Weekday running

You know, this whole running thing would be a heckuva lot easier if I didn't have school, work, and LIFE getting in the way all the time! ;)

Yesterday I had my appointment to get my castings made for my custom orthotics. It was a surprisingly quick and easy process, and I should get them in a few weeks (I'm assuming, I kind of forgot to ask). The casting materials they use are pretty cool - they put a plastic bag over your foot, and then they wet what looks like a no-show sock with water, put it on your foot, and it magically hardens! Apparently it's made from fiberglass, which is a big step up from the plaster of Paris they used to use.

The weather yesterday on my drive home from work was GORGEOUS. It was nice and cool, with a breeze, and not *too* sunny, but not really cloudy, either. I had grand plans to go for a 4 mile run on the trail where we train on Saturdays, since I was going to be in that area for my appointment, anyway. Then I almost fell asleep in the chair waiting for the doctor to come do my castings, and by the time I left it had warmed up probably 10-15 degrees, and the breeze had died down. Plus I felt badly for not getting any homework done.

All in all, instead of my four mile run, I hit Starbucks, where I read an article for one of my classes on my Nook (love that it reads PDFs!) and then headed home. DH and I had takeout Chick Fil A for dinner and then FINALLY hit the grocery store. We also went by CVS to pick up my thyroid meds, and then we went for a short (2 mile) run. We did a fair bit of walking just because, so I don't know (or want to know!) our pace. And to top it all off, we had a pack of dogs come surging out of a house barking fit to raise the dead that nearly gave me a heart attack. :-/ Not the best run I've ever had (but probably not the worst). Looking forward to 8 miles on Saturday!

My 1st Podiatrist Visit

So. I had my first visit to the podiatrist yesterday afternoon. Aside from a ridiculously long wait (it was about 40 minutes past my appointment time when I was taken back, and about an hour total before the doctor saw me), the appointment was good.

The bad news: I have plantar fasciitis in my right foot. It is not presenting with the typical heel pain, but rather starting at the ball of my foot and moving back along the arch. I have decreased range of motion in my big toe (especially on the right (injured) foot, but it's starting to affect the left toe, also). This is all caused by the way my foot moves when I walk and run.

The good news: I don't have to stop running! I need to do fewer runs overall, but I don't have to stop completely, which is good.

The treatment: I am to ice, stretch, and massage my foot. I am not to walk barefoot. I am wearing non/semi-custom orthotics for now, and once my insurance approves, I will be molded for custom orthotics. Not sure how long it'll be before that happens and they are ready.

I'm breaking in my orthotics right now (2 hours yesterday, 4 today, 6 tomorrow), and I should be able to do a modified long run on Saturday. Wish me luck!

1/2 Marathon Recap + Foot Pain Woes

So, we did it! We ran the Cowtown half marathon on Feb. 26. The weather was *perfect* for a race - around 50*, partly cloudy, and breezy (transitioning into gusty winds toward the end of the race). As you can tell from my blog, our training was not up to the usual standard, so we ended up walking the second half of the race due to my foot pain and the Husband's IT band discomfort. We finished in about 3:28, so definitely not our best time, but we had fun.

After the race I took the week off from running, but I did ride my bike on Thursday afternoon and Sunday morning!

Sunday evening we headed out for my scheduled 8-mile long run. Again, we had great weather for our run. We ran a different route than normal, which was fun. But my foot started feeling "off" around 1.25 miles, and got worse from there, escalating to a 3 or 4 on the pain scale intermittently. We rounded it out at 5.5 miles, and I immediately iced my foot. Haven't been running again yet, but we'll head out for 3 miles tonight and see how it goes.

I've scheduled an appointment with the podiatrist for tomorrow afternoon. I've never been to a foot doc before, so I'm hoping for a good experience, a diagnosis, and a fast recovery! I definitely recommend seeing a doctor sooner rather than later when you think you have an injury. Best-case scenario, it's a wasted copay, and worst-case, you have to take some time off. But it will be less time than if you wait too long to see the doctor! I realized when filling out my new patient paperwork that I've been having this foot pain on and off since mid-January, so it's definitely time to get it looked at. Wish me luck!