What is this foot injury called and how can I fix it?

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TeamHoundandRedhead
Percy Williams
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What is this foot injury called and how can I fix it?

Postby TeamHoundandRedhead » Fri Mar 17, 2017 10:58 am

It began in October 2015 after I did a) the Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon, b) whacked my left foot on a cabinet at work, and c) went for a 5K run not being concerned about the slight pain in my foot. After that 5K I couldn't walk on it. The physiotherapist diagnosed something about "the sheath that covers the tendon" being inflamed and told me to walk with a crutch and keep weight off it for a few weeks. After that I was okay, but I still sometimes felt a slight discomfort. I did all my races last year with no issues. Last race I did was the Avengers at Disneyland in November 2016 and I took the winter off because I hate the cold. I did strength training at the gym all winter but no running on the treadmill. So now spring is coming up and I need to get back at 'er. Began running on the treadmill for 10 minutes before my lunch time workout and last weekend I did 5 miles each on Saturday and Sunday at the gym. Now my foot is hurting again. It's a sore, tingly feeling along the outside of my left foot and it comes & goes. I can deal with it on the treadmill if I land on the inside of that foot but the discomfort has just started to hang around all the time.

Has anybody else ever dealt with this? What's it called and how can I fix it? I know that "rest" is pretty much the only thing I can do, but I've been "resting" all winter!

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ultraslacker
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Re: What is this foot injury called and how can I fix it?

Postby ultraslacker » Fri Mar 17, 2017 2:37 pm

did you literally increase straight from 10 minutes to 5 miles? or am I reading that wrong?
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Jwolf
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Re: What is this foot injury called and how can I fix it?

Postby Jwolf » Fri Mar 17, 2017 8:32 pm

After resting all winter it would have been wise to ease back into running more gradually. Tissues need time to adapt to the load.

It's hard to diagnose what your injury is, but rest might not be the right thing. Often some sort of movement will help healing. If I were you I would see a good athletic therapist, physiotherapist, or chiropractor that does soft tissue therapy.
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Avis
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Re: What is this foot injury called and how can I fix it?

Postby Avis » Sun Mar 19, 2017 5:40 pm

First, welcome to Running Mania!
I also cannot diagnose what ails you, but I can tell you I've had a few tendon issues in my foot (and other places, too). I know that tendons often take a long time to heal (they often lack a good blood supply), and are prone to relapses, even after months and years.

I concur with Jwolf, in that it might be a good idea to see a physiotherapist. After the most recent flare-up has settled down, you may have to return to running very gradually. Hope you can find the help you need, and good luck!
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TeamHoundandRedhead
Percy Williams
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Re: What is this foot injury called and how can I fix it?

Postby TeamHoundandRedhead » Mon Mar 20, 2017 11:11 am

ultraslacker wrote:did you literally increase straight from 10 minutes to 5 miles? or am I reading that wrong?


When you put it like that I guess so, haha. I do 10 minutes (1 mile) on the treadmill to warm up before my strength-training workout at lunch on weekdays and I ran for 5 miles (1 hour) on the treadmill on the weekend. It just felt so good to run.

The good news is that my dog and I went for our first spring run yesterday (Sunday) and my foot felt fine. We did 7K of mostly running (between stopping to smell or pee on things, you know how it is when your running partner is a dog.) There is a tiny little feeling like "don't forget...I'm still here...." in my foot but it doesn't feel like an issue.

I will take your advice and get back into it slowly, and if it gets worse I will go back to the physiotherapist. I'm also experimenting with different shoes and insoles.

My first race this year isn't until Ottawa Race Weekend in May and that one is large enough that I can walk a lot if I need to. Plenty of time to figure it out.

Thank you!


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