… and how did you handle it? How did you recover and get back to feeling like you could run again?
The backstory to this question is, it finally happened to me. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been feeling pain in the bottom of my heel, thinking it would go away in a day or two. But it’s persisted for longer than I’d like to admit, and so it finally dawned on me that I might have an injury that’s not going to go away on its own.
It seems that I have plantar fasciitis, and I feel just like the guy in the photo above — my foot really hurts! In the past, especially when I was younger, injuries would pass fairly quickly. After a couple of days of rest, I’d be feeling better and able to run again. I don’t think that’s in the cards this time around.
No, at 53 I’m going to need to be an active participant in helping my body recover — that means icing my heel, doing stretches a few times a day to get the area that’s in pain now in a place where it can function normally again. I’m going to have to manage my body and be conscious of what I’m doing with it and to it, rather than glide blissfully along, totally unaware of what’s going on inside me.
In other words, this is going to be a challenge! Because I don’t want to get too far behind in our training for the Eugene Half Marathon, I want to get healthy again as quickly as possible.
So, I’d love to know: what is a memorable injury you’ve experienced, and how did you put Humpty Dumpty back together again after it? 😃 — Terrell
I'm late to this party but I wonder about something - as runners, most of us are old frenemies with all the various overuse injuries of the lower extremities. Whether it's a hip flexor muscle, any tendon all the way down, shin stuff, foot stuff, we've all seen it all to some extent.
But what about injuries that have nothing to do with running, but threaten our running?
For the first time in my life, I'm experiencing lower back pain - still have to get in to get diagnosed, but if feels like some kind of disc problem. In a bad scenario, could even be something like ankylosing spondylitis.
I can move, I can run, the worst pain is currently when sitting or bending in a very specific way that curves the lower back. But people keep advising me not to run, at least for now, to stick to lower-impact stuff. Obviously, that sounds terrible. Dealing with this could take anywhere from months to a lifelong thing, I don't want to give up or even reduce my running. More like, I want to increase my running, lol.
Has anyone been there? Would love the wisdom of the community on what to do to keep running but also take care of your lower back, through the long road of stretching, strengthening, and whatever else the doc advises.
I feel like a newbie here - I started running at 62 and saw steady progress until 65. Preparing for my first Boston Marathon I got a strange painless tug in my right thigh. Suddenly I couldn’t run at all with a marathon a few months away!
An orthopedist gave me the following revealing advice: You’re overworking yourself. (Not very revealing actually)
After learning about ice and heat packs and new stretches etc., I switched to the 1/2 running/half weights program. After two years of first declining performance then leveling below my PB standard, I am moving closer to my 65 yr. old self at 67.
Not sure if my constant search for new training strategies helps anyone here, the references to medications (I’m not on any medications) actually scares me, but I hope this encourages everyone. This year the target is new PB’s and another Boston.
Comminuted displaced right great toe fracture one week before a race. It wasn’t a runner injury but a helping a friend load plywood injury😬. Giloutine to the toe. Anyway ended up on the bike for awhile in hopes of not losing too much cardio. Still aches when it gets cold or rains but whatever 🤣. Hope you feel better soon❤️
My worst running injury was Plantar Fasciitis. Apparently, it is one of the top 5 running injuries. I had PF in both feet one after the other and it cost me about 3 years of running because I tried to run through it.
Admittedly, I did not cope well as I could have done as I did not have a substitute activity. I am told that pool running would have been something that could be done while your feet heal.
You have to find the root cause of your PF. It is a surprisingly common injury for those of us that are middle-aged. Spending a lot of time on your feet is another culprit. A gait analysis pointed to my motion control shoes no longer correcting my overpronation as being the issue.
A night splint worn for about 4-6 weeks helped my feet heal overnight in the proper position. This eliminated the painful first steps each morning. Stretching the plantar fascia also helped. I had great relief after taking a CPR course. It turns out that kneeling in the CPR stance really helps stretch the bottom of your feet. Icing using a frozen water bottle and massage using a golf ball—both rolled under the foot—were helpful with pain management and breaking up scar tissue, respectively.
Shockwave therapy and ART helped with the more stubborn of my two cases.
Prescription orthotics in neutral shoes—after easing back into running following a return to running plan—have allowed me to run pain free for about 8 years now. I would not recommend starting back running until you can walk pain-free.
Avoid going barefoot and ALWAYS wear your orthotics if you go that route. You may have to go up a shoe size to accommodate them especially in your street foot wear.
Be patient. Due to the low blood flow in this part of our feet PF is a stubborn injury that takes some time to heal. It heal it will and you will eventually be back to running.
Hang in there, Terrell. I have been dealing with PF since August. Physical therapy has helped. I’m 66 and wish I still had the resilience of a 53-year-old.
My Plantar Fasciitis was over in 3.5 weeks. I didn't know what it was at first. For a week I was running with what felt like a rock bruise about the size of a quarter. Then I got up one morning with more pain in my foot. That's when I realized it was Plantar Fasciitis. Did some research and found since it was what I would call mild, that I could treat it myself. I used ice, strong self massage, a prickly ball to roll my foot on, a light weight Plantar Fasciitis boot at night and when I was home, and started ankle raises on my stairs. After 3.5 weeks I started easy runs on the treadmill for a week since it is more forgiving than pavement. Then the 2nd week did easy runs outside. The issue has never came back. I continue to do all the treatments for past injuries to prevent them coming back. It must work since I have been injury free for 2 to 3 years. It's been a hard learning process. If you don't do proper maintenance and warm ups, eventually it will catch up with you.
I have had Plantar Fasciitis, and I T band strain,. The worst was a mild groin strain. I stopped running to give it rest. I would try about every 3 weeks to run a mile on the treadmill. If I felt anything I continued resting and not running. I did cross training in the mean time trying to keep my endurance up via cycling and swimming 2 miles. It took 6 months to recover before I could start running. There really wasn't much i could do for it other than self massage and rest. Other injuries took about 3 weeks to recover from. This 6 months not running was absolutely the worst. I am glad to say it's been 2 or 3 years since my last injury.
I developed Morton's neuroma a painful condition that affected the ball of my foot. Its most commonly affects the area between third and fourth toes. Morton's neuroma felt like I was standing on a pebble in my shoe or on a fold in your sock. It was painful.
I had a few solutions. Get deep tissue massage in the area to break up the scar tissue, surgery to remove nerve, or get injections to kill nerve.
I decided on the injections. It took weekly injection to finally kill the nerve. Thankfully I have returned to running pain free.
I had many overuse injuries but the Morton Neuroma was painful and strange.
After my 98th half in ‘21, ankle swelled and a compression sock and a lot of walking got me through 99th and 100th. I had been wearing neutral arch shoes “forever”. Orthopedic doctor told me, “Flat feet or not, you need shoes with arches ... switched to Brooks Adrenalines and have been good ever since. “Most embarrassing injury” ... 50 or 75 yards after start of half at Disneyland in ‘11, I stumbled on a reflector in the middle of the road .. found you CAN run with skinned knee and skinned palms!
So sorry to hear of your injury Terrell, and I wish you a speedy recovery. Very quick intro, back in May of 2023, I got accepted to run the NY marathon, for charity. I created a brand OYR running, started to write “blogs” to create a great web site and sell my merchandise for charity and hopefully get a few people to read my stories. Terrell, you were the first person that I connected with through your writing, and followed as you proceeded through running season and it inspired me to write about running and observational story telling.
Literally, the day after I registered my site and started creating my sub stack. My back decided it was done, long story short, two surgeries later, I am still working towards getting out again and writing. Wishing you a safe and speedy recovery, listen to two people on advice, your Dr. And your body. As an athlete, you will know when you are ready to move past each stage of recovery. Rest when you need to and know that you will be better and stronger in the long run (no pun intended).
I have had nagging pain in my big toe since Jan 2022. while it never progressed, it also never went away. I'll spare you the details but after going through the wasteful US medical system of Xray (knowing it wasn't a stress fracture) and getting to an MRI, there was joint degeneration diagnosed. I went to a podiatrist, who offered to break my foot and 'reposition it' (a waste of time and co-pay) and ended up getting PRP in the toe to delay continued degeneration while going to physical therapy. The first PT kept me running, the second I went to got me to be pain free. After moving to Spain, my schedule was disrupted I've been off my PT and the pain has returned (but is much milder and manageable), and I think ultimately what is happening is due to a bone spur that the podiatrist did not see but the PRP specialist did. Regardless, I need to get back on my physical therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles in my foot, correcting how I land and thus eliminating my pain.
Get thee to a physical therapist for a movement assessment and exercises to keep your claves loose and happy!
Sorry to hear that about you having plantar fasciitis Terrell, hopefully it starts to heal and feel better soon so you can get back to doing what you love.
I dealt with plantar fasciitis a few years ago which I now believe was a result of improper footwear. For weeks it affected my daily life, making it hard to stand in place for more than a few minutes before I had to sit down, or making it difficult to walk far distances. I tried everything, from doctor visits to tapes to overnight boots to buying all types of new shoes to stretching the legs every morning to trying all levels of insoles... nothing seemed to help. I finally stopped trying so many different things, doing less of these “therapies”, and I swear what really helped was when I started wearing Crocs more. Mostly just in the house instead of going barefoot. They just seemed to work for me and my feet. Something about the support and cushion they give seems to be easiest on my feet, and I continue to wear them to this day. I have yet to find footwear that are as easy on my feet than the Crocs I have haha. I also settled on a running shoe that works best for me, and wear those for everyday errands or going out, instead of a “dressier” shoe that might not give as much arch support.
Everyone is different, and what works for some people might not work for others, but that’s what helped me the most. Hope you get better soon!
I have been very fortunate through nearly 40 years of organized running. Not a single physical injury from running; however, I’ve badly bruised my ego on multiple occasions.
Like most serious runners, I had plantar faciitis, twice. Wore the boot, then switched to the sock that pulls the front of your foot up. The worst thing that ever happened to me was on a 5K race. I had a head cold and had taken 24 hour Contact for two days prior to the race.
I was having the BEST race of my life. Coming up of 2 1/2 miles I could see the two leaders, made a final push, and was gaining on them. I was within a quarter mile of the finish line and moving up fast. That was the last thing I remember. I recall someone asking me my name but I couldn't speak. Next thing I know I was in the E.R. with an I.V. in my arm and someone handing me a glass of something and telling me to keep drinking. I was told later that I was severly dehydrated. They kept feeding me liquids and didn't let me out of the E.R. until I unirated. I'm thankful that races have paramedics because you never know what can happen. My wife still reminds me to hydrate the day before. After putting up with me for 30 years it must be true love.
Small meniscus tear. Not enough for the doctor to recommend surgery. Recommendation was antiinflammatories for a bit, rest, and stretching exercises everyday for the rest of my life. I followed all his instructions until I was better, and then I went back to my normal, and ran my strongest and fastest for about 2 years. Then guess what, it flared up again. This time it took much longer to get back to running (age is a big bully), So now I am faithfully following the stretching advice, and I don't push the speed anymore.
I did have a plantar fasciitis moment about 10 years ago? I kept running because it didn't bother me when I ran, but it hurt like the Dickens when I would get home after the car ride home, or getting up in the morning, the pain was fresh. I did the frozen water bottle exercises etc, that helped. But then I bought some Vionic sandals and stopped going barefoot all the time on my tile floors, and it was like magic. So that's my advice to you Terrell get some magic shoes. 😂
i woke up one morning after a good run with pain in the right side of my hip. MY HIP. I WAS 25. to this day i have no idea what caused me 3 months of hip pain... one day, it just left... but, until then it was totally debilitating to run and made walking mighty unpleasant too
Oh, man. I’ve stress fractured both my tibias, and I’ve had ITBS multiple times. The stress fractures sidelined me for almost two years, and nearly made me give up running. What I’ve learned is that the price of admission to running for me is STRENGTH TRAINING. Non-negotiable. No, I’m not in the gym lifting. Body weight exercises are mostly enough; it’s the consistency with them (and stretching) that has made the difference. (And, for reference, I’m just about to turn 52.) secondly, pay attention to your protein consumption. Very few of us get enough when even moderately active but your need for protein increases when your physical activity does. I started drinking Premier Protein shakes a few years ago. Not the most delicious thing I’ve ever had but they are 30g of protein per 160 cal serving, which is a whole lot of protein bang for your buck.
And Terrell be patient with the foot! Practice all the good advice that you and the HM community gave me last year - I really hope u r up and about soon!
I’ve had my fair share of plantar fasciitis, back issues and so on. But soon after a New Year’s Day 5K, I’ve got hit by Covid. It’s my first time but it has knocked me down good - while am now officially symptom free and testing negative for the last two days, I just don’t feel like any exercise, let alone run. Not sure what will happen to all those spring races I’ve signed up for- hopefully the phase will pass soon :-)
i've had a lot of injuries...plantar, IT, back and knee pain. but the worst was injuring my achilles. i was out for a year and still hypersensitive about it. i just run when i can now and enjoy the moments.
Terrell! First of all, I'm sorry about your heel pain and PF. I've been through the mill with every conceivable running injury there is from tendonitis, PF, and a twisted knee. Only thing that ever worked for me was a lot of rest--meaning slow walking and running until it felt like I could move again--then slowly pushing it til I could run again. Analyzing my posture helped a lot--using barefoot shoes and taking up the chi-running method was really the only thing that put me back on the trail. This is not a popular solution for runners, (so I don't even know why I'm bothering to write!) It is slow going, but has worked for me several times. The other solutions and problems people have are are all valid. It just that everyone is different. . . there is no quick solution--what works for them may not work for me.
The snow finally melted. We are left with water and ice. Temps are starting to moderate into the 40s and 50s. Eugene may be tolerable come the end of April!!
Never again will I wish for a house in the hills. . .it's a killer. Flat lands only for the rest of my life! :) Take care of yourself! :)
Sorry to hear about everyone's injuries, I know they are often a byproduct of running! At the age of 22 (15 years ago or so), I found myself in at the trauma center's ER (I worked there as a nurse at the time) with a stress fracture of my femoral neck! (for those unfamiliar, this is the large leg bone that attaches to our pelvis)... I was floored. Literally. That's how I ended up in the questionably safe downtown ER. Weight could no longer be bared after weeks of feeling a "tightness" sensation in the front of my hip.
The scariest part was the ER resident (teaching hospitals are their own unique experience) telling me that if it had cracked all the way through, I would have ended up with a total hip replacement at the age of 22. WOW. What I did end up with was surgery to stabilize the fracture (3 bolts remain) and 6-8 weeks prescription of non-weightbearing activities. Cue me sitting in that same hospital's telemetry bank, reading cardiac strips for 12 hours. I got pretty good. Thankful they still paid me!
From what I recall, I wasn't running extensive distances at the time (around 5 miles, not training for a 1/2 or full) but I also wasn't taking great care of myself. Nutrition was likely suffering and maybe too much booze. I have been spared from a significant running injury since and am quite grateful for that, seeing as though I've done a couple of 1/2 marathons and a full since that time.
I had the heel pain after doing a 10 mile run on pavement and cobblestone. I thought it would pass, but it didn't. I kept on training and trying to manage it with stretches and the odd Tylenol. I couldn't understand why one foot was perfectly fine and the other was acting up and became quite annoyed with my right foot 😜
Went to an orthopedic specialist in the end who diagnosed it easily. He did do an X-ray to exclude a broken bone. He gave me a course of anti-inflammatory drugs and it felt great. Afterwards the pain came back, not as bad as before, but still uncomfortable. I started doing strength exercises and leave a rest day between each run. It has gotten better, but the nerve still acts up in certain situations. Also got some shoes with maximum cushioning and wear Hoka slides for recovery. It all helps, even though after some runs there is discomfort,but it's worth it. Registered to run the NY Half in March.
My worst was a tibial stress fracture in 2015. Three months, no running. Coming back from nothing was tough and something I hope never to have to repeat, but I went on to do a number of ultras. So you can come back even better after an injury. 💛
I once sprained my ankle while running during the winter while I was in college. I had to stop running for a bit and wear a boot. It was pretty inconvenient because it was winter at the time so I kept getting snow in it! I think after it healed I still waited at least a few weeks before doing short/slow runs again.
I have suffered from PF multiple times in my life, including in the last year, and I had a course of steroid shots in my left foot. Boy did they work well. Within days I felt so much better. I had literally been in so much pain that I was barely able to walk at times. After each shot I was *almost* pain free. Now it's manageable. The doc was very practical too. He recommended some inexpensive shoe inserts from amazon instead of custom orthotics. (Look for Cadence Insoles on Amazon - they've been a miracle purchase for me, combined with the shots).
I haven't been running nearly as long as you, Terrell, but my recent hamstring injury is my worst running injury - and pretty much my only one, LOL. But it's killing me - I kept making it worse or reinjuring it so I have stopped running, and I'm seeing a sports medicine specialist next week. I hope to get back to running soon but in the meantime I'm cross-training and trying to keep my cardio endurance high without causing any strain on the hamstring!
I had PF in BOTH feet about 2.5 years ago. That is one of the reasons I started only running 3 days a week. I walk or elliptical the other days. That, along with LOTS of icing, stretching, and rolling!
My normal schedule is running on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, walking or elliptical on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and rest on Sunday.
On really bad days with the PF-- I iced 2-3 times a day. Always hurt the first 10-20 minutes of running, then would ease up until I finished. Took about four-six months to get thru it.
I've had plantar fasciitis twice but even worse was a plantar plate tear. My podiatrist said no running for 5 months and to hit the elliptical to keep up the cardio conditioning. I hated that machine after a while and was overjoyed to get back to running, slowly but surely. Regarding plantar fasciitis the first time was 30 years ago during intense marathon training. It finally went away and is now a distant memory. The second time was about 15 years ago. Every step hurt for about a year and a half but I just slowly ran through it and eventually it disappeared. I hope you recover quickly.
I had plantar fasciitis a few years back, though I was fortunate that my case wasn't so bad. My foot would hurt badly after no activity and would slowly subside after some minutes of walking/running. Still, it really hurt and it was getting worse so what I did was to switch first to only stair climber and elliptical (I had a gym membership). After a few weeks, I started running again, but I still switched one day of running for elliptical or stair climber. Then I got myself an Elliptigo and used that one day a week instead of running. I continued this for 6 months. I recovered pretty quickly this way and it didn't come back. Now I'm back to only running and so far, so good. Doing the cross training is a good way to keep up the fitness and still rest the foot.
Soooo sorry to hear about your plantar fasciitis Terrell! I got walloped with that the day after I ran my first marathon this fall. It was miserable! Resting helped and I’m much more militant about my stretching routine now. The tightness in my foot still flairs up now and then though.
I think the main thing that helped me was meeting my body where it was each day and not hanging on to negative feelings about my injury. Healing is just as much a mental endeavor as a physical one!
Speaking from experience; there is no running while trying to heal plantar fasciitis. If you do try to run before it is fully healed it will just make it worse and take longer to heal. It's an overuse injury that hit me for the first time when I was about your age. It took me months to fully heal because I tried to run before my foot was healed. To avoid it in the future keep doing those stretching exercises on a regular basis and take rest days on a regular basis.
First, I'm very sorry to hear about your injury, Terrell. My wishes of a speedy recovery.
I've had a couple of annoying injuries in my over two-decade running "career": one was Achilles tenosynovitis on both Achilles, for which I did physiotherapy for, I think — this was almost 20 years ago — 1 month, and then slowly resumed running; the second and worse injury, was a very difficult to diagnose stress fracture on one of my right foot's metatarsals. This one took quite a while to heal. I think it took about 3 months before I could run again. I did no physiotherapy in this case. I just stopped running and avoided walking long distances. I swam and did some exercises in the water instead.
Knowing what I know today, I would advise my younger self to not take each workout as if it was a speed workout and take it really, really easy on recovery days, embarassingly easy (Z1 and Z2). I would also advise my younger self to work on leg strength at least once a week, ideally twice. A little bit of leg strength in your routine can go a long way in helping to prevent injuries.
Much better! The one that was removed is about 2/3rds regrown and the other one is still about half dark purple but growing out slowly. At least they don't hurt anymore and I just keep nail polish on them so they aren't ugly! Hahahaha!
I have several things I use. A foam roller, an Addaday stick roller (the kind with the knobby balls on it), and an R8 roller (super painful but works well). I mostly use the stick roller as I have an area that gets knotted up and I can really get at it with that one. I will see a PT occasionally and she scrapes the knots out. This hurts but is very helpful. Sports massage is also helpful. I struggle with shin splints because of the muscle issue but all of the above helps me to manage it and I can run mostly pain free.
Worst injury was runners' knee that developed after a half marathon in 1979. Got some mail order orthotics (press you feet in foam and get a hard plastic orthotic very cheap). Cured the problem, and I have been running in the same orthotics since! I have had PF and picked up some arch supports wrap around the foot - again mail order) and the problem went away within a week. Good luck with finding a solution that works for you. Snowing here in NOVA, so onto the treadmill.
I’m also currently dealing with something like PF, with pain in my heel. Physiotherapist is sending me for x-rays to rule out (hopefully) heel spur. I haven’t run in 2 weeks except a gentle short run last weekend to see how it felt (on physio’s advice). I’ve had PF before, and tendonitis in my ankle, plus a range of pains and strains without specific names! I’m 44 and don’t heal as quickly or easily as I used to, so now I see my physio as often as I need to when there’s an issue (right now it’s weekly), and about monthly even when everything feels okay, just to check on everything. And I try to follow his exercises and recommendations to the letter! (I use the Streaks habit-tracking app so my phone yells at me to do the exercises!) As I’ve gotten older I also do a lot more stretching and rolling before and after running, and I’ve increased my yoga and strength training to cross-train better and hopefully prevent issues in the future.
The worst injury I've had is a torn labrum in my hip combined with a gluteus minimus strain, which happened last summer during my training for the NYC marathon. Luckily the torn labrum didn't require surgery but I was not allowed to run for 8 weeks. After that a very gradual return to running was allowed. NYC was cancelled for me, but I was able to get back to running slowly. By December I was able to start my training for the London marathon. The hip still aches, and according to my physical therapist, always will. The glute is also a bit cranky, but I keep working on getting my hips and glutes stronger so that I don't re-injure myself. While it is hard, sometimes we need to just not run when something starts hurting and let it heal. Terrell, for your PF make sure that you roll out your calves too. Tight calf muscles can contribute to PF. If you decide to try orthotics, go to a good podiatrist for them. They will be able to work with you to get them adjusted just right for your feet. I have orthotics that I only use in my running shoes and they have helped a lot.
Last February while training for Boston I severely injured my Achilles tendon. I tried to train through the injury but finally had to stop running completely. I started intense physical therapy plus did a lot of cycling. I slowly started running again in July. In August I started training for the Chicago Marathon (October) and was able to run pain free (although my marathon time was slow). In hindsight I should have fully stopped running immediately after the injury, but I had typical runner-denial.
My husband and I have both had PF. His solution which was a recommendation from a shoe knowledgeable guy was to get a pair of Mephisto sandals and wear them constantly....never go barefoot. Also he bought a device on Amazon that helps to stretch. When I had it I was getting ready to run the Chicago Marathon. We looked up treatments etc. online and saw a way that you can wrap your foot. My husband wrapped it each time I ran and for the marathon. Now when it flares up I put on my Mephistos!
A little over 2 years ago, after a hot 10k on very uneven pavement, I experienced numbness and then paralysis in both legs below the knee. Upper legs were fine but feet were just a floppy mess. High-dose steroids restored basic function within a month, and another 3 months of PT (picking up marbles with your toes is fun!) made me feel normal enough to get back to walking. Eventually I started ‘running,’ but my feet and lower legs were still so weak that it was depressingly slow and I quit, turned into a very depressed couch potato. (We had to put my dad into a memory care facility the same week my paralysis started, so life was kind of a general mess at that time.)
Started running again this fall with a better attitude, essentially having forgotten what it felt like to run fast, so I no longer feel a ‘loss’. Lower legs and feet remain weaker than they should be, but everything else is kind of meh after sitting for a couple of years, and 30 extra pounds will really slow you down 😖. So I’ve adjusted to the ‘new normal.’ I’m also over 60, so improvements come slower and I’m more careful about recovery and self-care. Mostly the adjustment has been just changing the attitude from ‘race race race faster faster faster’ to ‘be patient; enjoy the journey’. I may never get the sub-2 HM that was so close I could almost touch it, but I am training for a March half that will be fun and give a feeling of accomplishment that might keep me active over a hot summer. Because I really need to drop these pounds 😏
Terrell, I feel your pain. I had PF a few years ago right at the stage in my running where I was feeling invincible and up for some big trail runs. I got through it with rest, that weird sock thing you sleep in, and PT. But my biggest and worst injury was probably the time I ignored some tendinitis in my knee and did a marathon but, at mile 10, the vastus medialis and the hamstring basically said, nope, we've had enough--and both tore. That took a lot of PT and ultimately arthroscopy for some cartilage trouble. Psychologically, it was very challenging. I was in my late 20s and had developed what I now recognize as an unhealthy dependence on identifying myself as a runner. Deprived of daily exercise, I really worried about weight gain and losing fitness. Clearly, those concerns had driven me to keep training even when I had tendinitis, and caused the injury in the first place. Injuries will happen. That's a fact (I think!). I believe experience (and age!) has taught me how to redirect my energies and how to stick to PT and preventive PT and keep calm during the injured phase of life.
Oh no, Terrell! Plantar fasciitis is rough — I experience it every so often, but, fortunately for me, it seems to only last a couple of days or so before feeling better. But it IS painful!
As you already know, I have my share of injuries and chronic joint conditions that have made running a challenge. Notably, about two years ago not long after I started running consistently, I suffered a pretty debilitating tightness in my glutes/hip flexors that made running impossible ... Even walking became a challenge! I ended up going to physical therapy because it got so bad. And, obviously, that included several months off from running.
It's actually helpful to remind myself of how bad things were with that injury because, since then, I've been able to run longer distances and even faster than before I had that injury and subsequent break from running. Especially because right now I'm dealing with some glute pain again, which I'm sure is a byproduct of my bad knee 🥴
While I don't think you'll probably need physical therapy for your heel and foot, I stretching, massage, and ice are helpful - grab a tennis ball and roll it around on the bottom of your foot!
I also can't say enough about the difference I've felt since getting custom orthotics. Everyone should have a pair, regardless of injury or structural need. They're amazing.
My partner and I ran a half last year where the first 6 miles was downhill. Sounded like a great idea but I ended up barely able to walk for several days due to extreme overuse of my quads and glutes. On top of that, both of my big toenails turned deep purple. I finally had to have 1 removed a couple of months later when it started to get infected. In hindsight, I should have had both toenails removed immediately.
Right after "Born to Run" came out, I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and did a five-mile track workout in them the first day. I'm not sure if it was plantar fasciitis or just straining every muscle in my feet but I couldn't walk easily for several weeks, let alone run. I had to skip a race, with no treatment other than to sit it out and "don't do that again, dummy"
I'm late to this party but I wonder about something - as runners, most of us are old frenemies with all the various overuse injuries of the lower extremities. Whether it's a hip flexor muscle, any tendon all the way down, shin stuff, foot stuff, we've all seen it all to some extent.
But what about injuries that have nothing to do with running, but threaten our running?
For the first time in my life, I'm experiencing lower back pain - still have to get in to get diagnosed, but if feels like some kind of disc problem. In a bad scenario, could even be something like ankylosing spondylitis.
I can move, I can run, the worst pain is currently when sitting or bending in a very specific way that curves the lower back. But people keep advising me not to run, at least for now, to stick to lower-impact stuff. Obviously, that sounds terrible. Dealing with this could take anywhere from months to a lifelong thing, I don't want to give up or even reduce my running. More like, I want to increase my running, lol.
Has anyone been there? Would love the wisdom of the community on what to do to keep running but also take care of your lower back, through the long road of stretching, strengthening, and whatever else the doc advises.
I feel like a newbie here - I started running at 62 and saw steady progress until 65. Preparing for my first Boston Marathon I got a strange painless tug in my right thigh. Suddenly I couldn’t run at all with a marathon a few months away!
An orthopedist gave me the following revealing advice: You’re overworking yourself. (Not very revealing actually)
After learning about ice and heat packs and new stretches etc., I switched to the 1/2 running/half weights program. After two years of first declining performance then leveling below my PB standard, I am moving closer to my 65 yr. old self at 67.
Not sure if my constant search for new training strategies helps anyone here, the references to medications (I’m not on any medications) actually scares me, but I hope this encourages everyone. This year the target is new PB’s and another Boston.
Will KYP.
Comminuted displaced right great toe fracture one week before a race. It wasn’t a runner injury but a helping a friend load plywood injury😬. Giloutine to the toe. Anyway ended up on the bike for awhile in hopes of not losing too much cardio. Still aches when it gets cold or rains but whatever 🤣. Hope you feel better soon❤️
My worst running injury was Plantar Fasciitis. Apparently, it is one of the top 5 running injuries. I had PF in both feet one after the other and it cost me about 3 years of running because I tried to run through it.
Admittedly, I did not cope well as I could have done as I did not have a substitute activity. I am told that pool running would have been something that could be done while your feet heal.
You have to find the root cause of your PF. It is a surprisingly common injury for those of us that are middle-aged. Spending a lot of time on your feet is another culprit. A gait analysis pointed to my motion control shoes no longer correcting my overpronation as being the issue.
A night splint worn for about 4-6 weeks helped my feet heal overnight in the proper position. This eliminated the painful first steps each morning. Stretching the plantar fascia also helped. I had great relief after taking a CPR course. It turns out that kneeling in the CPR stance really helps stretch the bottom of your feet. Icing using a frozen water bottle and massage using a golf ball—both rolled under the foot—were helpful with pain management and breaking up scar tissue, respectively.
Shockwave therapy and ART helped with the more stubborn of my two cases.
Prescription orthotics in neutral shoes—after easing back into running following a return to running plan—have allowed me to run pain free for about 8 years now. I would not recommend starting back running until you can walk pain-free.
Avoid going barefoot and ALWAYS wear your orthotics if you go that route. You may have to go up a shoe size to accommodate them especially in your street foot wear.
Be patient. Due to the low blood flow in this part of our feet PF is a stubborn injury that takes some time to heal. It heal it will and you will eventually be back to running.
Hang in there, Terrell. I have been dealing with PF since August. Physical therapy has helped. I’m 66 and wish I still had the resilience of a 53-year-old.
My Plantar Fasciitis was over in 3.5 weeks. I didn't know what it was at first. For a week I was running with what felt like a rock bruise about the size of a quarter. Then I got up one morning with more pain in my foot. That's when I realized it was Plantar Fasciitis. Did some research and found since it was what I would call mild, that I could treat it myself. I used ice, strong self massage, a prickly ball to roll my foot on, a light weight Plantar Fasciitis boot at night and when I was home, and started ankle raises on my stairs. After 3.5 weeks I started easy runs on the treadmill for a week since it is more forgiving than pavement. Then the 2nd week did easy runs outside. The issue has never came back. I continue to do all the treatments for past injuries to prevent them coming back. It must work since I have been injury free for 2 to 3 years. It's been a hard learning process. If you don't do proper maintenance and warm ups, eventually it will catch up with you.
I have had Plantar Fasciitis, and I T band strain,. The worst was a mild groin strain. I stopped running to give it rest. I would try about every 3 weeks to run a mile on the treadmill. If I felt anything I continued resting and not running. I did cross training in the mean time trying to keep my endurance up via cycling and swimming 2 miles. It took 6 months to recover before I could start running. There really wasn't much i could do for it other than self massage and rest. Other injuries took about 3 weeks to recover from. This 6 months not running was absolutely the worst. I am glad to say it's been 2 or 3 years since my last injury.
I developed Morton's neuroma a painful condition that affected the ball of my foot. Its most commonly affects the area between third and fourth toes. Morton's neuroma felt like I was standing on a pebble in my shoe or on a fold in your sock. It was painful.
I had a few solutions. Get deep tissue massage in the area to break up the scar tissue, surgery to remove nerve, or get injections to kill nerve.
I decided on the injections. It took weekly injection to finally kill the nerve. Thankfully I have returned to running pain free.
I had many overuse injuries but the Morton Neuroma was painful and strange.
After my 98th half in ‘21, ankle swelled and a compression sock and a lot of walking got me through 99th and 100th. I had been wearing neutral arch shoes “forever”. Orthopedic doctor told me, “Flat feet or not, you need shoes with arches ... switched to Brooks Adrenalines and have been good ever since. “Most embarrassing injury” ... 50 or 75 yards after start of half at Disneyland in ‘11, I stumbled on a reflector in the middle of the road .. found you CAN run with skinned knee and skinned palms!
So sorry to hear of your injury Terrell, and I wish you a speedy recovery. Very quick intro, back in May of 2023, I got accepted to run the NY marathon, for charity. I created a brand OYR running, started to write “blogs” to create a great web site and sell my merchandise for charity and hopefully get a few people to read my stories. Terrell, you were the first person that I connected with through your writing, and followed as you proceeded through running season and it inspired me to write about running and observational story telling.
Literally, the day after I registered my site and started creating my sub stack. My back decided it was done, long story short, two surgeries later, I am still working towards getting out again and writing. Wishing you a safe and speedy recovery, listen to two people on advice, your Dr. And your body. As an athlete, you will know when you are ready to move past each stage of recovery. Rest when you need to and know that you will be better and stronger in the long run (no pun intended).
Physical therapy is your friend!
I have had nagging pain in my big toe since Jan 2022. while it never progressed, it also never went away. I'll spare you the details but after going through the wasteful US medical system of Xray (knowing it wasn't a stress fracture) and getting to an MRI, there was joint degeneration diagnosed. I went to a podiatrist, who offered to break my foot and 'reposition it' (a waste of time and co-pay) and ended up getting PRP in the toe to delay continued degeneration while going to physical therapy. The first PT kept me running, the second I went to got me to be pain free. After moving to Spain, my schedule was disrupted I've been off my PT and the pain has returned (but is much milder and manageable), and I think ultimately what is happening is due to a bone spur that the podiatrist did not see but the PRP specialist did. Regardless, I need to get back on my physical therapy exercises to strengthen the muscles in my foot, correcting how I land and thus eliminating my pain.
Get thee to a physical therapist for a movement assessment and exercises to keep your claves loose and happy!
Sorry to hear that about you having plantar fasciitis Terrell, hopefully it starts to heal and feel better soon so you can get back to doing what you love.
I dealt with plantar fasciitis a few years ago which I now believe was a result of improper footwear. For weeks it affected my daily life, making it hard to stand in place for more than a few minutes before I had to sit down, or making it difficult to walk far distances. I tried everything, from doctor visits to tapes to overnight boots to buying all types of new shoes to stretching the legs every morning to trying all levels of insoles... nothing seemed to help. I finally stopped trying so many different things, doing less of these “therapies”, and I swear what really helped was when I started wearing Crocs more. Mostly just in the house instead of going barefoot. They just seemed to work for me and my feet. Something about the support and cushion they give seems to be easiest on my feet, and I continue to wear them to this day. I have yet to find footwear that are as easy on my feet than the Crocs I have haha. I also settled on a running shoe that works best for me, and wear those for everyday errands or going out, instead of a “dressier” shoe that might not give as much arch support.
Everyone is different, and what works for some people might not work for others, but that’s what helped me the most. Hope you get better soon!
I have been very fortunate through nearly 40 years of organized running. Not a single physical injury from running; however, I’ve badly bruised my ego on multiple occasions.
Like most serious runners, I had plantar faciitis, twice. Wore the boot, then switched to the sock that pulls the front of your foot up. The worst thing that ever happened to me was on a 5K race. I had a head cold and had taken 24 hour Contact for two days prior to the race.
I was having the BEST race of my life. Coming up of 2 1/2 miles I could see the two leaders, made a final push, and was gaining on them. I was within a quarter mile of the finish line and moving up fast. That was the last thing I remember. I recall someone asking me my name but I couldn't speak. Next thing I know I was in the E.R. with an I.V. in my arm and someone handing me a glass of something and telling me to keep drinking. I was told later that I was severly dehydrated. They kept feeding me liquids and didn't let me out of the E.R. until I unirated. I'm thankful that races have paramedics because you never know what can happen. My wife still reminds me to hydrate the day before. After putting up with me for 30 years it must be true love.
Small meniscus tear. Not enough for the doctor to recommend surgery. Recommendation was antiinflammatories for a bit, rest, and stretching exercises everyday for the rest of my life. I followed all his instructions until I was better, and then I went back to my normal, and ran my strongest and fastest for about 2 years. Then guess what, it flared up again. This time it took much longer to get back to running (age is a big bully), So now I am faithfully following the stretching advice, and I don't push the speed anymore.
I did have a plantar fasciitis moment about 10 years ago? I kept running because it didn't bother me when I ran, but it hurt like the Dickens when I would get home after the car ride home, or getting up in the morning, the pain was fresh. I did the frozen water bottle exercises etc, that helped. But then I bought some Vionic sandals and stopped going barefoot all the time on my tile floors, and it was like magic. So that's my advice to you Terrell get some magic shoes. 😂
i woke up one morning after a good run with pain in the right side of my hip. MY HIP. I WAS 25. to this day i have no idea what caused me 3 months of hip pain... one day, it just left... but, until then it was totally debilitating to run and made walking mighty unpleasant too
Oh, man. I’ve stress fractured both my tibias, and I’ve had ITBS multiple times. The stress fractures sidelined me for almost two years, and nearly made me give up running. What I’ve learned is that the price of admission to running for me is STRENGTH TRAINING. Non-negotiable. No, I’m not in the gym lifting. Body weight exercises are mostly enough; it’s the consistency with them (and stretching) that has made the difference. (And, for reference, I’m just about to turn 52.) secondly, pay attention to your protein consumption. Very few of us get enough when even moderately active but your need for protein increases when your physical activity does. I started drinking Premier Protein shakes a few years ago. Not the most delicious thing I’ve ever had but they are 30g of protein per 160 cal serving, which is a whole lot of protein bang for your buck.
And Terrell be patient with the foot! Practice all the good advice that you and the HM community gave me last year - I really hope u r up and about soon!
I’ve had my fair share of plantar fasciitis, back issues and so on. But soon after a New Year’s Day 5K, I’ve got hit by Covid. It’s my first time but it has knocked me down good - while am now officially symptom free and testing negative for the last two days, I just don’t feel like any exercise, let alone run. Not sure what will happen to all those spring races I’ve signed up for- hopefully the phase will pass soon :-)
i've had a lot of injuries...plantar, IT, back and knee pain. but the worst was injuring my achilles. i was out for a year and still hypersensitive about it. i just run when i can now and enjoy the moments.
Terrell! First of all, I'm sorry about your heel pain and PF. I've been through the mill with every conceivable running injury there is from tendonitis, PF, and a twisted knee. Only thing that ever worked for me was a lot of rest--meaning slow walking and running until it felt like I could move again--then slowly pushing it til I could run again. Analyzing my posture helped a lot--using barefoot shoes and taking up the chi-running method was really the only thing that put me back on the trail. This is not a popular solution for runners, (so I don't even know why I'm bothering to write!) It is slow going, but has worked for me several times. The other solutions and problems people have are are all valid. It just that everyone is different. . . there is no quick solution--what works for them may not work for me.
The snow finally melted. We are left with water and ice. Temps are starting to moderate into the 40s and 50s. Eugene may be tolerable come the end of April!!
Never again will I wish for a house in the hills. . .it's a killer. Flat lands only for the rest of my life! :) Take care of yourself! :)
Sorry to hear about everyone's injuries, I know they are often a byproduct of running! At the age of 22 (15 years ago or so), I found myself in at the trauma center's ER (I worked there as a nurse at the time) with a stress fracture of my femoral neck! (for those unfamiliar, this is the large leg bone that attaches to our pelvis)... I was floored. Literally. That's how I ended up in the questionably safe downtown ER. Weight could no longer be bared after weeks of feeling a "tightness" sensation in the front of my hip.
The scariest part was the ER resident (teaching hospitals are their own unique experience) telling me that if it had cracked all the way through, I would have ended up with a total hip replacement at the age of 22. WOW. What I did end up with was surgery to stabilize the fracture (3 bolts remain) and 6-8 weeks prescription of non-weightbearing activities. Cue me sitting in that same hospital's telemetry bank, reading cardiac strips for 12 hours. I got pretty good. Thankful they still paid me!
From what I recall, I wasn't running extensive distances at the time (around 5 miles, not training for a 1/2 or full) but I also wasn't taking great care of myself. Nutrition was likely suffering and maybe too much booze. I have been spared from a significant running injury since and am quite grateful for that, seeing as though I've done a couple of 1/2 marathons and a full since that time.
I had the heel pain after doing a 10 mile run on pavement and cobblestone. I thought it would pass, but it didn't. I kept on training and trying to manage it with stretches and the odd Tylenol. I couldn't understand why one foot was perfectly fine and the other was acting up and became quite annoyed with my right foot 😜
Went to an orthopedic specialist in the end who diagnosed it easily. He did do an X-ray to exclude a broken bone. He gave me a course of anti-inflammatory drugs and it felt great. Afterwards the pain came back, not as bad as before, but still uncomfortable. I started doing strength exercises and leave a rest day between each run. It has gotten better, but the nerve still acts up in certain situations. Also got some shoes with maximum cushioning and wear Hoka slides for recovery. It all helps, even though after some runs there is discomfort,but it's worth it. Registered to run the NY Half in March.
Ugh, plantar fasciitis is a tough one. So sorry!
My worst was a tibial stress fracture in 2015. Three months, no running. Coming back from nothing was tough and something I hope never to have to repeat, but I went on to do a number of ultras. So you can come back even better after an injury. 💛
I once sprained my ankle while running during the winter while I was in college. I had to stop running for a bit and wear a boot. It was pretty inconvenient because it was winter at the time so I kept getting snow in it! I think after it healed I still waited at least a few weeks before doing short/slow runs again.
I have suffered from PF multiple times in my life, including in the last year, and I had a course of steroid shots in my left foot. Boy did they work well. Within days I felt so much better. I had literally been in so much pain that I was barely able to walk at times. After each shot I was *almost* pain free. Now it's manageable. The doc was very practical too. He recommended some inexpensive shoe inserts from amazon instead of custom orthotics. (Look for Cadence Insoles on Amazon - they've been a miracle purchase for me, combined with the shots).
I haven't been running nearly as long as you, Terrell, but my recent hamstring injury is my worst running injury - and pretty much my only one, LOL. But it's killing me - I kept making it worse or reinjuring it so I have stopped running, and I'm seeing a sports medicine specialist next week. I hope to get back to running soon but in the meantime I'm cross-training and trying to keep my cardio endurance high without causing any strain on the hamstring!
I had PF in BOTH feet about 2.5 years ago. That is one of the reasons I started only running 3 days a week. I walk or elliptical the other days. That, along with LOTS of icing, stretching, and rolling!
My normal schedule is running on Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday, walking or elliptical on Monday/Wednesday/Friday and rest on Sunday.
On really bad days with the PF-- I iced 2-3 times a day. Always hurt the first 10-20 minutes of running, then would ease up until I finished. Took about four-six months to get thru it.
I've had plantar fasciitis twice but even worse was a plantar plate tear. My podiatrist said no running for 5 months and to hit the elliptical to keep up the cardio conditioning. I hated that machine after a while and was overjoyed to get back to running, slowly but surely. Regarding plantar fasciitis the first time was 30 years ago during intense marathon training. It finally went away and is now a distant memory. The second time was about 15 years ago. Every step hurt for about a year and a half but I just slowly ran through it and eventually it disappeared. I hope you recover quickly.
I had plantar fasciitis a few years back, though I was fortunate that my case wasn't so bad. My foot would hurt badly after no activity and would slowly subside after some minutes of walking/running. Still, it really hurt and it was getting worse so what I did was to switch first to only stair climber and elliptical (I had a gym membership). After a few weeks, I started running again, but I still switched one day of running for elliptical or stair climber. Then I got myself an Elliptigo and used that one day a week instead of running. I continued this for 6 months. I recovered pretty quickly this way and it didn't come back. Now I'm back to only running and so far, so good. Doing the cross training is a good way to keep up the fitness and still rest the foot.
Soooo sorry to hear about your plantar fasciitis Terrell! I got walloped with that the day after I ran my first marathon this fall. It was miserable! Resting helped and I’m much more militant about my stretching routine now. The tightness in my foot still flairs up now and then though.
I think the main thing that helped me was meeting my body where it was each day and not hanging on to negative feelings about my injury. Healing is just as much a mental endeavor as a physical one!
Speaking from experience; there is no running while trying to heal plantar fasciitis. If you do try to run before it is fully healed it will just make it worse and take longer to heal. It's an overuse injury that hit me for the first time when I was about your age. It took me months to fully heal because I tried to run before my foot was healed. To avoid it in the future keep doing those stretching exercises on a regular basis and take rest days on a regular basis.
First, I'm very sorry to hear about your injury, Terrell. My wishes of a speedy recovery.
I've had a couple of annoying injuries in my over two-decade running "career": one was Achilles tenosynovitis on both Achilles, for which I did physiotherapy for, I think — this was almost 20 years ago — 1 month, and then slowly resumed running; the second and worse injury, was a very difficult to diagnose stress fracture on one of my right foot's metatarsals. This one took quite a while to heal. I think it took about 3 months before I could run again. I did no physiotherapy in this case. I just stopped running and avoided walking long distances. I swam and did some exercises in the water instead.
Knowing what I know today, I would advise my younger self to not take each workout as if it was a speed workout and take it really, really easy on recovery days, embarassingly easy (Z1 and Z2). I would also advise my younger self to work on leg strength at least once a week, ideally twice. A little bit of leg strength in your routine can go a long way in helping to prevent injuries.
And I think that's it.
加油, Terrell! Get well soon.
And to everyone, have a wonderful weekend.
Much better! The one that was removed is about 2/3rds regrown and the other one is still about half dark purple but growing out slowly. At least they don't hurt anymore and I just keep nail polish on them so they aren't ugly! Hahahaha!
I have several things I use. A foam roller, an Addaday stick roller (the kind with the knobby balls on it), and an R8 roller (super painful but works well). I mostly use the stick roller as I have an area that gets knotted up and I can really get at it with that one. I will see a PT occasionally and she scrapes the knots out. This hurts but is very helpful. Sports massage is also helpful. I struggle with shin splints because of the muscle issue but all of the above helps me to manage it and I can run mostly pain free.
Hi Terrell,
Worst injury was runners' knee that developed after a half marathon in 1979. Got some mail order orthotics (press you feet in foam and get a hard plastic orthotic very cheap). Cured the problem, and I have been running in the same orthotics since! I have had PF and picked up some arch supports wrap around the foot - again mail order) and the problem went away within a week. Good luck with finding a solution that works for you. Snowing here in NOVA, so onto the treadmill.
I’m also currently dealing with something like PF, with pain in my heel. Physiotherapist is sending me for x-rays to rule out (hopefully) heel spur. I haven’t run in 2 weeks except a gentle short run last weekend to see how it felt (on physio’s advice). I’ve had PF before, and tendonitis in my ankle, plus a range of pains and strains without specific names! I’m 44 and don’t heal as quickly or easily as I used to, so now I see my physio as often as I need to when there’s an issue (right now it’s weekly), and about monthly even when everything feels okay, just to check on everything. And I try to follow his exercises and recommendations to the letter! (I use the Streaks habit-tracking app so my phone yells at me to do the exercises!) As I’ve gotten older I also do a lot more stretching and rolling before and after running, and I’ve increased my yoga and strength training to cross-train better and hopefully prevent issues in the future.
The worst injury I've had is a torn labrum in my hip combined with a gluteus minimus strain, which happened last summer during my training for the NYC marathon. Luckily the torn labrum didn't require surgery but I was not allowed to run for 8 weeks. After that a very gradual return to running was allowed. NYC was cancelled for me, but I was able to get back to running slowly. By December I was able to start my training for the London marathon. The hip still aches, and according to my physical therapist, always will. The glute is also a bit cranky, but I keep working on getting my hips and glutes stronger so that I don't re-injure myself. While it is hard, sometimes we need to just not run when something starts hurting and let it heal. Terrell, for your PF make sure that you roll out your calves too. Tight calf muscles can contribute to PF. If you decide to try orthotics, go to a good podiatrist for them. They will be able to work with you to get them adjusted just right for your feet. I have orthotics that I only use in my running shoes and they have helped a lot.
Last February while training for Boston I severely injured my Achilles tendon. I tried to train through the injury but finally had to stop running completely. I started intense physical therapy plus did a lot of cycling. I slowly started running again in July. In August I started training for the Chicago Marathon (October) and was able to run pain free (although my marathon time was slow). In hindsight I should have fully stopped running immediately after the injury, but I had typical runner-denial.
My husband and I have both had PF. His solution which was a recommendation from a shoe knowledgeable guy was to get a pair of Mephisto sandals and wear them constantly....never go barefoot. Also he bought a device on Amazon that helps to stretch. When I had it I was getting ready to run the Chicago Marathon. We looked up treatments etc. online and saw a way that you can wrap your foot. My husband wrapped it each time I ran and for the marathon. Now when it flares up I put on my Mephistos!
A little over 2 years ago, after a hot 10k on very uneven pavement, I experienced numbness and then paralysis in both legs below the knee. Upper legs were fine but feet were just a floppy mess. High-dose steroids restored basic function within a month, and another 3 months of PT (picking up marbles with your toes is fun!) made me feel normal enough to get back to walking. Eventually I started ‘running,’ but my feet and lower legs were still so weak that it was depressingly slow and I quit, turned into a very depressed couch potato. (We had to put my dad into a memory care facility the same week my paralysis started, so life was kind of a general mess at that time.)
Started running again this fall with a better attitude, essentially having forgotten what it felt like to run fast, so I no longer feel a ‘loss’. Lower legs and feet remain weaker than they should be, but everything else is kind of meh after sitting for a couple of years, and 30 extra pounds will really slow you down 😖. So I’ve adjusted to the ‘new normal.’ I’m also over 60, so improvements come slower and I’m more careful about recovery and self-care. Mostly the adjustment has been just changing the attitude from ‘race race race faster faster faster’ to ‘be patient; enjoy the journey’. I may never get the sub-2 HM that was so close I could almost touch it, but I am training for a March half that will be fun and give a feeling of accomplishment that might keep me active over a hot summer. Because I really need to drop these pounds 😏
Terrell, I feel your pain. I had PF a few years ago right at the stage in my running where I was feeling invincible and up for some big trail runs. I got through it with rest, that weird sock thing you sleep in, and PT. But my biggest and worst injury was probably the time I ignored some tendinitis in my knee and did a marathon but, at mile 10, the vastus medialis and the hamstring basically said, nope, we've had enough--and both tore. That took a lot of PT and ultimately arthroscopy for some cartilage trouble. Psychologically, it was very challenging. I was in my late 20s and had developed what I now recognize as an unhealthy dependence on identifying myself as a runner. Deprived of daily exercise, I really worried about weight gain and losing fitness. Clearly, those concerns had driven me to keep training even when I had tendinitis, and caused the injury in the first place. Injuries will happen. That's a fact (I think!). I believe experience (and age!) has taught me how to redirect my energies and how to stick to PT and preventive PT and keep calm during the injured phase of life.
Oh no, Terrell! Plantar fasciitis is rough — I experience it every so often, but, fortunately for me, it seems to only last a couple of days or so before feeling better. But it IS painful!
As you already know, I have my share of injuries and chronic joint conditions that have made running a challenge. Notably, about two years ago not long after I started running consistently, I suffered a pretty debilitating tightness in my glutes/hip flexors that made running impossible ... Even walking became a challenge! I ended up going to physical therapy because it got so bad. And, obviously, that included several months off from running.
It's actually helpful to remind myself of how bad things were with that injury because, since then, I've been able to run longer distances and even faster than before I had that injury and subsequent break from running. Especially because right now I'm dealing with some glute pain again, which I'm sure is a byproduct of my bad knee 🥴
While I don't think you'll probably need physical therapy for your heel and foot, I stretching, massage, and ice are helpful - grab a tennis ball and roll it around on the bottom of your foot!
I also can't say enough about the difference I've felt since getting custom orthotics. Everyone should have a pair, regardless of injury or structural need. They're amazing.
Good luck!
My partner and I ran a half last year where the first 6 miles was downhill. Sounded like a great idea but I ended up barely able to walk for several days due to extreme overuse of my quads and glutes. On top of that, both of my big toenails turned deep purple. I finally had to have 1 removed a couple of months later when it started to get infected. In hindsight, I should have had both toenails removed immediately.
Right after "Born to Run" came out, I bought a pair of Vibram Five Fingers and did a five-mile track workout in them the first day. I'm not sure if it was plantar fasciitis or just straining every muscle in my feet but I couldn't walk easily for several weeks, let alone run. I had to skip a race, with no treatment other than to sit it out and "don't do that again, dummy"