Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Oops

Just posted something intended for the gallery blog to this blog. Ha! As long as it wasn't the other way around :-)

I'm supposed to be emailing Dr. Jamie about my foot tonight. I am not quite sure what to say. The tenderness on the top of the foot (I can't even really call it pain even when pressing on the one spot we've decided seems to be the worst) isn't gone. It seems to be better, but it is still there. My shin is still tight. I just don't know. Is it a stress fracture? Or still simply a tightness related to the shin? I guess I'll just tell him exactly that, and see what he thinks...

I do know, however, that I am starting to go a little crazy without my running, and despite trying to maintain a positive outlook on things and repeating to myself that this break from running is temporary, it is still hard. I keep looking out into the woods and wanting to go run. I am wondering how many ladyslippers are blooming in the Commons. And it has only been 1 1/2 weeks since I last ran! Sigh. I guess I am just not a good injured person... Perhaps I had better look into a temporary gym membership so I can at least get out some energy on a bike!!

5 comments:

mindy said...

I know the injury stuff sucks. One thing for the stress fracture - I might suggest taking a full 2 weeks off (sounds like it's already been 1.5 weeks) and then doing a few short runs a week - keeping track of pain levels. If the pain stays the same, you may be able to maintain low miles and build up slowly - if it gets worse, that is more indicative of a stress fx. In my unfortunate experience, this is the method I've used. If it keeps getting more and more painful with running, that's your sign that it is more likely a fx and then you can take off the recommended time (4-6 weeks with walk/run program to bring up miles again).

Sparkplug said...

Thanks Mindy. That is an interesting idea. I wonder if Dr. Jamie might suggest something similar. Hmmm...

How are you feeling after Peaks?! Good, I hope!

middle.professor said...

My return from self-diagnosed stress fracture - very localized pain on top of foot over distal end of metatarsal 2 or 3 (can't remember). Occurred very suddenly about 2 miles into run at twin brook. Ran 2 more miles and unlike typical tendon/ligament pain this go worse instead of going away. Occurred 10 days after Maine Marathon. In that 10 days I raced the Craig Cup 5K and the Physical Therapy 8K. I think the key to a quick recovery was stopping running immediately and not trying to run through it, as I would a tendon/ligament injury

Week 1: complete rest
Week 2: 1 5K row on day 13
Week 3: 3 6-7K rows, 1 3.5 mile walk (no pain)
Week 4: 2 7K rows, 1 1.4 mile walk (no pain)
Week 5: 3 7K rows, week ended with 3 2.x mile jogs
Week 6: mixed short runs and roller skis. Ski season started about here so I was transitioning anyway.

The Gilmore/Alsobrooks said...

bike outside! borrow mine - seriously!

Tim said...

One other though on foot maladies(and I'm no expert), but I've had and seen and treated in other runners is a synoviitis of the extensor tendons of the foot. The synovium is a thin membrane that covers tendons. A tightly laced running shoe can sometimes exacerbate them. Usually, a small area of swelling perhaps redness is noticed at the area of pain. Treatments are the usual rest, anti-inflammatories, attempts to redistribute shoe force. The trouble is that once a an area is inflamed and swollen, any running shoe continues to irritate it and cause persistence of the problem. I did inject one lady's foot last year with a little bit of steroid and it quickly resolved her problem and she ran her race two weeks later. There are bits and pieces strewn about on line about this and likely you've already encountered them. Pain on top of the foot seems rather unlikely as a stress fracture. The most common is the base of the 5th metatarsal and the pain is located on the plantar surface. Just some thoughts. I wish you a speedy recovery!