Progress

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Didn't Make 10

Ugh.  I only made about 9 miles.  I was doing really good until about mile 6.  Then I got this awful pain in my heel.  So I thought..must be some weird muscle thing and I tried to walk it off.  By mile 7, I was in agony...by mile 8, I knew we had to just call it a day so I hobbled back to where we started.  I immediately went to see Dr. Google for heel pain and I'm pretty sure I know what I've got...Plantars Fasciitis.  I believe Catherine blogged about how she used to have this and losing weight has allowed her to get rid of it for good.  It seems it's pretty common for overweight people and is caused by the following:

  • Biomechanical factors, such as decreased flexibility in the foot and ankle, imbalances in muscle strength (muscles in one leg or foot are weaker than the other), abnormal foot mechanics (when stepping down), and tightness in the Achilles tendon.
  • The repetitive nature of sports activities and improper training.
  • Rapidly increasing the number of miles run or walked.
  • Running or walking up steep hills.
  • Wearing athletic shoes that are worn out.
  • Wearing athletic shoes that do not have a cushioned sole or enough arch support.
  • Abruptly changing the intensity or duration of the exercise routine.
I've highlighted in purple which ones I think are causing my pain.  The traditional remedies for plantar fasciitis include stretching the calf, massaging, decreasing one's training, losing weight, purchasing better-fitting shoes (with a raised heel and arch support), icing the sore heel, and taking ibuprofen.  So I'm going to try all of these aside from  decreasing one's training.  I'm taking this week off from the gym but I'm still trying my training walk this weekend.

Aside from the disappointing training walk, my weekend was pretty good.  Soccer practice for my oldest daughter (she's only 5 so there's not a lot to it).  Then my hubby left me for Los Angeles on Sunday morning.  He has a conference there and gets back tomorrow.  Yay!  We went to the zoo yesterday...heel killing me through it all but I survived.

In band news, this fill isn't doing a whole lot for me.  I can eat like a horse but then I stay full for hours.  So I guess it's keeping me fuller or longer but I'm still eating way too much.  I'll work it the best I can and see what I can do with it.  My official weigh day was yesterday and the scale said 208.  That's officially 20 lbs so I'll take it and update my ticker accordingly.  Work is crazy so I hope to check in on everyone's weeks in the next day or so.   Hope y'all are having a good Tuesday!

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear about the foot pain. I had it a few years ago. Thankfully, it does go away. BTW, I will be in Phoenix for 10 days starting next Wednesday. I have already been in touch with Jen Stull of "What you lookin at skinny". She lives in Scottsdale and we are planning to meet while I am there. I would love to have you join us for lunch or just coffee. My email is johnvickie.hamrick@gmail.com. Please let me know if that will work for you.

Angela said...

I feel your pain. I have the same thing too. Even after losing over 60 pounds it hurts no less than before. Somedays I just want to cry when I have to walk on it.

I sure do hope you find some relief. Crossing fingers, toes, and legs for you.

Jen said...

Hey Manda! Ditto what Vickie said! Would love to meet you!
On the Plantar's Fasciitis, I had it a few years back and I gotta tell you, it hurts like a beyotch so I'm sure that's what you've got. The thing that worked for me was a sock I purchased at a running store that I actually slept in that stretched it when I slept. It is an unusual looking contraption but it worked like a charm. So did rubbing my foot atop a tennis ball every morning to loosen things up! Hope that helps. I hate the training walks too!! I did 12 this past weekend and I'm so over it!!

Jen said...

Oh and I forgot to say that getting to 9 when your foot started hurting at 6 is awesome!! But take it easy!!!

Jen said...

One more thing!!! here is a link to the sock I mentioned above:
http://www.footwearetc.com/Strassburg/Sock.html?gdftrk=gdfV269_a_7c99_a_7c174_a_7c15_d_677

Linda said...

I have it too - unfortunately it still hurts after losing 100 pounds. I did see a podiatrist about it last year, she told me to never wear flats and walking is the worst thing for it. :(
I did get a cortisone shot then and it helped a lot. I think I need to go back.
I hope you caught it in time - I know mines bad because it went on so long before I got it diagnosed.

Patrick said...

I've been there before with the heel pain. Stretch stretch stretch and ice ice ice is all I ever get docs or trainer types to tell me. Thus I believe foot pain is more about back luck taht really tangible reasons on how to prevent & correct. I am sure the whole podiatric universe would have my head for saying that; oh well - fix my foeet and I'll talk nice about you :-)

Rest, ice and stretch when you get moving again - heal, eat healthy and have fun!

Catherine55 said...

Hi, Manda! Sorry to hear about your foot! I did not have this, though. What I had was compartmental syndrome, which concerned the fascia around my calf muscle being too tight. Once there was less fat around the muscle, the fascia was just fine, and now I'm able to run without any problem!

Bonnie said...

Ouch. Hope you are feeling better soon.

Amanda said...

OWWW!! Make sure you are getting plenty of fluids too!!

Thanks for your comments on my blog! I agree I enjoy all types of writers too. Thanks for reminding me that everyone is different and there ARE reasons I love you all! It's been a trying couple of days! But I am makin it! Ha..my husband just called me panda!

THE DASH! said...

Ouch ouch. But an amazing effort before it got bad.. nine miles? Far out!

Joey said...

Oh no!!! I have Planters Fasciitis. It can hurt something awful. Do you have high arches? That's a major contributor for me. The stretching helps a lot. So does running/walking on a treadmill or soft track rather than sidewalks. Good luck!

Amanda Kiska said...

Sorry about the foot. Can you cross train on a bike or by swimming to give your foot a break? I know we hate to break up the exercise routine.

Congrats on the 20. You're already little.

Phil said...

Ouch - i used to get shin-splints bad before joining the gym and running on a treadmill instead of concrete....a nice piece of kit for strengthening our lower legs/ankles/etc as we get used to exercises like walk/running is the balance ball or wobble-board. Check 'em out - i'm sure your gym will have something similar as it's pretty standard kit.

Read said...

Ouch!! Here's to hoping you find some relief soon. And wow to going for 9 miles before you had to stop, that's amazing. My husband has it and I can't imagine him pushing through the pain when if flares up like that - way to go!