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A few more training runs since the ARR South Mountain Classic, trying to be careful with this plantar-faking L foot and get rid of my smoker's congestion at the same time. In April, I ran on 4/1, 4/2, 4/4, 4/6, skipped a week, ran this morning, and have 1 more run on Friday morning Thursday evening. Other than running 5 miles on 4/2 (earlier post), the other runs have been 3.1-3.3 miles between 10.37-13.33 average pace. The pain comes and goes but it is there every day. I feel like I cannot ice my foot enough during the day and sometimes I only ice it at night. Last Sunday, I worked almost all day doing the latte grind + a special event so my foot was screaming that night. Dr. H. told me to come back before the end of the week to get another steroid shot since he knew I was determined to run the next race. I went back to see Dr. H. this afternoon, flirted a bit, got the shot, and now the foot is numb until midnight. I also bought the suggested arch support inserts but forgot to put them in my shoes for the run this morning. I am curious to see if they make a difference. Check out the picture below. I am still learning the language but they look comfortable!
Only a few days left until I race in Pat's Run for the 1st time. I am excited and amazingly enough, not nervous like I usually am before a race. The race is 4.2 miles and I expect to run the entire time. I have had some bronchial congestion and tightness. Thankfully my legs have felt great so I am running on that positive note! I am carpooling with Geyer to the light rail (only $3.50 all day), riding the rail into Tempe, and walking a short distance to the start line.
Jeff is gunning to beat his time last year (38:33, 9.12 average pace, crazy fast!) and I wish him the best...gotta set goals and go for it. I, however, gloated lovingly told told Jeff that I am happy to set an automatic PR since I have never raced this distance. I would like to run a 10:00 pace but am little unsure with current bronchial challenges, the foot and the 30,000 amateurs people I am sharing the course with this Saturday morning. I just hope I can do better than the last 5K in 50:10! All in all, I expect a fun, local event for a good cause & may see a few friends too!
Ok, my foot is nothing like this, thank goodness it is only plantar fasciitis! ;)
So I went back to the doctor after 3 weeks of R.I.C.E., barely running, watching the entire season of Mad Men on Netflix, and tending to my garden (my peppers are growing and yours will get eaten by N so suck it Geyer!). Of course, per doctor instructions, I could have done cross training at the gym but I nixed that plan and decided to gain a few pounds. That will make the depressing news of no running easier to take, right?!
I arrive at the office, check in, pay the co-pay charge AGAIN and sit down to read the latest issue of Edible Phoenix while I wait for the doctor in an exam room. Ok, this is where they (conspiratorial physician vampires) suck you in. I waited almost no time for the 1st visit with the doc and waited 30 minutes for this follow-up visit. After 15 minutes, I told the receptionist that I had another appointment. She said, "The doctor is about 15 minutes behind schedule." Well, I am glad that someone can tell time. I thought I was too early! 'WTF is he getting here?' is all I want to know? Turns out someone has trouble telling time as Dr. H. saunters in after 30 minutes just as I am re-scheduling my next appointment.
Dr. H: How are you? How is the foot?
Me: Everything is great. My foot feels better than ever! Just thought I would read and relax in a cold, sterile room for the evening and say 'Hi'.
Dr. H: Appreciate the lies. Let's check out the foot.
Me: I walked the ARR race instead of winning it, my kids laughed unmercifully and my RP got twice as many miles as me that week. It still hurts alot and I am tired of the couch potato routine. Have you developed that magic pill yet?
Dr. H: Well, is the pain decreasing like running down 32nd Street after a hill run or is it up and down like the rolling hills of the South Mountain course?
Me: Listen, foot fetish man, pain is pain is pain and I have pain every day. Can you just give me that shot again so I can beat Jake Plummer during Pat's Run this Saturday? I think I have a shot at it...get it?...hahahaha!
Dr. H: Your foot feels fine but you can drop in (we know what that means without a scheduled appointment) on Friday.
Me: Great! See you Friday. Gotta go...off to get a bikini wax...now that is pain I will pay for any time!!
Stay tuned...shot is coming, I promise! 
:D
Keeping me waiting for 30 minutes = cleaning up this nasty nail for FREE, right?! ;)
Monday, March 21, 2011
How do you like that title? Just wanted to get the conversation started...right?!
I finally got the referral to see the foot specialist. Gotta dislike HMOs and jumping through a wasteland of hoops! During the afternoon of my professional development meeting at school, sans students, I snuck out for an appointment. Luckily the doc office was close, so I dashed over to Phoenix Foot & Ankle Associates at 17th Street and Thomas. I completed the new patient paperwork, paid the co-pay charge, and waited a reasonably short time for a doctor visit. Dr. Timothy Harlan, DPM/MS/FACFAS, strolled in after my brief intake with a male PA. Harlan checked out my feet (we know he has a foot fetish!), noticed the swelling, and based on my description of the last 5 weeks, dubbed it...plantar fasciitis. Ya think?! I doubted my running partner, my PCP, online literature. But as soon as Dr. H. said the words, I am hooked! Super nice guy, witty (almost as witty as JG). They took an x-ray of my L foot, thankfully no stress fracture. He recommended that I purchase arch support inserts for my running shoes. Then we got to the bad news.
Dr. H: STOP RUNNING!
Me: But I have a major race in 5 days!! (insert pleading sounds)
Dr. H: You can stop running until your foot heals or risk more damage.
Me: Well, can I at least run the 5K?
Dr. H: Man, I love runners, now we get to the compromise. (I am NOT laughing!)
Me: But I am taking runners from my Cross Country team. What if I just walk the course? (new tactic)
Dr. H: If you stay off your feet for the rest of week, you probably can walk the race. Be prepared to stop.
Me: (internal thoughts) Whew, crisis averted, money well spent. And yeah right, like I would stop and turn around once I started a race!
The other free parts of the 'prescription' are continued R.I.C.E. Then Dr. H. gave me a steroid shot in the bottom of my foot to bring down the inflammation and told me that the area would feel numb for 6 hours. I think I need a codeine scrip to make the woozy feeling complete! I asked if I needed to schedule a follow-up visit in a month or so just to check in since I surely would be cured. At one point during the interview, he said that he would not be in business without runners and I confirmed the addiction...hahahaha! :s See ya in 3 weeks, doc!
I DO NOT LIKE INJURIES!!
Friday, March 18, 2011
I went out this morning with Jeff, my running partner. I have been suffering from plantar fasciitis for nearly 5 weeks and Jeff had bronchitis the week before...we need serious healing. We usually run long on Saturday and we both had signed up for the ARR South Mountain Classic 20K on 3/26. I had an appointment with a foot specialist on 3/21 and remained hopeful for miracle respite. We started off walking and also walked a bit at the 2.5 mile turnaround. Jeff wanted to run faster some time around mile 3.5 and I knew I needed to remain slow and steady. He turned it on for a strong finish! I finished 5.07 miles in 53 minutes for 10:37 average pace. I finished the last mile at 9:28, had negative splits other than the brief walk at halfway mark and felt good about the mileage. But I knew my L foot would need ice and pills throughout the day. I had hoped to insert a table from my new Garmin but I am inept, need additional tutorial from Geyer! I figured it out!! (4/13/2011 update)
The weather in Phoenix in March is perfect for morning runs and my body felt good other than the foot. More on the doctor visits to come...
Training Run (LSD): Saturday, 2/12/2011
Since I am a "little" behind on my posts, I have to include the date in the body so everyone can follow along with my procrastination! At least I have a few comments when I logged the run on dailymile . Otherwise, I would have trouble remembering some of the details and anyone who knows me well, knows that I am all about the details. ;)
Jeff (running partner) and I decided to run 3-4 miles several times a week and schedule long runs (6-10 miles) on Saturday morning as a way to build a solid base for the January 2012 marathon. Then we will get really crazy this October and toss in the 18-20 miles as part of the necessary preparation!
We ran 8 miles the previous Saturday (2/5) with few issues. Geyer had been struggling with calf issues (I told him to go vegetarian but to no avail yet!) since December I think but recently bought compression sleeves and raved about the tight feeling. He did feel a twinge around mile 6, we slowed down, he ran through it and was fine. I got a stitch around mile 5.5, slowed down, did the 'arms overhead' thing, worked it out.
Ok, back to the 2/12 run. We started around 8:30 A.M., a decent time for a Saturday morning run in mid-February, and decided to run 8, maybe 10, miles again. We parked near 44th Street & Camelback and ran on Lafayette and canal into old town Scottsdale. My legs and lungs felt great but calves were bothering Jeff again and compression sleeves were not helping this time. The run/walk/run/walk/run pattern was sporadic and I had trouble getting into any rhythm. I know Jeff had it worse since he was in pain. Anyway, despite the lovely views along Lafayette, I was frustrated because usually my head is clear after a long run. I dropped off Jeff at his house, headed home to grab a snack and pickup my gym bag, and drove to the gym to cross train. However, it was a beautiful morning, I like to exercise outside and I had the time that weekend. I figured I had 3-4 miles left in my legs since I walked so much of the LSR. I took off, too quickly I realize now. About 1 mile in, the bottom of my left foot started to hurt and I continued to run and tried to ignore the pain. I finally stopped to walk after 3.7 miles, just 0.25 mile from the gym. The heat from the sun beating down on me + the foot pain was more than I could handle. I hobbled through the rest of my gym routine (whirlpool, pool walking & sauna/steam room). On a positive note, I enjoyed a Chocolate Outrage GU after the run and as far as an artificially flavored energy gel goes, CO is Yumster! Unfortunately, I neglected to ice my foot when I got home. And I added to the pain by going to a friend's birthday party that night and danced the night away in heels. PAINFUL!
This reads like a soap opera, right?! Next on 'Plantar Fasciitis', does Chloe tell Patrick that she is carrying E. J.'s baby or does Suzanne get a foot transplant from a Good Samaritan who is really her twin brother switched at birth and then stolen from the hospital? And J. R. may have been shot by an overzealous cyclist on an earlier episode of 'P. F. Dallas'! :D
Does this dress make me look pregnant?
Do you think Patrick can tell?
A few more training runs since the ARR South Mountain Classic, trying to be careful with this plantar-faking L foot and get rid of my smoker's congestion at the same time. In April, I ran on 4/1, 4/2, 4/4, 4/6, skipped a week, ran this morning, and have 1 more run on 
