Road to Nowhere

Traveller wrote:Glad to hear you have news, and that a lot of it is positive.

Thanks, Clark. If nothing else, it's nice to know that I wasn't just imagining things. There IS something wrong. I AM injured. While that's not what anybody would want, it allows me to adjust my expectations and focus on addressing that problem directly.

The future will take care of itself. This is what I need to work on now.

MioMabusy wrote:You're a cool man dude

Thanks! If by "cool," you mean sitting here with an ice pack on my foot, you may be right!

Monday morning update.

I went two days this weekend in Free Runs or barefoot, taking ibu, icing a couple of times a day and trying to find ways to keep it elevated (therapy balls make great footrests). I've been half expecting that I'll need to put the boot back on, but it seems to be doing okay like this for now. Still not quite ready to head up on the roof to take the Christmas lights off, though...

I'm planning to call the PT folks to see what I can set up. I'm going to try a more aggressive approach toward healing than I usually do. Besides, beyond the foot, this enforced idleness has made my lower legs tight, tight, tight! Maybe they can do something that will help calm everything down.

While I'm waiting to heal, I'm going to take advantage of my inactivity by starting to adjust my diet and drop some of this excess weight. It's always more difficult for me to lose weight when I'm ramping up the mileage. In fact, I have a nasty habit of gaining weight during a training cycle. Balancing appetite and need has always been a bit of an (ahem) challenge for me, especially when adding in carbs.

Mark, I'm playing catch-up here, and I'm seeing that your new year has gotten off to an eventful, if not altogether fun start. As for the foot, no doubt tendonitis is preferable to a lot of the alternatives. I've dealt with peroneal tendonitis, and I was, for the most part, able to train through it, but it is a nasty, nagging injury. I'm glad to see you're out of the boot and off crutches. I hope it's better soon.
As for your running plans, you came to an important realization regarding racing, and I congratulate you for being able to make such a good decision for yourself. You're clearly taking a long-term perspective. I hope that you rediscover your love of running and that it leads to the renewed enthusiasm and motivation that you lost somewhere along the way.

Seth Harrison wrote:Mark, I'm playing catch-up here, and I'm seeing that your new year has gotten off to an eventful, if not altogether fun start. As for the foot, no doubt tendonitis is preferable to a lot of the alternatives. I've dealt with peroneal tendonitis, and I was, for the most part, able to train through it, but it is a nasty, nagging injury. I'm glad to see you're out of the boot and off crutches. I hope it's better soon.
As for your running plans, you came to an important realization regarding racing, and I congratulate you for being able to make such a good decision for yourself. You're clearly taking a long-term perspective. I hope that you rediscover your love of running and that it leads to the renewed enthusiasm and motivation that you lost somewhere along the way.

Hi, Seth! Thanks for stopping by!

You touch on something that I've seen others mention, as well: The notion that my enthusiasm and motivation for running has flagged recently. I find that interesting, because I don't believe that to be the case - though I have lost the desire to schedule a big race. At least for the time being.

So that raises an interesting philosophical question: Does a love of running necessitate a desire to race? Or to put it differently: Does not wanting to train to race mean you lack motivation or don't love running? (This sounds like I'm being defensive, but I'm not. I'm simply musing on the larger point.) I'd be interested to see how others would answer those questions. I think it'd probably say a lot about who we are.

Mark B wrote:

Seth Harrison wrote:Mark, I'm playing catch-up here, and I'm seeing that your new year has gotten off to an eventful, if not altogether fun start. As for the foot, no doubt tendonitis is preferable to a lot of the alternatives. I've dealt with peroneal tendonitis, and I was, for the most part, able to train through it, but it is a nasty, nagging injury. I'm glad to see you're out of the boot and off crutches. I hope it's better soon.
As for your running plans, you came to an important realization regarding racing, and I congratulate you for being able to make such a good decision for yourself. You're clearly taking a long-term perspective. I hope that you rediscover your love of running and that it leads to the renewed enthusiasm and motivation that you lost somewhere along the way.

Hi, Seth! Thanks for stopping by!

You touch on something that I've seen others mention, as well: The notion that my enthusiasm and motivation for running has flagged recently. I find that interesting, because I don't believe that to be the case - though I have lost the desire to schedule a big race. At least for the time being.

So that raises an interesting philosophical question: Does a love of running necessitate a desire to race? Or to put it differently: Does not wanting to train to race mean you lack motivation or don't love running? (This sounds like I'm being defensive, but I'm not. I'm simply musing on the larger point.) I'd be interested to see how others would answer those questions. I think it'd probably say a lot about who we are.

Absolutely not, Mark. I love to race, so I do, but I train with several runners who never race at all, but just love to run. Most of them run the two Atlanta based halfs and maybe Peachtree, but nothing else. One women never races, but she'll often run with me through a 20 miler.

Glad to hear you have more clarity on the injury and what needs to be done for the time being. Even though being injured isn't fun, when you are it really helps knowing what the actual injury is so you can try and resolve it.

As for your question, who cares if you race? I don't care if you race personally, not to be a smartalic but it doesn't matter why you run, just that you enjoy it. If you race, great; if not, who really cares. I think it is good to take a break from racing every once in a while to allow us to mentally and physically refocus ourselves because racing takes a lot of out us, at least it does me. My point is, run for the reasons you want to run and don't worry aboutanybody elses opinion. I use to care what others thought, now I don't and I really do enjoy running for many reasons and racing isn't always the main reason.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:

Mark B wrote:

... So that raises an interesting philosophical question: Does a love of running necessitate a desire to race? Or to put it differently: Does not wanting to train to race mean you lack motivation or don't love running? (This sounds like I'm being defensive, but I'm not. I'm simply musing on the larger point.) I'd be interested to see how others would answer those questions. I think it'd probably say a lot about who we are.

Absolutely not, Mark. I love to race, so I do, but I train with several runners who never race at all, but just love to run. Most of them run the two Atlanta based halfs and maybe Peachtree, but nothing else. One women never races, but she'll often run with me through a 20 miler.

Thanks for that, Michele! When I do one of my long run routes, I often cross paths with a guy who goes out every morning and runs about 8 miles - sometimes faster, sometimes slower. He seems to be in fabulous shape, but he has no interest in racing whatsoever. He told me once he went out ran 26.2 miles once years ago, just to see if he liked it. He didn't, and I think he's glad about that.

Joel H wrote:Glad to hear you have more clarity on the injury and what needs to be done for the time being. Even though being injured isn't fun, when you are it really helps knowing what the actual injury is so you can try and resolve it.

As for your question, who cares if you race? I don't care if you race personally, not to be a smartalic but it doesn't matter why you run, just that you enjoy it. If you race, great; if not, who really cares. I think it is good to take a break from racing every once in a while to allow us to mentally and physically refocus ourselves because racing takes a lot of out us, at least it does me. My point is, run for the reasons you want to run and don't worry about anybody else's opinion. I use to care what others thought, now I don't and I really do enjoy running for many reasons and racing isn't always the main reason.

Knowing the exact location of the injury makes a HUGE difference for me, Joel. First off, it tells me where to put the ice pack... but more importantly, it helps me understand how I need to walk and stand in order to take the strain off that spot. I've been able to avoid the isolation boot and crutches that way, which is a very. good thing. (I learned a lot about how my feet work - and why- during that podiatrist's visit, which really has me thinking.)

Speaking of ice packs... it looks like I'll be doing home therapy for the time being. I called up to make a PT appointment and found out that it's a "limited benefit" on my plan, which means I'd have to pay a $250 deductible over the first two visits before full coverage kicks in. Cha-ching! I'm not sure if the point of managed care is supposed to be to discourage patients from seeking care until the need is urgent, but that sure is the effect. Sigh.

I think the whole race vs. non-race notion is a very personal one. I know people who never race, and others who might not run at all (or, at least not as much as they do) if they didn't race. Either way is fine. As for me, I've used racing as a motivation to run for years (it helps when it's dark, 38 and raining), so it'll be interesting to see how well I do when I don't have that mid-range goal out there keeping me on track.

That said, I still have long-range goals/hopes... it's just that I know it'll take more than a year of diligent work before I'd be ready to attempt them. Honestly, those long-range goals as much as anything have shaped my plans going forward.

Ok, this is what I have as an ice/heat wrap. I have the one that fits around your ankle/achilles since that is what I injured when I first needed it.

http://www.mendmeshop.com/cold-compression-wrap.php

Don't think I got it from this website, but I can't remember where I did get it.

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Ok, this is what I have as an ice/heat wrap. I have the one that fits around your ankle/achilles since that is what I injured when I first needed it.

http://www.mendmeshop.com/cold-compression-wrap.php

Don't think I got it from this website, but I can't remember where I did get it.

Cool! (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

What struck me reading the description is that this product is NOT supposed to be frozen, but cooled in the refrigerator. Given the number of people I know who have given themselves frostbite while icing , that's an intriguing thought.

Thanks, Michele!

Interesting read about the diagnosis. What is nice is your have the problem and now can work the solution. Wishing you well with PT and quick comeback!

Kenny B. wrote:Interesting read about the diagnosis. What is nice is your have the problem and now can work the solution. Wishing you well with PT and quick comeback!

Thanks, Kenny! The PT is going to be me at this point. I'm hopeful that will be enough. It's feeling a bit better already; I haven't felt the need to keep taking ibu.

I had to shudder again when I looked at the X-ray of your foot - and you run and run a lot! Crazy how your body has adapted to it. It must be somewhat nice to at least know what the problem is. Have you ever looked into cycling at all - if you enjoyed doing it, it might give the foot a break for a day or two a week. It's not for everyone I know... And your question about racing vs "just" running - I don't think racing has to have anything to do with motivation to run at all. We are all different and if racing becomes non-enjoyable than there isn't any point in doing it! Seems to me you are doing pretty well spirit-wise with running for enjoyment over the last year once you took major time pressure off yourself - that's a good thing!

Oh, and thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated!

John Kilpatrick wrote:I had to shudder again when I looked at the X-ray of your foot - and you run and run a lot! Crazy how your body has adapted to it. It must be somewhat nice to at least know what the problem is. Have you ever looked into cycling at all - if you enjoyed doing it, it might give the foot a break for a day or two a week. It's not for everyone I know... And your question about racing vs "just" running - I don't think racing has to have anything to do with motivation to run at all. We are all different and if racing becomes non-enjoyable than there isn't any point in doing it! Seems to me you are doing pretty well spirit-wise with running for enjoyment over the last year once you took major time pressure off yourself - that's a good thing!

Oh, and thanks for the kind words. Much appreciated!

Hey, John! The more I think about my crazy feet, the more fascinating I find the human body. If my foot acted the way it looks in an X-ray, I'd be walking on the outer edge of my feet, club-foot style. BUT... the rest of my feet are so flexible that as soon as my foot takes a load, the rest my foot gives way and it all flattens out and becomes - for lack of a better term - functional. Crazy!

What makes this so fascinating is that this adaptation explains why I've torqued the heel cup off of running shoes, and why Frees work so well for me. They go where my feet go, and they never judge. It also makes it clear why the recommendation of so many shoe store employees has been wrong: that "excessive pronation" that they see is what I need to be able to use my feet. "Motion control" or "stability" shoes put me back on the edge of my foot... and you can imagine how poorly things turn out then.

So, is anybody else worried that Nike designs shoes based in part on MY feedback? I do have to say, they've been fitting me a lot better lately...

Back to the injury: The podiatrist did mention cycling as an option for now, and I might do that one of these days. I used to ride my bike a lot, many years ago, but I haven't had a decent road bike in decades. I have a crossover trail/road bike that would work, I suppose, so who knows? Maybe I'll hop on if the weather permits.

You're welcome on the kind words. I meant them. Take it easy on yourself. This is an adventure, so it's bound to have some twists and turns.

Mark B wrote:This is an adventure, so it's bound to have some twists and turns.

Kind of like your foot, Mark? Ba-dup-da-ching!!!

Sorry, I couldn't resist!

Joel H wrote:
Ba-dup-da-ching!!!

I'm just glad my foot isn't making that noise...

Mark B wrote:

Joel H wrote:
Ba-dup-da-ching!!!

I'm just glad my foot isn't making that noise...

hahaha...me too!

I've gone a bit low-key in this blog over the past few days... there's just not much to report.

I returned my rented crutches late last week - nice to get the $25 deposit back - and then promptly started to notice that my foot and ankle were hurting more again. Oy. I finally figured out that, as it was starting to feel better, I was starting to walk on it like I usually do. It's not ready for that yet. (And oddly enough, it sometimes hurt more after I iced it. Weird.)

There was even a day where I was pretty much convinced I'd need to give in and switch to the boot (because I can't be trusted to baby it, it seemed), but I have been concentrating on not over striding, or making sharp turns, or whatever it is that I apparently always do that aggravates it. It's calmed down a bit. I'm crossing my fingers. I wish this would resolve quickly, but it seems that this one is going to take a while.

Mark B wrote:

You touch on something that I've seen others mention, as well: The notion that my enthusiasm and motivation for running has flagged recently. I find that interesting, because I don't believe that to be the case - though I have lost the desire to schedule a big race. At least for the time being.

So that raises an interesting philosophical question: Does a love of running necessitate a desire to race? Or to put it differently: Does not wanting to train to race mean you lack motivation or don't love running? (This sounds like I'm being defensive, but I'm not. I'm simply musing on the larger point.) I'd be interested to see how others would answer those questions. I think it'd probably say a lot about who we are.

Mark, as they say, different strokes for different folks!

There's no reason you (or anyone else for that matter) should feel like any less of s runner than anyone else if you don't feel like racing. Getting out the door and putting one foot in front of the other to make you healthier and feel good is the point, and if that doesn't involve racing (much) for you, so be it. There are some days I wish I could have that attitude, but I need that carrot out there so I get out the door every day. Faster times are my motivation to go farther and work harder at it, so that's what I do.

Show Nike your foot X-ray and I am sure they will keep you for testing.
They will just start fitting you for folks that have some connection to Area 51!
You have to admit that your X-ray does make one think of someone from "out there"!

mul21 wrote:

Mark, as they say, different strokes for different folks!

There's no reason you (or anyone else for that matter) should feel like any less of a runner than anyone else if you don't feel like racing. Getting out the door and putting one foot in front of the other to make you healthier and feel good is the point, and if that doesn't involve racing (much) for you, so be it. There are some days I wish I could have that attitude, but I need that carrot out there so I get out the door every day. Faster times are my motivation to go farther and work harder at it, so that's what I do.

I couldn't agree more with you, Jim. Just running is the key. Whatever motivation it takes (as long as its not self-destructive, of course) to get out the door is great. I think we're all chasing our joy. Whether that joy comes in achievement or simply in the sound of the wind in the trees, it's all good.

charles.moman wrote:Show Nike your foot X-ray and I am sure they will keep you for testing.
They will just start fitting you for folks that have some connection to Area 51!
You have to admit that your X-ray does make one think of someone from "out there"!

The foot is something else, isn't it? I sometimes describe myself as having a long arch, which is as good a way to describe it as any. My arch is like a 10.5 while my foot length is more 9.5. (I have to buy shoes longer than you'd think, or they don't hit my arch correctly.) It makes some "innovations" not do for me what they'd expect. So, I think they keep me around as an outlier. If their ideas work on me, they'll work on just about anybody!

One other thing: I'll never forget the time when one of their shoe analysts was carefully checking how a shoe was fitting (or actually, not fitting) my foot when she just shook her head and cracked up. "These are just so wrong for you," she said, still laughing.

Luckily, they were Brand X and not Nikes.

While I've been cooling my jets and icing my foot, I've been toying with the idea of getting some of these babies from Luna Sandals, but it's pretty evident looking at their size guide that I'd better go for the custom-made option. Their size chart shows that my forefoot is unusually narrow to the length of my feet. Whee! Another anomaly! Luckily, they do custom sandals at no extra charge.

Here's an image of the running sandal I'm considering.



Pretty nifty looking, don't you think? The sock is optional, of course.

Those look eerily similar to the cut-your-own sandals that are going around in some minimalist groups. You can get a kit online for like $20 and find tips on how to cut them as well as tie them.

Mike MacLellan wrote:Those look eerily similar to the cut-your-own sandals that are going around in some minimalist groups. You can get a kit online for like $20 and find tips on how to cut them as well as tie them.

They probably are VERY similar to those - except they may have a more specifically engineered sole than the slab of radial those DIY sites probably suggest.

Anyway, my journey to self-reliance is not on the fast track. The lawn is full of moss, the raised garden bed is full of dead weeds and my hope of brewing my own beer remains, alas, hypothetical.

If I tried to raise chickens (heaven forbid), they'd probably end up taking over the place.

So, I think it might be wisest if I let somebody else do the slicing. (Does the tire have to be OFF the car before you slice it? Hm...)

Could it be? Yes! A actual run!

Low HR Rehab Run: 30 minutes (1.96 miles, if you're counting...)

Weather: Indoors, on the treadmill. 68 degrees. Gear: FR 2s.

This was my first run since Tecumseh on Dec. 3, 2011, and the first run wearing a heart rate monitor since last May. My goal was to test things out and see if my foot/ankle can handle a low-intensity workout.

I started out with a 5-minute warm-up walk, then shifted the treadmill up to about a 12-minute pace. My foot and lower legs were a little creaky at first but seemed to warm up okay. My heart rate rose pretty quickly (too quickly for my liking) to the upper end of my low HR range (I was trying to keep it below 138 bpm) but I was able to keep it from going any higher until about 12 minutes in, when it climbed up to about 141. I slowed the treadmill back to a 15-minute pace and could feel the strain on my system easing and my HR dropping. I held it at that pace until about 25 minutes, then I slowed back to a walk and tried to walk my HR down to sub-100 bpm before stopping. I didn't quite make it, but it was pretty close.

So yes, at least for now, I'm going back to the low HR training regimen. And I'm going to keep the HR on the lower side (135-138) rather than cheating it up to the 140-143 range.

I want to get back to where it feels like I could run forever because, well, that's kind of my goal.

Averarge HR for entire 30 minutes: 123

I did a little light stretching after the run, but I didn't stretch before. I didn't want to overdo it and irritate my peroneal tendon before I even started the workout. It feels pretty good so far. Cross your fingers!

Yeah!

Michele "1L" Keane wrote:Yeah!

+1