**Fun Fact: The first time I made this imagine, I spelled plantar fasciitis oooooh so wrong!**
I think it may be experiencing the beginning of plantar fasciitis... but I don't know for sure! I have had PF before, but it has always been on the bottom of my foot. The little pain/tingling I feel right now is more on the outside. I don't even know if PF can be on the outside? However, I am very afraid of being injured, so I am treating this as if it is the beginning of PF. Better to be safe than sorry!
As soon as I stepped out of bed yesterday morning, I felt it. I was supposed to do 400s, but I am not one to run through injury- or pre injury, so speed work was definitely not in the cards that morning!
I suffered from full blown plantar fasciitis two summers ago and I feel like I know enough about it to give you some awesome advice to get rid of it as fast as possible! (Although apparently I don't know enough about it to actually know whether or not I have it right now... so take this advice with a grain of salt!)
What to do when you think you might have plantar fasciitis:
1.DON'T RUN. The worst thing to do when you think you have PF is run. It will make it worse and it will take longer for it to heal. I know it's hard. I was going back and forth yesterday morning deciding whether to run or not, but in the end, my brain won out.
2. WEAR YOUR BRIGHT YELLOW RUNNING SHOES TO WORK. I wish I had a picture of this for you- my bright yellow sneakers paired with my black leggings and blue tunic dress. Let's just say, the kids really liked my outfit! When I think I have an injury, I don't mess around. It's sneakers to work. I want the support. I don't care that technically I am not allowed to wear them. (I'm sure if I had a doctor's note I could.) But I had 10 classes yesterday! That's a lot of time on my feet.
3. STRETCH YOUR FOOT MULTIPLE TIMES A DAY! Especially in the morning before you get out of bed. When you are resting all night, your plantar fascia is repairing itself from the wear and tear of the day. With the first few steps of the morning, the plantar fascia becomes torn again. Stretch your foot by flexing it several times.
4. ICE, ICE, BABY. I have not done this yet because my pain level is at about a 2 right now so I don't even know if that warrants ice? If it feels worse, I will definitely ice.
5. PLAN SOME AWESOME LOW IMPACT/NO IMPACT WORKOUTS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS SO YOU STAY SANE. I know that if I can't run, I will automatically want to run a million times more than I normally want to. But obviously, there are lots of other ways to train.
For instance, this is what I ended up doing on Wednesday morning instead of my 400s...
And this is what I'm doing this morning at Planet Fitness:
Hopefully tomorrow my foot feels better, or at least not worse. Otherwise I will have to go to my chiro for some ART and I really do not feel like squeezing that into my schedule...
Have you ever suffered from PF? What helped you kick it?
Yike! I hope you are on your way to recovery. I know many dress codes prohibit tennis shoes/sneakers but you always have that one faculty member who wears sneakers and khakis. You know who I mean.:hahaa.
ReplyDeleteThanks girl. :) Luckily working at an elementary school, they are *super* strict about our footwear. I've often made the executive decision to wear sneakers if I know it's a day I'm going to be running around a lot you know. Most of the time I'm cooped up in my classroom all day so it's not like anyone sees me anyway! (Besides students, who loooooove bright colored sneakers.) ;)
DeleteI get . . . something, on the inside bottom of my foot. Sort of in the arch, but more on the outside and along the ankle bone. It's a tendon issue. I have too many tendon issues to count. I even started to look up chronic tendon problems because I seem to have them. I call it my "hot spot." I ice the crap out of it. Like an ice bath but only for my feet. So before a super long run, and after every run this week, I've been filling a bowl/bucket with water and ice and dunking my foot in it. It seems to help.
ReplyDeleteIt's not painful unless I've just run. I don't actually notice it any other time. But something about the ice really helps with the inflammation.
Cool story bro.
Sorry, that didn't really have a point. I haven't had enough coffee today.
Lol don't worry I enjoyed your story and am happy to know I am not falling apart, I am just experience the normal aches and pains of any runner! It's still on the outside of my foot today so I don't think it's PF anymore.
DeleteI have never had PF. Fingers crossed. Hopefully, being proactive will nip yours in the bud! I bet you are the talk of the classroom in your sneakers! I think it is great--think of the girls in your class that you may be influencing to be runners!!!
ReplyDeleteHaha yup today it's a pink dress with yellow sneakers.
DeleteTake care of it early. You are SO smart. A few days off now is better than months off later!! I had PF so many years ago. I got really bad. I got orthotics and it took about 6 weeks to clear up. Good luck and keep us posted!
ReplyDeleteOh dang that is a long time to try to get it to go away. That's what I'm so scared of, so whenever I feel it at ALL I stop. Some people suffer with that their whole lives!
DeleteI have been dealing with PF for a couple months now... finally decided about a month ago to seek help. Yes it can be on the outside of the heel which is where most of my pain was. Doctor injected me with cortisone (which that is the area that still consistently is sore). I have been going to PT and have not run for about a month or so now... In PT working on balancing on that foot causing all the other "intrinsic" (I think that is the word he used), muscles to strengthen. What has made a significant difference lately with relief of pain is how the PT tapes my foot, essentially pulling up the arch and supporting it. For me, I am more comfy barefoot than in shoes. Strangely enough, the physician said I could run but the PT guy suggested against it at first. I told him yesterday I am trying a walk run this weekend... Good luck and I hope you get it under control before it gets too bad! Was told it could take up to 18 months to heal! I am also on a Rx antiinflammatory pill and topical cream.
ReplyDeleteI am so confused now because it isn't on my heel at all. It's like the outside side of my foot. I actually had a similar pain a few weeks before boston and the podiatrist said it was just irritated tendons or something and wasn't anything to be worried about. It's not worse today but it isn't better. I hope it just goes away if I stay off it for a little bit because obviously I am so scared of getting injured. Did you ever have PF before this incident or is this the first time? I'd love a copy of the exercises, it will be good to know!
DeleteThis is my first time having PF... I will send the exercises to you tomorrow... In addition to the exercises on the sheets, they have me doing a lot of balance work but I don't know how you could replicate that at home because of the equipment you need. Do you have a bosu ball? I have not run for over a month and it is just starting to feel better...
DeleteI do not have a bosu ball. Maybe I could stand on a pillow? Haha I am trying to think of something a little squishy. My foot actually feels almost totally normal today and it's still on the side so I don't think it's PF. I am glad it is starting to get better but sucks that it took a couple weeks. Are you enjoying spin?
DeleteIf you like, I can scan the copies of the exercises I was given and then email them to you??
ReplyDeleteMy students always know I've got a looming injury or my feet just HURT from a long run when I wear sneaks to school!
ReplyDeleteGlad I'm not the only "stylish" teacher. :)
DeleteOh Meg, I really hope your foot feels better real soon! Your timing couldn't be better on this post! I literally just got home from getting my foot 'scraped' for scar tissue and my plantar fascia massaged. :S yes it's a little tiny bit sore....PF is on the horizon. I've only run 9 miles this week and am in great fear for my marathon in 15 days!!!
ReplyDeleteOoh I have had my foot scraped for that before. When I had PF two summers ago. I mean, I had a rip roarin' case of it but I STOPPED running and got my foot/calf scraped a couple times and I was all good in less than a week. You will be fine, it won't get worse unless you keep running, so just rest it a bit. All your HARDCORE training is done, thank goodness! Just take care of that plantar fascia! Keep me posted okay?????
DeleteThanks wise Meg :)
DeleteOh no! I hope it's not PF!
ReplyDeleteI used to always avoid going to the doctor unless absolutely necessary, but now that I'm a runner I feel like I go to the doctor for every little thing! I'm always so afraid I am going to aggravate an injury and make it worst!
Me too, I like to play it safe. We are trying to save money right now so I don't want to pay any copays at the moment! They add up!
DeletePF is the worst!! I hope since you caught it early you can take care of it quickly! I had the same pain on the outside of my foot that you are describing back in July. I took about a week and a half off from running, iced it a lot, and kept it taped up and it was good to go after that!
ReplyDeleteHow bad did yours hurt? Mine doesn't hurt bad at all, it's more like if I roll my foot out it hurts. But I am scared running on it will make it worse.
DeleteMine was terrible! I could barely put weight on it. I think my pain was mainly from a bad pair of shoes though. I hope your foot is feeling better!
DeleteI've only had PF once (I didn't want to have to try and spell:) - it was awful. I was coaching college cross country and did the 6:00am runs with the team (you know mornings are the worst with PF!!). I ran with it for over a month. Needless to say it took a LONG time to recover!
ReplyDeleteI hope you don't have plantar fasciitis.
So I never really knew what PF was. I just looked it up. I've heard about it before but when you mentioned "getting out of bed," the light bulb went off. When I was "heavily" training for the marathon - I noticed that in the morning when I would get out of bed, my heels would hurt - not a stabbing pain - but were achy. I just thought it was aches from running. I never thought it could be something more. The pain never spread - thankfully - but man, I need to go to the doctor! Too much going on! Thanks for this post!!!
ReplyDeleteI am glad the pain never spread! You can always do stretches and things to help prevent PF. The main thing is, if you feel it, lay off your feet until it goes away. Once you get it bad it can takes months to get rid of!
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