Remember how I told you I am freaking out about my body? Well, here is my plantar fasciitis freakout I had last week!
Sooooooo.... for about a week, when I woke up in my morning, my heels would be a little tender. We are talking a 1-2 on the pain scale. After I would walk around for about 5 minutes, the pain would go away. I'd go about my day and my run as planned and didn't give it a second thought.
The reason I wasn't too worried was because I have had plantar fasciitis before and it never would sneak up on me. When I had it before (twice over the past 5 years I would say), it would just be BAM!!! EFF YOU!!! YOU CAN'T WALK!!! So since this was nothing remotely like that, I thought, "Well this can't be PF."
I started to do a couple exercises and stretches for my feet and calves. Just in case. Because I was a little scared.
But then I got a lot scared because I started to read the internet. Did you know there is A LOT of conflicting info on PF out there? Some advice said never walk barefoot, others said you should walk barefoot to strengthen your feet. I immersed myself in reading all kinds of stuff and it wasn't pretty. My brain was going a million miles a minute.
Then on Saturday morning, shit hit the fan. My heel hurt a little bit more than normal. Now, we are talking a 3 on the pain scale. So I decided that nope, I wasn't running. I would skip my 8 miler. Believe me, I felt guilty about it.
Then I remembered that when I had PF before, it was recommended to stretch before even getting out of bed in the morning. So that's what I did Sunday morning. Guess what? No pain. Not even a 1. I ran my 8 miles on Sunday. On Monday morning I did the same thing. I stretched before getting out of bed and there was no pain.
So I am going to keep doing my stretches and hope for the best!
I am so aware of my feet right now. I can feel all the little nerve ending on the bottom of my feet. I think I have a psychosomatic disorder guys. I am totally serious...
That's my saga! Sorry it wasn't too exciting. But I don't want anything even semi exciting going on in my life right now!
Do you know if it's bad to go barefoot? Meb does it!
What about running on softer surfaces like a rail trail, do you think that helps prevent it? I stretch my calves all the time, I could be better about foot stretches though.
I've been on round 2 of PF for over 6 months now. Pretty sure it's become a chronic condition at this point. I just try to live with it.
ReplyDeleteI hate that Wendy! I hope it's not. Does yours hurt every day or just some days?
DeletePretty much every day. I've learned to live with it. It doesn't get worse, which is a good thing.
DeleteI'm glad it's not getting worse. My IT band is similar, except it's not every day like yours. However, it doesn't get WORSE. It's just angry or it's not.
DeleteYikes! That would be scary...and I am totally paranoid now! I should probably up my stretching game! Thanks Meg! :) I am glad everything is back to feeling good, you don't need issues creeping up on ya.
ReplyDeleteI get paranoid reading injury shit on the internet too!!! Like I could read about someone breaking a toe and I can convince myself my toe is also broken.
DeleteI am so afraid about getting PF because I hear it is awful! (not that any pain is really a good pain). I often have pain on the arch of my foot and of course I get worried. I didn't know PF was primarily in the heel. I guess if that's the case I have nothing to worry about cus I've never had pain there. Glad yours went away quickly.
ReplyDeleteThanks girl!! Yes I think usually it is in the heel first. We all prob get normal foot aches and pains.
DeleteI've never had PF (thank God, knock on wood) but I certainly have felt like I was getting it and whenever that happens I make sure to wear supportive shoes ALL the time, even in the house. I'm glad yours is gone!
ReplyDeleteThanks girl! I am cleaning today and I have my running shoes on! Normally I would do it barefoot...
DeleteI'm glad to hear the stretching helped!
ReplyDeletePF seems to be a very conflicting subject in the running world! You can't type foot pain in Google, without Dr. Google telling you 1. You are going to die and/or worse 2. You can't run anymore!
I'm glad the rest and stretching helped you!
Yes, it was hard for me to get a straight answer about anything!
DeleteAs you know, I get an injury scare probably once a week (hello paranoid runner). I had PF and had to stop running and got orthotics. What are the stretches you do? Maybe we should all start to do them!
ReplyDeleteWell I go that wall stretch for my calf and then bend my leg so it gets my achilles. Then I also just stretch my toes back with my hands.
DeleteI'm in a constant low state of worry about getting PF because it seems like every runner gets it at some point! I'm really glad that the stretches are helping you though. That gives me hope that if/when I get it I'll be able to do the same and keep running.
ReplyDeleteI've read several pro runners say that they run barefoot on soft surfaces - like grass - to strengthen their feet. However, they don't recommend doing it on hard surfaces. Lots of pro ultrarunners seem to follow this philosophy! I could never ever run barefoot on any surface though. I am super paranoid about something puncturing the bottom of my foot. That area is so soft/tender I just think even the smallest puncture would be so painful!
Yes I have heard horror stories of people that have it and have it for a looooooong time. But I have straight up had it BAD twice. When I say bad, I mean that it hurt very badly. But I quickly did the things I needed to do to make sure it went away, and in both instances it was gone in under a week. Now I realize some people get it and do the same things I did and it sticks around, so it's not like I did something RIGHT and they did something WRONG, it was just I was lucky! But it is always nice to hear of stories of people that get it and it's just a little blip in their running, not something that lasted for weeks.
DeleteThank you for all that info, Karen! I know you go through your foot issues. :( That makes sense that barefoot when nothing hurts is a good idea to strengthen but if something hurts, pad it up. I am going to go by that philosophy for now. I do go around the house barefoot or in socks whenever I am at home. I mean, ALWAYS. It's just something I do. I have always read that it's a GOOD thing. But of course if someone has an injury then it may not be.
ReplyDeleteI am AFRAID of injections of any kind.
Ugh, sorry about the scare but I'm glad you found stretching in bed helps. I've not had PF (knock wood). It's my hips that sneak up on me. Part of me thinks sitting is to blame rather than any activity.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like these days sitting is to blame for everything! Sitting AND running. So don't run. And don't sit. Just lay????
DeleteI totally get what you mean by being "aware" of your feet. Then you can't decide if you're paranoid or really feeling pain! I hope the stretching keeps helping. Maybe you caught it early and can avoid it being full blown PF!
ReplyDeleteTHANK YOU. I feel like I am going bat shit crazy. It's amazing what the mind can do. At least I know I am crazy. Self awareness is important.
DeleteOh my gosh this is so funny because I feel like I am just as crazy as you! (No offense) The first thing in the morning slight pain is the worst because there is no time to see if it gets better before running. Most of the time i just go for it and tell myself I will stop if it hurts. I had PF when I first started running, but over the past few years I occasionally have a weird foot pain that feels a little different than PF. Stretching and massage seems to help alot though. I hope your PF stays away for good!
ReplyDeleteNo offense taken!! Ali's comment and your comment make me feel better- like I'm not the only one who thinks these things!
DeleteI consider myself a PF expert... Suffered with it for nearly 2 years. Did traditional treatments of the shot, which I don't recommend. Hurt like hell and could not run for a month. My podiatrist actually encouraged me to keep running. I did physical therapy, 2 rounds, no help. I took antiinflammatories, rested. Refused orthotics because I believe those being prescribed for me for gait issues is what caused my PF. Finally, I found a chiro who was active release therapy and also Graston. I believe, and she believes, PF issues originate in tight calves. She did active release on my calves. I had several sessions every few weeks and really at the point I have no pain, perhaps a twinge here in there if I don't keep up on my yoga. I also bought a tool that allows me to do self Graston called the Heal Blade. It also seemed the more I ran, the better I got. My process of being rid of this also coincided with me starting to to heavier lower body weight training. You just cannot think of PF as a foot issue. It is all connected. I take a magnesium supplement every night. I also used compression ankle socks a little bit each day (FS6 brand). These are toeless. When I wear these I wear something called yoga toes which are like the things you put between your toes for a pedi but only rubber and thicker. I believe this has helped for general foot health. Let me know if you have any questions!
ReplyDeleteI wish you were not the PF expert BUT we can all learn from you!! Do you think it's okay to go barefoot or did your docs say to always wear supportive shoes??
DeleteI go barefoot a lot. I think there is a happy medium between wearing shoes and going barefoot. I believe supportive shoes are not good, at least not for me, but it seems we are all so different with PF. I believe the foot needs to act like a foot and be in its most natural state. Living in Florida it is hard not to be barefoot! I run in Altras (which I think you do too??). I find that the wide toe box is better for me foot and I like the zero drop. No other running show is comfy for me. Tried Hokas and my feet went numb almost immediately into my run. I had PF for nearly 2 years. It was very bad probably the first 6 months or so until I started going for Active Release Therapy.
DeleteI wear Mizuno Wave Riders and have for yeeeeears now. I love them. I was thinking about transitioning into a zero drop but never got around to it hahaha. I'm always barefoot here at home. I never wear shoes in the house. ART is what really helped my PF when I had it before.
DeleteHope it is nothing more than a temporary nag for you! I need to go for an ART tuneup for sure! Hurts so good!
ReplyDelete