Posts Tagged ‘left foot pain’
10/5/10 – Two Steps Forward, Three Steps Back :-(
I went to my chiropractor, Dr. Larry, and it was a needed appointment. He adjusted everything, but my shoulder! Hooray, on the shoulder at least!
My L-5 was out, my neck was all kinds of misaligned, and my hips and ankles need to be popped. He also worked on both wrists, which felt so incredible.
However, I was really looking forward to my massage b/c my left ankle has been seriously working its way into an inflamed tizzy since Sunday. But, my massage therapist had to cancel. Major bummer!!! Major, major bummer!!!! I was counting on the massage to keep the inflammation from getting worse, but here I am no massage, and an increasingly inflamed left ankle.
Now, what the hell is going on this time?! Seriously! I just got released from the physical therapist, can my body just cut me some slack and not have injuries?!!!
I feel like my ankle has a crush on Travis and cannot stand the fact that we’ve graduated and won’t be seeing him anymore.
Well, ankle, get over it. It takes a village to get through things, but isn’t all that ready to be over?
As I sit with my Anatomy Coloring Book in one hand and my fingers following the trail of pain in my left ankle/side of my calf, I am truly wondering what is wrong. I cannot tell what this is. It looks like the Flexor Digitorum Longus and the Soleus are the culprits this time, but I’m not a friggin’ doctor.
Yes, this is frustration. FRUSTRATION! and sadness.
I have worked so hard, especially this week with getting to the gym three days in a row. That is probably part of what contributed. I can so identify with folks who go to the gym and workout, only to have their bodies rebel and pay them back with days of pain. Now, granted, one cannot go from couch potato to Mr. Universe in one gym visit, but I’ve been working on this slowly. And although I identify with folks who get pain and quit, I am not going to quit. My feet will function. I did not get the awesome doctor I had at birth who put me in casts rather than cutting my tendons just so I can quit now.
Ok, so here’s the plan:
1. email Travis for his opinion.
2. massage the area – really get in there and move things around
3. ice
4. no running
5. still going to the gym, but no elliptical – a nice bike ride perhaps
6. while at the gym, taking it easy on balance and heavy lifting – meaning Physical Therapy work and some modified personal training work
7. riding my bike to work rather than walking – that worked before, maybe it will work again.
Alright – BREAK!
7/26/10 – OUCH!!!
Posted by admin in Reflections on July 26th, 2010
The stride-outs huuuurt! That means they are AWESOME 🙂
For posterity, I am going to detail what’s going on.
Yesterday, my feet, specifically, my left posterior tibial tendon all the way up my calf and my right posterior tibial tendon – not in the foot, but up the calf. Despite this, I insanely agreed to go on a three mile walk through a park. OMG.
We went down to a beach to look at a lighthouse. It was maybe 1/2 mile of downhill and steps. That motion is, I think, part of the eccentric move of my posterior tibial tendon. For those who don’t know, eccentric in this case is the lowering of the foot, toe to heel. When working the muscles that way you can get twice the strength. Conversely, when walking downhill that way, you can get twice the pain.
When we got to the beach, I was in so much pain that I really would have liked a winged monkey to come and carry me back to the parking lot. However, we were half way through the hike, and you can’t quit there – you have to hike out. AAAAAHHHHH!!!!
Needless to say, I was hobbling by the end of the night. When you sit down and rest, those angry muscles just get tight and truly testy.
My wonderful husband gave me a massage that revealed some knarly knots in my calf muscles as well as along the posterior tibial tendon in the left foot. The right foot and leg mostly had the knots in the calf muscle itself. The bottoms of both feet hurt with the left being much higher. I’d say this was a 7.5 out of 10.
Today, I woke up feeling slightly less tight, but still OMG sore. I hobbled around the apartment until time to go, and my absolutely, overwhelmingly awesome husband drove me to work because I don’t think I could have walked there.
I had this delusion that I’d be able to go to the gym and do my workout today, but that was so not in the cards. I am still hobbling.
Due to the run and consequent pain following, I have not done my personal training workout, and I’m supposed to meet Melissa again on Wednesday. I’m thinking I need to rest again tomorrow, but I am really feeling the need to move. Perhaps a swim?
However, this ouch is clearly a sore muscle ouch, not an inflamed ouch. It is getting better much quicker, and I am looking forward to continuing everything by next weekend at the latest.
Perhaps 2 stride-outs next time, rather than 6….
Latest Run (#?) 5/20/10
Posted by admin in Training (running, cycling, etc.) on May 21st, 2010
So, I am going through Travis’s running program of W (walk) 1/4 mile, R (run) 1/4 mile, W 1/4 mi, R 1/4mi, W 1/4 mi with running increments increasing slowly over time.
Today was the W 1/4, R 1/2, W 1/4, R 1/2, W 1/4. I am still working on lengthening my stride, which is getting much better! I have not started the “stride outs” in the Vibramâ„¢ Five Fingers, yet, as my ankle does not seem to be strong enough to handle that. I think I could do them in my super stiff running shoes with orthotics, but not “barefoot” – yet.
Anyway, I successfully completed the first R1/2, but on the second one, about 1/4 mi in my left foot started to hurt on the top above the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th toes. I decided that was not an “I’m tired, but can keep going.” Instead, I felt that this was a “OMG STOP RUNNING! I’m not ready! I’m NOT ready!!!” So, I stopped. I completed 3/4 mile running, though, which is good for now.
However, I will say that the walking 1/4 mile between running is truly magical. It is just enough time for my feet and legs to recover and go again. I would never have thought that was really necessary. I have no idea how I was running before….oh wait, yeah, I was running like a little old lady 😉
Never the less, I was a little bummed that I didn’t make my goal today, but I did get through the first 1/2 mile. I will try this run again, but not until after Wednesday of next week.
Remember that hamstring I was telling you about. You know, the one on the left leg. Well, it is really starting to become a problem. I have enlisted the Village, though. Travis is going to look into this and pull some magical tricks out of his bag on Wednesday of next week. After that, I will start the running again. So, until then, more cardio indoors (blech) and more weightlifting (HOORAY!).
Run 5 – Monday, March 1, 2010 – Uh Oh….
Posted by admin in Training (running, cycling, etc.) on March 2nd, 2010
So, I spent Sunday blogging :-), which gave my unhappy posterior tibial tendon a rest. I will say that I hobbled all day, but I noticed a reduction in pain by Sunday night. This was important because I have a standing run scheduled with my friend every Monday on the wonderful 3 mile gravel loop.
I decided that going ahead with the run would be fine given that I take it easy during said run and wear my orthotics and super stiff running shoes if I don’t feel that it is at least 50% better by 4pm. I also decided to wear my Danskoâ„¢ shoes today as they are supposed to be so good that you don’t need your orthotics with them.
Sidetrack for the Danskoâ„¢ shoes:
Up until today, I had no idea why these shoes were so great or why people loved them so much. I bought mine on the recommendation of my mother, who loves hers, and she bought hers on the recommendation of her foot doctor. Why not? My mom thinks they’re great, and she and I share some foot similarities. Plus, they are doctor approved. I wore them, and I liked them. However, they didn’t make me jump for joy because they felt so good. That is until today.
I now know why the Danskoâ„¢ shoe is so great for flat footed or orthotic wearing people, even without being able to put orthotics in them. Those shoes do all the work for your foot! I mean, my tendon didn’t do anything. The shoe is so rigid that your foot does not have to push off or bend or do anything! It was amazing to my over-worked and inflamed tendon. I was quite pleased with my Danskoâ„¢ shoes on my morning commute (walk) to work, and I had been really worried about really aggravating that tendon.
Back to the run:
Throughout the day I paid attention to how my left foot felt. It didn’t really get “better”, but I didn’t want to bow out of my run since I am establishing a behavior. I decided to go ahead and run, but I had to wear my orthotics and super stiff running shoes. I was very bummed.
We got to the super 3 mile gravel loop and decided to do the loop in run/walk mode. I noticed the difference in shoes immediately. Running in my othotics is like running with a corset on my foot. I couldn’t move my feet to adjust for objects in my way as quickly as when I am “barefoot”. I couldn’t adjust my forefoot at all. I really tried to maintain mid-foot running today, but it was really difficult as my running shoes are definitely pushing me to heel run. Not to mention, I was aware of my IT bands, again. Yes, after one day! I haven’t felt them at all in my “barefoot” runs. AAAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!
However, my tendon was much relieved and made it through just fine. It is happily icing right this minute. I also noticed that I hobbled not at all and the pain was considerably less after my run today in the orthotics. Hmmm.
So, I am now determined to get this tendon feeling better, and to take it more slowly with maybe a half barefoot/half running shoe run. I haven’t decided. I am going to do more balancing exercises specifically for the left ankle. I have found the most effective to be standing on the Bosu® on one foot for 30 seconds. Talk about challenging – definitely be prepared to fall off 🙂
I am still disappointed, but I will say that my right foot is adjusting perfectly. It is no longer sore. All I have to do now is get my left foot up to strength. I think I can! We shall see.