Injury Overview & Trip to the Foot Doc.

I’ve come to terms with my “injury” although I still feel some sort of denial or disassociation with the fact that I… ME… really have an injury that is keeping me from doing one of my favorite things, Running.



I think I’ve done a good job of keeping up with the progression of this problem. But, just for me and my need for organization, I’m going to sum it up from the beginning


Sunday Dec. 20 - I ran my 16 mile long run in training for the Museum of Aviation Half Marathon.


Monday Dec. 21 – I ran an easy 4 mile treadmill run, maintaining a 10 min. mile. The last .20 of a mile I noticed some discomfort in my left heel. Not enough to stop me in my tracks, besides, I was almost finished with the run anyway.


Tuesday Dec. 22 – I went to the track for speedwork. I ran about 3 miles to warm up. I noticed the discomfort had turned into pain. I tried to ignore it. I decided to do the speedwork, on my first 400 meter interval I was in so much pain that I couldn’t keep my pace where it should be. I decided to forego the rest of the workout.


Wednesday Dec. 23 – I rested today. Iced my foot a few times.


Thursday Dec. 24 – The Macon Tracks Christmas Eve run was this morning. I decided I was going to run 6 miles. When I got up Thur. morning my heel really wasn’t hurting. As soon as I started running there was pain. Pain enough to make me alter my stride. My hard headed self kept running and ended up running about 5 miles. I was in pain the rest of the day. Walking was more uncomfortable than running.


Friday Dec. 25 – Sunday Dec. 27 – RICE! I didn’t have to work these days so I iced and heated alternately as much as I could stand. I also did about 3 hours total on the elliptical machine on Sat. and Sun. Even the elliptical is somewhat uncomfortable.


Monday and Tuesday Dec 28. OK, I’m fed up at this point. Frustrated and upset. I WANT to run, but I can’t even walk without limping. Nothing seems to make my heel feel any better. I email Amy and she tells me to give Brian at Peidmont Sports Med. A call. He isn’t at work today so she emails him and asks him to see me ASAP. I limp through the day, pouting : ( OH, and I’ve decided to go the ENTIRE week and not work out AT ALL. Yes, total rest. Nothing. My brain and my body were just going to have to get over it.


Wednesday Dec. 29 – Brian e-mails Amy and tells her to get me to call him. He graciously fit me into his schedule for the day. I needed some answers, just for my mental well being. I was about to go crazy. He took a look at my feet. No pedicure and all. Yikes. Did some prodding and bending and said that it’s probably Achilles tendonitis or less likely a stress fracture. We talked a little about the shoes I was wearing (which I had moved to a Neutral shoe). He said I should probably be in a stability shoe like I wore before. He said that my left arch was a little lower causing some problems… obviously. He set me up with an appt. to see Dr. Onderko about my heel to find out for sure what the problem is. I will see her Tuesday next week.


Thursday Dec. 30 – Monday Jan 4 - A lot of “resting” icing and LIMPING. Oh, and Monday, after my week of no physical activity I worked legs & abs at the gym and went to the Cantrell Center to swim laps. Did a total of 800 meters in about 40 minutes.


Tuesday Jan. 5 – At 8:30AM I go see the Foot Dr.


Melissa, Brian’s sweet wife, did my X-rays when I first got there. It was nice just knowing that the person that was working with me runs too. Then I go to talk to the Doctor.


She checks out my X-rays and says that IF it’s a fracture, that it wouldn’t show up on the X-ray anyway. She feels around on my heel. Asking what hurts and what doesn’t. She does some weird little test where she hit a metal thing and put it on my foot. She said if it hurt, it would be a sign of a stress fracture. But it didn’t hurt, thank goodness. I will go back and see her in a week, and if it hasn’t gotten any better she wants to do a bone scan to be sure it’s not a stress fracture.


I took advantage of being there and using her knowledge, so I went ahead and asked her a few questions about my toes. The toes next to the big toes always hurt when I run long distances and get black toenail. Over time this lead to some ugly toenails on those toes. She explained that my bunions are the culprit in that scenario. Thanks to genetics. Thanks Dad!


She gave me a boot to wear on the left foot so I won’t limp so bad, and end up hurting other things by compensating my stride. She said NO running for at least another week. I got an Rx for some steroid that is supposed to make me feel better. Lastly, I have a few appointments with Brian. I should learn some stretches and strengthening exercises to make this better and keep it from happening again.


I can do the elliptical, bike, swim, and lift weights. That’s it for right now. Less than two weeks until the MofA Half Marathon. This isn’t looking promising at all is it?