What’s up, Wednesday friends? Happy first day of fall! My week is…. going along. I’ve been faithfully doing the Brad Kearns stretches for plantar fasciitis. I’m an old Brad Kearns fan- I used to listen to his podcast but stopped because he talked too much about his keto diet and intermittent fasting. I know that works for him, but I’m just not into it.
I did watch two of his other videos, this one about correct running technique, and this one on running technique drills- both are excellent. Then before my run this morning I did a Strength for Runners class (Matt Wilpers on the Peloton app) and I did Brad’s drills. To be honest, I already do these drills, but I haven’t done them consistently in a while, and it was nice to see them demonstrated again in his video. Then I started my run.
I don’t know if it was the glute activation, or the drills, or the combination of both, but this run felt GREAT. I could really feel my glutes working, my cadence was high… everything was perfect except for one tiny, tiny spot on my foot.
And that one-inch area was enough to ruin the whole thing. After two miles I could tell that I needed to stop. My foot was really hurting, so I went home and immediately called the doctor. The conversation went something like this:
“Alright Buster, listen up. I’ve been dealing with this foot issue for over a year and want it fixed NOW. If you can’t fix it then I want an MRI, pronto.”
Okay, that was a slight embellishment. I actually talked to the receptionist and asked for an MRI- she told me I had to see the doctor first. Fine. I made an appointment for Thursday after work, but I’m done putzing around. I want an MRI to see if there’s something other than plantar fasciitis going on, so I can fix it.
And if it is just plantar fasciitis, I’ll keep with my current plan, which is cobbling together a treatment using random bits of information from the internet. What else can I do? One thing I’ve learned is that everyone has a different “miracle cure” for PF, and something different works for each person.
Okay, I know. You’re thinking, “Jenny, maybe it’s time to find a nice water aerobics class.” I’ll admit I’ve had a pretty crummy year. The foot thing has been ongoing. Then there was the hip issue, and after that the mysterious knee pain. (Interestingly, both my hips and knees feel perfect now- at least only one thing seems to hurt at any one time.)
One of my mottos is “Never, ever give up.” I know there’s a solution to all of this. A long time ago I read somewhere: When you’re injured, remember you have a 100% success rate with this. I’ve come back from every single injury in the past, and I’ve had some tough ones. I can do this, too.
There was some of this…
While I “ran” in little circles around the deep end of my pool, I listened to the great Courtney Dauwalter, who just won the 106 mile UTMB, on Ali’s podcast. I like how she talked about breaking that race up into little sections, and just focusing on completing each section as efficiently as she could. It also came up, in passing, that she DNF’d the first 100 mile race she ever attempted. Good thing she tried again!
See? NEVER GIVE UP!
Are you excited for the first day of fall, or sad that summer is ending? – If you’re sad, come down to Florida for a while- we’ve got plenty of summer left here!
15 Responses
I agree it can not hurt to get an MRI. Maybe it’s time to look into alternative treatments. Life is too short for PF (or something like that)
Yes, Deborah! And I like that saying- I’m going to put it on a t-shirt. I can wear it when I go to the doctor.
Well, Momma N served up the first day of Fall with a 30-degree temperature plummet…so she’s back on my hate list (that’s an embellishment, too LOL). Clearly, I should be living with you this time of year. Anyways, I hope you’re able to get some encouraging answers (or at least some helpful info) from your MRI. ((hugs))
Thank you Kim! I know I’ve said this before, but you really should consider Florida for your retirement! Funny how the temps seemed to plummet up north just in time for the first day of fall.
I hope you will solve the situation very soon and …. don’t give up!
Fall has come and I am very very very happy!!!!!!!
Thank you! Hope you’re enjoying some beautiful fall weather!
My only qualification for saying this is that I listen to a lot of running podcasts, but the answer to the “just do water aerobics” comment is that stopping running isn’t a cure for a lot of injuries. It’s a whole lot of backing off and trying new things, which is exactly what you’re doing and exactly why you’ll figure this out.
Thanks for that comment! You’re right… taking time off of running especially does not “cure” PF. I know because I’ve tried it, twice. Can’t wait to hear what the doctor says tomorrow.
You’ve got this, Jenny! When reading Janae’s blog, it was interesting to see how many in the comments have had PF and how many different recommendations she gets. But there does seem to be a consensus on stretching and strengthening exercises. And movement!
A little bit of light running seems to be fine for most.
Very interested to see the results of the MRI!
Yes, movement is really important. My PF always seems to get worse with too much time off. But it can also get worse with too much running… sigh. It will be nice to get some answers with the MRI.
Its really amazing how many people have had PF and had different ways to heal it. Its smart to get an MRI just to see whats going on!
Yes, and you’d think since it’s so common we would have a foolproof way of treating it by now. Hmm!
Amazing ^^
You’ve got a great attitude.
My neuroma bugged me for over a year…I feel for you.
I do not like the daylight decreasing…wake up to dark and soon it will be dark after I’m done working.
Yeah, having something go on this long is not fun. I’m hoping the MRI will help me figure out what to do. It’s encouraging that your foot is better now! There’s hope.