Another injury has forced me into an untimely running hiatus. I have been in recovery mode now for a couple weeks and my patience is wearing thin as this bout of planter fasciitis snuck up on me. No injury comes at the right time but this one came out of nowhere, no little niggles of pain that made me wonder if something was coming on, just out of bed one morning, hobbling around the house, pain shooting through my heel Planter Faciitis. What the Heck!
Having been down this road I immediately jumped right into the common DIY remedies: alternating stretching and icing the fascia, massaging the fascia with a golf or lacrosse ball, foam rolling, taping and even wearing the stupid looking Strassburg sock at night. This barrage of treatment did release the stiffness and inflammation in my foot allowing me to move freely before the weekend was out but the lingering pain would curb my training for sure.
I have remained active replacing my regular routine with biking, hiking and more focused stretching. At first I was ok with this and admittedly enjoyed the break but I am ready to RUN!. I know the body will say "Hay dummy your over doing it!" I've learned to accept this reality, even appreciate it allowing my body to dictate what it needs but I don't think I was over doing it. When previously injured I knew with out a doubt that I had been walking a fine line between over use and progress. During this training cycle however, I have been alternating work outs, cross training, adding total rest days and being more flexible with my plan if I am not feeling up to a particular work out. After big efforts I have taken days off, then easy days, maybe some cross training before another big effort. Where the heck did this come from?
What I have learned is that I have to focus more on what runners most often neglect in their training, a strength program. Planter faciitis is common among long distance runners with chronically tight hamstrings, back, calves and Achilles tendons, the condition may also be caused by a muscular imbalance in the hips or pelvis. This imbalance can cause more stress on one leg than the other, according to San Diego-based running coach Jon Clemens, who has a masters degree in exercise physiology. Correcting the imbalance requires a strength program that focuses on balance, calf and pelvis strengthening drills says Clemens.*
OK, I will add the strength training but when the heck do I get to run?
*(the statements by Jon Clemens where taken from a Sabrina Grotewold article I found in a Competitor Magazine article I had picked up while at the barber shop.)
