on that 24k run a couple of Sundays ago was the initial culprit. In short, I am OK to try running the Around the Bay (if I feel up to it), but must stop immediately if I feel the cramp return. If I don't stop I will be risking a significant muscle tear that will sideline me for a long long time. "Keep your eye on the real prize," he said. "The marathon in September is the goal, not this race, and we've got to get you there." I like the way this man thinks!
Tonight? More icing, hot baths, stretching, and application of one brand of goop or another.
Labels: injury
posted by Vava at
4:38 PM
12 Comments:
Vava take a nice glass of red wine into the hot bath with you...if nothing else works, that will calm your thoughts and hopefully you'll let go of the "now" dream and start to really focus on the future....
Around the Bay is a tough run,
Get better or at least well enough to think about the Toronto Half Marathon....
We still "lurvvvvvv" you, just get your ankle better....
;^ )
Lily
Working the plan, good stuff. Can't say I even had heard of those tendons before, but I now consider my edumacated for the day!
KNowing what is going on with your body is half the battle. At least you know what you are dealing with and can take things as they come. You have the right attitude.
kinesio tape? not sure if it's spelled correctly, but it's supposed to work wonders. good luck sunday, hope the foot cooperates. :)
Knowledge is definitely power in this case. Take care, listen to your physio and you'll kick that marathon's butt in September.
I'm pretty sure that's the exact same injury that caused Curt Schilling's sock to bloody in the World Series a couple years ago (alledgedly.). So, if nothing else, start inking your white socks with red sharpies before your runs.
It sounds funny, but the largest muscle in our body is the gluteus maximus, and it's extremely underused...too much sitting on our arses at work. Lack of proper hip extension results in hamstring overuse, calf over use, and finally, lack of dorsiflexion in the foot. Work the core and you'll be back!
It must feel good to have some answers, and at least there is some good news in there.
Sounds like you have a great PT. Good luck on Sunday!
Melanie: I just took a look at the receipt and it shows up as "medi-tape". This stuff is different than the kinesiotape in that it does not stick to the skin and it is washable and reusable. It's really a fantastic alternative to the traditional tensor bandage because it is way thinner and does a great job of supporting and gripping where you need it without getting bulky. Three times around the ankle is all it takes and the stuff it's almost as if I had nothing there when I put a sock and shoe on. I'll have to take a picture of it and post it sometime...
Glad you know what is going on for sure now. Happy healing.
That's good. Hope the taping works well!
glad they figured out where the problem is. the picture is cool to see what is going on.
Hope the tape does the trick and you recover well!
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