Training Injured: Crawl If I Must

I have been struggling with that injury that must not be named (cough...cough...plantar fasciitis) since January 2013.  While initially it was limited to the left foot, while training for the Dumbo Double Dare, I began feeling that ominous pain in my heel/arch on my right foot.  I am going to be training for the Tinkerbell Half Marathon that occurs on January 19th.  How to train for it has been an ongoing discussion with my chiropractor.

So, we first focused on what I can do without risking further injury: aquajogging and elliptical trainer.  I have access to a pool and have an elliptical trainer as well in my home workout gym.  I will start off on the elliptical trainer but if I cannot do it without pain, I will switch to aquajogging.  Both forms of exercise are great cardio and low to no impact.  More information about aquajogging can be found here.

In addition to daily stretching, massaging my foot with a tennis ball and towel scrunches, I will also begin to incorporate strength training.  Strength training will strengthen the muscles so the injury will be less likely to occur again.  For my strength training, I love my Zcut DVDs that feature workouts with Zuzka.  The workouts take about 30 minutes so they are perfect for my busy schedule and, while you can use weights if you want, they feature bodyweight resistance exercises.  I love the workouts and by the end I am a sweaty mess.

The third component is stretching daily.  I have specific stretches for that injury which must not be named but I am also to my whole body daily.  In addition, I have a Triggerpoint roller which I roll out on nightly and The Stick which I use at the office at least twice a day on my calves.

Triggerpoint Roller

The Stick

I have modified the Tinker Bell Half Marathon Training Program for beginner runners on the Run Disney website.  I incorporated strength training every other day, on Tuesday/Thursday I train either on the elliptical trainer or in the pool by aquajogging, and I run on Saturdays outside.  I also never run more than 13 miles and every other week is only a 3 mile run to give my body time to heal. My training schedules for September through the event are:

 I will also be following the old adage "If it hurts, stop" so I don't injure my foot further.  If it hurts, I will modify my workout appropriately rather than push it.  My goal is to run/walk the Tinker Bell Half Marathon without further injury.

I know I am injury prone so setting a schedule with the injuries in mind is essential for my training.  I'd rather be too conservative rather than push myself too hard, too fast and have additional injuries.  Happy training!  Let me know how your training is going and how you deal with injuries.

Plantar Fasciitis Set Back

Well, after almost 6 months of no running, I am back!  I have started running 1-2 miles with run/walk intervals.  It's not totally pain-free the next morning but it is only a little sore.  It's a move forward so I will take it!

Also, this week I thought I would begin cardio once again.  I began to do Insanity and actually completed the first two days!  By day 3, my foot was KILLING me.  It has taken 2 days for the pain to reduce.  So, time to take a hint from my body and say good-bye for now to Shawn T and Insanity.  It'll go on the shelf until I'm more fully recovered.  I will concentrate on running, stretching and strength training.  I'd rather not push myself too far too fast and have a severe set back. 

By the way, just in case you have any questions~ Plantar Fasciitis is horrible and I do not like it! 

Seeking Professional Help with Plantar Fasciitis

Since my last post, I did complete the Princess Half Marathon at Disney World!  I had not ran since completing the Tinkerbell Half Marathon about a month before. The week before Tinkerbell, I felt a sharp pain in the bottom of my foot.  After searching the internet and describing the symptoms to more experienced runners, I self-diagnosed with plantars fasciitis.  I tried limiting walking, icing, stretching and used KT tape to try to assist the healing process.  But the pain persisted and I began the race knowing it would not be pretty and I just wanted to finish.  My goals for this race is to (1) finish (I did not care if it was upright or not) and (2) have fun! 

It was the toughest race I have done.  It was only on pure willpower that I finished.  I talked to a lot of people, stopped for some photo ops, had a magical time storming the castle, and with some encouragement from the Fairy Godmother herself, finished!

This week I sought assistance from a chiropractor who has a background in sports massage therapy to help with my ongoing battle against plantar fasciitis.  After a thorough examination, she taped my foot.  She instructed me to roll my foot over a water bottle for up to 20 minutes 3x a day.

The hardest part~not being able to run.  I have learned to love the time I spend outside just competing against myself.  I cannot wait until this injury is healed so I can get back to my training.  There are some fantastic runs out there that I want to do!  Hopefully, I'll be running shortly.  After all, I have a run over Labor Day at Disneyland on the books!

When Injuries Hit...

My left foot taped just before the Tinkerbell Half Marathon

The Monday before the Tinkerbell Half Marathon (the half was on Sunday), I began having issues with the my left foot after running 10 miles.  The bottom of my left foot began seriously hurting after my 10 mile run.  I have never felt pain in that area, so I was unsure what to make of it.  A quick internet search led me to plantar fasciitis and the treatment is to ice, elevate, rest, and wear shoes that support the foot.  Oh, yeah, and give it time to heal.

I began icing my foot, rolling it on a frozen waterbottle and stretching it.  But it still hurt. ALOT!  Hubs and I went to Disneyland Friday morning to the expo to pick up our bib and packet.  Although I love Disneyland, I did not feel that I could walk around the parks all day (insert sad face!).  Even though I took it easy Friday and Saturday, I was seriously worried I would not be able to participate in the race.

At the Expo, there was a KT Tape booth.  I waited in line for over an hour.  Taping my foot helped quite a bit.  Don't get me wrong~it still hurt.  KT Tape provides support and stability.  It is not a one-size-fits-all-will-cure-whatever-ails-you remedy.  My sister in law (the hero of my story) also suggested some anti-inflammatory cream.  My sister in law has been battling severe foot issues over the last few years and has become an "expert" in her own right.  As soon as I explained the symptoms, she took my foot and hit the exact spot of the pain.  Between the tape and the anti-inflammatory cream, I was not limping the day of the race and it actually felt okay.

I completed the whole 13.1 miles.  I paid for it the rest of the week and I rested my foot with crutches and LOTS of ice.  I have only attempted one run since Tinkerbell and that lasted a very short lived 10 minutes.

I will do the Princess Half Marathon on January .  While I would love to do intervals of run/walk throughout the race, I will likely walk most of it.  I don't want to injure myself any further.  My goal is to simply finish in an upright position with a smile on my face!

Some lessons I am learning through this injury:
1.  Accept yourself the way you are.
2.  Be as compassionate with yourself as you would be to others.
3.  Focus on doing what you can.
4.  Find out how others have dealt with the same injuries.