Injured? Examine your foundation

 

I’ve been battling, enduring, putting up with, and trying to ignore a nagging case of Achilles tendonitis in my left ankle.  I’ve dealt with this kind of injury in the past.  I even wrote about it in my latest book, The Hard Run.  I ignored it for some time because I was very focused on getting over a case of sciatica that was making me want to cry! When the sciatica improved, the tendonitis was brought into focus. (There is another lesson.) I scaled back my mileage and purchased new shoes.  I’ve been using Vitamin I and Deep Blue, but the inflammation is still present.  Tendonitis is like that – it hangs on for a long time.

Yesterday I was somehow impressed to examine the soles of my new running shoes for wear patterns.  (We runners get a little obsessed with our shoes!)  Guess what? All the wear was on the heel of the left shoe indicating that I have been heel striking with my left foot – pounding away at the inflamed tendon. Experience has taught me that if I correct my gait I will eliminate the cause of the injury.  It will take some time to heal completely, but I will no longer be aggravating the injury. I look forward to improvement!

What can we learn from this running injury?

When you are fighting a battle in life and feel that you are not making any progress, it might be wise to examine your foundation. Are you doing something while in pursuit of a worthy goal that is preventing you from achieving that goal? Are you going about it from the wrong direction?  Perhaps you need to change your approach.

Question: Can you share an example of a change of behavior that improved your success?

Happy Running!

If you enjoyed this post you might also like The Hard Run: Painful Lessons from a Running Granny. Find it on Etsy and Amazon.  Available in Kindle, too!

Review: The Pulse Running & Fitness Shop

Doesn't everybody shop for running shoes on snowy days?

Seven inches of new snow on the ground and biting temperatures in the middle of November means it’s time to go buy new running shoes, right? That’s what I did yesterday and I’m here to report on my experience.  I have taken my son and a couple friends to get fitted for the right shoe and I refer anyone who asks and many that don’t to The Pulse, Shu’s IdahoRunning Co, or Bandanna Running and Walking.  They always have positive experiences.

Here are some explanations of the three most important running shoe features.

Neutral – No built in features to correct behavior of the foot and ankle on impact.

Cushioning – Soft stuff in the sole.  Ah, yes!

Stability – This feature prevents the foot from rolling too much on impact. There are various degrees of stability available.

Confession: I have never been fitted for shoes! In fact, I stumbled upon some Asics with a little stability in them once and I have continued to use a stability shoe (except for these) ever since. I discovered something yesterday.  I don’t need a stability shoe!  This is how I know.

I chose to visit The Pulse for two reasons.  First – They use a treadmill and a video camera.  Second – Location. The owner (I apologize that I didn't catch her name) first checked my arches and had me walk across the floor in my stocking feet so she could see what my ankles, especially my Achilles tendon, did when I walked.  It was neutral – it stayed mostly straight while I walked. (This is important as I have been struggling with some tendonitis and sciatica.) She began bringing several pairs of brightly colored shoes for me to try.  I donned a pair and hopped on the treadmill to look for a couple of things.  First – how did the shoe feel? Second – what happened with my Achilles as I ran?  The second purpose was aided by a video camera aimed at the back of my feet that could be slowed and stopped to evaluate how my feet, ankles, and the shoes behaved together. She was very patient and allowed me to take as much time as I needed to make the best choice possible.  There was no hard sell!

After trying out five or six pair – I ran in each pair and even ran in two different shoes for comparison – I chose the Asics Gel-Cumulus. They have some nice cushioning and I am excited to see how they perform for me.  I tried other brands – Saucony, Brooks, and Mizuno – but I went back to Asics.  Now, if the weather would just warm up so I could take them for a ride!

My new shoes!

Reasons to visit a running store:

• The owners are runners.
• Treadmills and video cameras.
• A better fit means more success on the run.
• Performance shoes are more comfortable and less likely to promote injury than cheaper models, saving money in the long run.
• Performance shoes wear longer than lesser models.
• Your feet and ankles will thank you!

If you have never visited a running shoe store it might be time.  Whether you are a walker or a beginning runner, there is no need to be intimidated. They are there to help. Visit ThePulse and tell them Running Granny Green sent you!

Do you have a product or service you would like to know more about?  Comment below or message me on Facebook and we will see what information we can find.

Happy Running!

Sciatica: The treatment continues

My Happy Place

I have been diligently doing my best to treat a nagging case of Sciatica (mine) with stretching, Ibuprofen, ointments, rest, and clam shell exercises.  It wasn’t improving so I decided to call in the big guns! I had my first legitimate therapeutic massage today. 

I have long been leery of massage, mostly because I am ticklish. I even bypassed the free foot massages at the finish line of some of my favorite races – until the GrandTeton Relay. My teammate coerced me and I succumbed. I was immediately fond of the lady working on my ankles and feet. I would have brought her home if I could.

So … I messaged my friend, Raquel, and asked for more info yesterday. Today I had my first therapeutic massage. There was not any giggling going on!  Her elbow jammed into my left hip.  My heel touched my derriere. The massage oil smelled like a medicine cabinet belonging to a geriatric. I had to go to my happy place a time or two. It hurt so good!

Thus far, my left hip is not hurting. I can walk across the room or all around Costco without stopping to do a standing figure four stretch. I believe there is hope of recovery. That is important because I am writing a book about running and I think it would be a good selling point if I were still actually a runner! I am looking forward to an evening stroll to test the waters a bit. She told me she could fix it. I think I am a believer.

My take on therapeutic massage? Go for it!

Meet Raquel, my massage therapist.

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Sciatica: A real pain for runners

Throwing everything I know at Sciatica

I’ve been experiencing some discomfort for a few weeks. Actually, it started the beginning of July during my half marathon training. It was just an occasional twinge in my left ankle, an indication that my Achilles tendon was on the verge of a flare up and that I should cut back on my mileage. I had a plan to do just that – after the half. The Burley SpudmanTriathlon was two weeks after the Fit For Life Half and I only had to run six miles. The Grand Teton Relay was three weeks after the Burley event and my distances were less than five miles – three times in 24 hours. 

By the time I had completed all of those races and spent many hours on an airplane traveling to New York State and back and helping with the cross country team, my Sciatic nerve was screaming at me in addition to the enlarged and painful Achilles tendon. I don't know which came first, sciatica or tendonitis. I just know they both hurt and impede my running. So, 15 – 16 weeks later I still haven’t taken enough time off and my left leg twinges and screams from hip to toe. 

I have also been less than diligent in my commitment to treatment. Stretching helps, but it needs to be done regularly. So it goes with ibuprofen therapy. Cream such as Blue Emu, doTerra Deep Blue, and Aspercreme offer temporary and sometimes smelly relief. It’s time to get proactive.

It’s time to get serious so here is my plan of attack:

• Ibuprofen 3 -4 times daily
• These recommended stretches for Sciatica at least twice daily.
• Creams as needed.
• Ice as needed.

Cross Country is ending, so I’m going to take some time off from running while allowing the above remedies to begin to work. This one may be the most difficult. I’m fighting the urge to push through the pain. Sometimes that truly is the answer. I’m afraid that four months of discomfort is telling me that this time pushing through is not the answer! I will let you know what works. (Massage therapy! The answer was massage therapy!)

Oh, and bananas. I intend to eat them - not to go bananas!

Running Granny Green encourages women, especially grandmothers, to gain greater fitness by providing tips and inspiration to insure long years of joyful grand-parenting. The cookie recipes are a bonus!

Happy Running!

Carol - aka Running Granny Green

Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.