Rebound Recipe for Plantar Fasciitis + A very SPECIAL run

Looking for a quick fix to Plantar Fasciitis?            
                    
So am I.

While I can't offer an "easy button" for PF, or guarantee that what worked for me will cure yours. But, I can share my experience with it, and hopefully something might help another runner now, or in the future.

As I have mentioned in an earlier post, my injury presented itself at my heel and mostly on the outside edge of my (high-arched) foot. PF typically is in the heel and inside arch of lower arched runners. Most of these suggestions should work for typical PF, but a physical therapist or podiatrist will give you personalized treatments.

There are LOADS of PF treatments out there, and some novelty items to buy (none of which I tested, though considered buying all of them!). This post only highlights those things which helped me the most.

Necessary evil: Reduced load/Time off
Once diagnosed with Plantar Fasciitis, you must have the self-discipline to ease your running load so that it does not get worse.

-For me that meant complete rest from running, and very limited walking and standing for awhile.
-It meant icing after walking, even just a 5-10 minute walk.
-It meant admitting that trying to run 3 miles every other day actually made the PF flare up again, making it worse. (In the past, this was a conservative return to running which worked well for me).
-And, it meant waiting things out until I realized the PF wasn't getting worse or better. It was just "there" and might need some treatment in order for it to go completely away.

Treatment 1: Standing calf stretch and Achilles stretch (stretching)
-Each morning, right out of bed, I did 1 min of standing calf stretch and one minute of Achilles tendon stretch, per foot/leg BEFORE walking away from my bed.
-I repeated it at least 2 more times a day, usually while making lunch or dinner, and before bed.

Treatment 3: Eccentric Achilles Loading (strengthening)
-I did these exercises before I started getting better from PF, but it really started to improve when I got consistent with them. 3 sets of 10 each day, both legs.
    Sorry to disappoint you if you were hoping to see a video of my calves. :)


Video link shared via Gold Coast Physio Clinic

Treatment 4: Strengthening
Towel scrunches. Place a towel on a slick floor and sit in a chair. Use your feet to grip the towel on and off for 30 times. Repeat.

Treatment 5: Massage
 I scheduled a trigger point massage when healing seemed to have hit a plateau. The swelling was gone and my foot mostly just felt "tight", and mildly sore with serious pressure applied. I had a feeling that there was still something in my calf that seemed to be "pulling" my foot, so I booked a massage for trigger point therapy.

I also started running again the day before.

The massage therapist found a series of small knots where the calf  and soleus wrap around to meet the front shin bone. She aggressively worked them, and also worked all over my calves, soleus, and the heel where the plantar fascia attaches. Getting off the table it felt as if there had never been PF. It got sore again later in the day, but since then I have noticed that getting out of bed and walking is no longer a problem. Whatever she did loosened, or readjusted, the muscles and/or plantar fascia immediately.

In hindsight, I wish I had booked this WAY back in October.... I am scheduling regular appointments for calf/foot/lower leg massage now. This has become as important to me and my running as my shoes. 

Running Strategies
After 4 layoffs, it was clear to me that I needed to be much more conservative in how I made my return to running. After some research I landed on a rebuilding plan which has been working pretty well.

My first run back was only 10 minutes long, barefoot, and on the football field grass. Ten minutes doesn't sound like much of a run, but when you haven't ran in weeks, it tastes pretty much like chocolate covered strawberries.

I only wore a regular watch (No GPS or HRM= no pressure or temptation), so that I could be sure to cut myself off and not go over that 10 minute window. It was designed to be a test to see if my foot could withstand the rigors. I iced, massaged, did all my PT exercises that night and the next day.

Since then I have been running a little longer and a little longer (for time) every other day. Last week I started mixing in some gravel road running with trail shoes and one pavement run, to where I am up to 4 miles. The PF is still improving (faintly noticeable in the morning) and almost gone. Praise GOD! Every run I thank Him for allowing me to do this passion of mine.

Found a little "luck" at the football field where I run :)

Have you had PF? 

If you are dealing with Plantar Fasciitis, or have had it and beaten it, I would love to hear your experiences below in the comments section!

More reading on PF ► HERE
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There are some benefits to only being able to run short runs and slowly.

For the first time, I took my oldest son, 8, on a run with me.
We went to a nearby gravel trail and set out at a nice leisurely trot- about 2 minutes/mile slower than what I have seen him run a leisurely mile in.

My hope was just to take it easy and run for 30 minutes straight. I didn't tell him this. Or maybe I did... but he didn't bat an eyelash! We discussed ahead of time that we would go slow, so we could make it the whole time. And, that if N got too tired he could walk and I would keep running a little, then double back to check on him.

About 400 meters into the run the road went uphill.

He started to mention that he was feeling tired, so he walked...and noticed he could walk as fast as I was running :).

As we got near the top of the hill, he picked his pace up again, like  a wind-up toy let go! Meanwhile, I tried to maintain steady-as-she-goes.

He slowed down again to match me, and I tried to distract him with chatter about trees and asking him to keep a look-out for wildlife.

We kept together for awhile when he mentioned that he "needed an extra tank"... So we slowed it down a bit. And I shared with him that he could grow and "extra tank" by practicing running.

The see-saw running ahead and walking reminded me a bit of my first half marathon where I ran an even pace for nearly 2 hours, while two other ladies zipped ahead and then I caught them doing their "Gallowalk" method.

This point, I think, is when N started doing his ninja moves on stray weeds overhanging the road- while jogging. Or, it might have been when he started doing the "running funky chicken". I can't remember...But it must have been exhausting, because he had to walk again.

As we got about 500 yards from the car, someone shouted "First one to the key is a rotten egg!" (He likes to be the rotten egg), and the race was on!

We got to about 100 yards away and he was winded, so we walked a little way. Then I started to run, a little quickly, and N shot right past me with all sorts of reserved energy.

He might have beat me to the key.

There was a peach waiting in the car for him, which refueled N enough to restore his chatter box for the ride home.

I told N that he did GREAT!!!! asked if he thought maybe he would like to run a 5k, since we ran "almost" three miles. He said, "If I can run and walk in it."

Any answer would have been OK, but that made me smile. He makes a pretty good training partner.

X Rays, PT, and a Few Confessions

You are looking at an Xray of a perfectly unbroken left foot. Thank goodness it was unbroken. I admit, I never thought it was broken, but I was a little worried about possible bone spurs, thanks to Google.

I should probably back up a bit...

part 1
I really haven't ran much between the end of February and the beginning of May, due to a foot injury (which I took a week off for in November, but actually started in October), and a knee injury (taking place during the final miles of a very long run in February). A few weeks ago I finally made a appointment for a consultation with a physical therapist in Eugene.

I don't ordinarily see doctors. We have a thing against shelling out money for medical things...unless it's a vaccination or one of us is about to die. (That deserves it's own post, but I have too much to write about already!)..

Anyway, this appointment was for a "Free Injury Screening." I thought "free" sounded good, and expected that I might not get any real answers, but why not go for free?

The female therapist was nice and very professional. She poked around my foot, (my knee injury seemed to have healed, though I couldn't really tell without running on it). She asked me many questions, had me walk down the hall barefoot while she watched, tested and observed my balance and strength of legs/feet/ankles/hips. She took a lot of notes.

At the end of visit 1, the PT told me she would like to "rule out a stress fracture" before trying to treat the source of my knee and foot injuries. Evidently I am a good candidate for something called a "Jones Fracture" .

A few hours later I was in a place called "urgent care" having an Xray done...It does feel a little funny to get an Xray on a foot that you can still walk on. It didn't feel very "urgent", but you can get the pictures there without waiting a week - or two- so it worked out for me.

After the doctor came back from looking at the Xray, we talked "feet" a bit, and he let me know things looked "good" to him. That sounded good to me and I made my next appointment with the PT place.

part 2 
By the time the second PT visit came (only a few days after the first- getting in on a cancellation again), my foot was starting to feel really good. At this point I had 5 consecutive weeks off with no running (plus about 3 weeks off before that, with 2 weeks of a little running in the middle). It took some serious poking to even create any soreness, but my foot still would get stiff/sore after sitting any length of time.

This stuff really works (on knees) !

At this visit, the PT did an even more thorough evaluation. I got to run on the treadmill while she recorded at different angles. Back in the room she measured muscle strengths, leg lengths, and various flexibility. Then she went over her observations with me:

Very high arches in feet (I had a pretty good idea)

Supinator (I had no idea) 

Heel striker (Still.....I thought I was past that!) 

Should wear a cushioned neutral shoe 

Could improve ankle flexibility

 Strong hips and pelvis 

Could improve flex/push-off with hip flexor

Since the soreness has been at the plantar fascia insertion, the very bottom of the heel, and also the outside edge of my heel- leading up to the 5th metatarsal, she called it "A couple of things going on". I didn't get a fancy diagnosis; but, I did get several exercises that seem to be helping. Probably the most important exercise for my foot has been the standing calf stretch, held for ~1 minute, three times a day.

part 3
After that appointment, I decided that if I could run on a treadmill for 5 minutes, I could run outside.

I immediately left the office with my running clothes on and went to the Rexius trail for a short fix. The PT had told me that if I felt ready to run, to transition slowly...so I ran for about 20 minutes, easy. It was obvious I had lost a lot of speed and endurance during the time off. I was also a little nervous and paid close attention to my foot.

I thanked God while I was running, talking to Him trying to seek His will. And I thanked the Lord after the run. I desperately hope to have His blessing on my running. I very much would like Him to guide and heal me so I can run STRONG for Him (and me) again.

Since then I have been running every other day or so...or two days running, two days off. None of my runs have been over 4 miles. I don't want to push it.

I'm using my heart rate monitor to keep at an easy heart rate while rebuilding my base. My goal is to keep my heart rate under 140 BPM, which fits a formula from before my injury ( I really should get a new resting HR number).

About 3/4 of my runs have been on the treadmill, for multiple reasons: controlled terrain, kids are right with me and I can go any time of day. The first run I did on the treadmill was eye opening...

I turned on the treadmill, fully hooked up to the HRM and watched the numbers..climb. I turned down the knob on the lovely, rickety, belt-rubbing-against-the-edge, FREE treadmill (I am grateful!!) to the lowest setting on "Aerobic", then down to the "Fat Burn" setting.

My heart rate kept climbing....up and up. I was able to run at about 140 BPM , but my average pace that run was 11:15/mile for 3 miles. Six months ago I ran a 13.1 mile training run at less than 140 BPM at 7:50 pace.

Awesome.
haha.

I am still grateful...

and unworried about an 11:15 pace.

I'm still training under that same heart rate and the pace is starting to get a little faster. I am at about a 10:30 mile now on the treadmill, but managed 3 miles under a 9:45 pace outdoors yesterday. I'll take it!

I really have no idea what's in store for me with running for the rest of the year. This is where I admit, my only goals at the moment are to run without injury, steadily increase my base, and appreciate each moment I get to spend doing it.

Part 4 Faith stuff
There has been lots going on besides running with me. The boys and I have been spending much of our time "just us" lately while my Husband has been spending time with his grandma and family. There is a lot going on behind the scenes there, and the Lord is at work in many lives while she is in hospice.

I am so very proud of him for stepping up to take care of her. I know he feels torn because he is missing time with us, but he is setting an example for our boys that I hope they will always remember. A man keeps his promises. A man takes care of those who cannot care for themselves.

Our friends have stepped in and offered help to us. Tonight I am blogging because a few of them whisked my boys off to watch a small circus perform while I caught a break. Acts of service are what defines a life worthy of being called a Christian.

Often I feel like I am not doing the right things, or enough things...and then I read something like this blog post, which reminds me of God's top calling for me at this season in my life.  It really is not about how much one does, as it is the attitude it is done with.

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God,to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.      Romans 12:1

I am glad to have had the time off of running. It has been a struggle for my spirit more than for my body.  

This might sound odd, but, in a way, I feel like I have spent some time in a cocoon. Now the cocoon is starting to crack. I'm kind of excited to see what's underneath. I don't know if these wings will be fast or slow, or shiny or rough. But this much is certain, they are ready to learn to fly again!