Live, love, run

Well, no running since my last post. My heel is still sore, but I think improving. My orthotics for my everyday work shoes arrived on Wednesday, so I have been wearing them and I think it is helping.

I’m going to start doing a couple of walks this week with heaps of stretching beforehand. Craig is suggesting 30 second calf stretch, then bent knee calf stretch x 3 on each leg. At the end of this week I’ll get my self a new pair of shoes. I’m looking for some really well cushioned kit.

When I had my ITB the problem came up at the end of my Kayano’s lifespan, and now my Achilles (if that’s what it is!) has happened at the end of my Adrenaline’s life. Maybe my dodgy biomechanics need shoes at 500km not 750 as I have been doing. Should probably bring a new pair into the rotation regularly anyway.

This has been a mentally tough time. I haven’t listened to Phedip, or read many running mags. I went out and bought R4YL yesterday and tried to get my head back into it. I just haven’t felt any improvement and am not sure where to go next. Might go onto Cool Running or WAMC chat rooms and see if I can get some advice.

I’ve only had a week of physio and already I have had enough. The pain in my heel is still pretty bad, although better when taped. It sounds like it is bio-mechanical, so have ordered orthotics for my work shoes so that I can have the right support as often as possible.

Craig, my physio is going to continue ultrasound for another week and then show me the taping technique so I can do it myself.

At this point I am hoping to do a bit of walking this weekend and keep working on my core in between. The hardest thing is the mental side. I feel average having not run and don’t feel as good. Whether that is true or not I don’t know!!

I hurt myself today
to see if I still feel
I focus on the pain
the only thing that’s real
the needle tears a hole
the old familiar sting
try to kill it all away
but I remember everything
what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

I wear this crown of thorns
upon my liar’s chair
full of broken thoughts
I cannot repair
beneath the stains of time
the feelings disappear
you are someone else
I am still right here

what have I become?
my sweetest friend
everyone I know
goes away in the end
and you could have it all
my empire of dirt

I will let you down
I will make you hurt

if I could start again
a million miles away
I would keep myself
I would find a way

by Nine Inch Nails (check out the Johnny Cash version)

So, I visited my pod and he doesn’t think I have Plantar Fasciitis, rather a multitude of strange things wrong with my feet! He feels that the pain I am experiencing is more related to my Achilles tendon and is treating it with taping, ultrasound, electrodes and he even threatened some dry needling!

I’ll be getting some orthotics for my work shoes as well. He has suggested that with my feet issues this is probably best.

He got me to run up and down the surgery and believes that I am slapping my left foot down instead of rolling it which is increasing the  pressure and impact on that side. I know I am no pretty runner so it doesn’t surprise me that my bio-mechanics are off!!

Back tomorrow for round two of treatment and orthotics order. I am on anti inflammatories and no running for the moment. Strength training only.

96 runs (2007 - 147 runs)
674 kilometres (2007 - 876 kilometres)
Average pace 5:42 (2007 - 5:37)
Average time 40:41 (2007 - 33:31)
Total time 64:12 (2007 - 81:01)
Average distance 7km (2007 - 6km)

8 races for the year

Achievements:

5km PB = 23:46

10km PB = 49:59

Half Marathon PB =  1:54:13

Well, my heel is no better. I have been kept to walking the dogs (we have my sisters dog Max over at the moment), and to reading Runners World magazines. I’ll get to the podiatrist next week.

Having not worn my running shoes for a few days, and walking mainly barefoot at th beach, or in thongs, my foot actually feels better. It may be that a change of shoe is now mandatory. See what the foot doc says. Anyway, a setback again, but hopefully temporary.

For this is what we do. Put one foot forward and then the other. Lift our eyes to the snarl and smile of the world once more. Think. Act. Feel. Add our little consequence to the tide of good and evil that flood and drain the world. Drag our shadowed crosses into the hope of another night. Push our brave hearts into the promise of a new day. With love: the passionate search for a truth other than our own. With longing: the pure, ineffable yearning to be saved. For so long as fate keeps waiting, we live on. God help us. God forgive us. We live on.

Gregory David Roberts, from the book Shantaram.