Swimsuit Season?

My visit to the podiatrist last week went approximately how I'd expected it to, but I'm glad I went anyway. First of all, he was at least familiar with the Pose method and barefoot running and all of that -- so I appreciated being able to have a discussion of the topic with a real live person with some knowledge of the issue (as compared to the orthopedic surgeon that originally diagnosed my plantar fasciitis, who had never heard of the forefoot running approach and could only tell me that a heel strike is the "most stable" for the skeletal structure).

After a lengthy discussion, it came down to this:
(1) Barefoot running is a useful training tool when done on grass for short distances.
(2) The biomechanical effects of the very slight overpronation in my right foot can best be fixed by a proper orthotic.
(3) The arch strengthening exercises and PF stretches/exercises I've been doing are good for any runner to do (more strength in the feet and ankles is better), but will not change the static strength of my foot.

and...this is my favorite part...
(4) The Pose method (forefoot strike) is appropriate for faster running (ie 7 min. miles or faster), but not for slower running, when a heel strike is "more natural."

It took considerable effort for me to understand this final point that he was making, as it didn't make any sense to me. Once I was finally able to get my head around it, I restated it to be sure I was getting it right. He confirmed that, yes, I was understanding him correctly. But no, it still doesn't make any sense to me.

Round and Round We Go
Pod: When we sprint, we all run on our forefoot. (No argument.) That's the natural technique for running fast, he says.  But when we slow down, our natural stride changes, and we don't run well on our forefeet. Thus we adopt a more "natural" technique - a heel strike.
Me: A more natural technique - but more natural in shoes, you mean.
Pod: Yes, of course, you'll never land on your heel barefoot, because your body instinctively knows that will hurt.
Me: Right, so how is it that my body will run naturally, that is, correctly, if I run fast barefoot, but will start running incorrectly suddenly when I slow down?
Pod: Because when you slow down, a forefoot strike produces poor form, and doesn't allow you to run naturally.
Me: But aren't I running naturally if I'm running barefoot?
Pod: Only if you're running fast. 


It is just me or does this sound rather circular? If it doesn't sound circular to you, please, educate me! Of all the things I expected to hear, this was definitely something new. He suggested I do a video gait analysis so he can show me "how unnatural it looks" when a person runs forefoot at low speeds versus high. I told him I don't care how it looks if it's what is good for my body! Are we comparing how it looks against the current prevailing image of what running "is supposed to" look like? Because that seems unlikely to be useful. But perhaps I'm just being a contrarian.

And perhaps I'm oversimplifying his point and the gait analysis will show me something useful. I'm always willing to admit that I don't know what I don't know. Besides, I've already met my insurance deductible this year, and I'm willing to get a little more information from "the establishment" to weigh against the massive amount of information I've been gathering on minimalist running.

All that aside, he couldn't confirm the tendonitis I thought I was experiencing. He couldn't put pressure anywhere on the foot that would indicate that the posterior tibialis tendon is irritated. That said, I realized this weekend that the spot I pointed to when he asked where it hurts was off the mark. The day I went in, the ankle wasn't sore (as the ankle isn't generally sore unless I run too far on it). But over the weekend I went for a bike ride, and that irritated the same bit of my ankle that gets irritated when I run. So I realized that I'd pointed him to the wrong spot, but I'm still guessing its a tendon or ligament in there somewhere.

After the long discussion with the podiatrist, I asked what to do next. Essentially, we spent so much time discussing the background of my PF, barefooting, and related issues, that I need to make another appointment for him to get a better handle on what specifically is hurting me now (with the gait analysis and some other tests) to move forward. Understandable. But since there's no appointment available for all that stuff to happen at the same time until November 13, I'm left pretty much deciding my own course for the next couple of weeks. (He did suggest that I go out and get a new pair of Brooks in the meantime, since I told him that's what I used to run in. But, um. No thanks. He's got a remarkably long way to go to convince me that that's the right course of action.)

Rest/Protection Mode for This Week

That said, the podiatrist outlined the importance of looking at injuries in three stages (1) rest/protection, (2) rehab/recovery, and (3) return to activity. This was not new information, but a good reminder for the importance of not rushing stage 1. So regardless of what this current ankle business is, it makes sense to me that right now (at one week since the serious Green Lake ouch) I'm still in rest/protection mode. I felt today like I might've been able to go out and try to see how a little run might feel. But I've already decided I'm going to wait a second whole week before I try any running at all. I'm also going to stay off the bike, since that seems to aggravate the same part of the ankle. So if I'm going to exercise this week, it's going to be time to buy a new bathing suit (this summer I finally threw away the horribly saggy one I bought in 1989. Yes, seriously). Or maybe I'll just stick to weight training and/or yoga for the week. We shall see.

I can still ride

When all else fails, I can still ride my bike! I went for a nice hilly ride yesterday in lieu of running since my ankle is still sore from Friday's too-long run. I'm still self-diagnosing Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis with this ankle business, and I think that as long as I stop running as soon as it starts to hurt, I'm ok. But on days like Sunday (and a month or so ago when I overdid it), when I push it too hard simply because it starts hurting while I'm still a mile or so from home/car, and I don't feel like walking the whole final mile, then it's very much not ok. So I've taken the weekend to just rest, ice, and ibuprofin. The arch strengthening (aka PTT-fighting) exercises that were no problem two weeks ago were definitely not doable without pain this weekend, so I didn't do them. See, I do listen to my body mostly-- and the times that I don't, well, whose fault is that, really?

I've made an appointment with a podiatrist at the sports medicine clinic I used to go to (years ago with a previous running injury) to see if my self-diagnosis is correct and just to make sure there's not anything I'm missing. But I honestly suspect this to just be more of the same: back off and RICE while it's painful, go slow and pay attention as I start back up. I'm certainly learning patience, if nothing else.

Sloshing in the Puddles!

5 mi.- kinda (1 mi. BF, 4 mi. VFFs, Green Lake)
It was pouring this morning, but I decided to get out and see what barefoot running in the rain is like. Wet, and cold at the start, but otherwise ok. I started getting a hotspot on the ball of my left foot where I'd mussed with one of my callouses. Note to self: Leave your feet alone! The little bits of dry skin around the callouses wear off easily enough as I run, but if I muss with them and pull them off myself, I'm only removing some of the protection my feet have been working so hard to build. And this leaves me with hot spots the next time I run barefoot. So after a mile today, I decided to put on the VFFs.

On the bright side, there's no worrying about puddles with the VFFs. I was able to slosh right through them! Tell me how that's not just super fun?! I love the rain, and now I love that I no longer have to avoid puddles. I was also pleased to run about 4 miles before my ankle started to feel sore. I thought I'd just walk for a bit and then finish up for a total distance of 5 miles. But if I stop to walk, and then try to start running again, the ankle seems to freak out. Shooting pain with the first two steps. I had to stand there with my foot up in the middle of the path just waiting for it to chill out for a bit, as I couldn't put any weight on it at all. Slowly, slowly I tried walking... and then running, but that didn't last so long. So I walked/ran back to the car.

When I drove home and got out of the car - same shooting pain in the ankle again. I had to just stop and slowly try to adjust the foot to a position where it would allow me to put some weight on it so I could hobble inside. Grr. Glad to have made it 4 miles before having issues. Frustrated to be having issues at all!


(10/13/09) 2.5 mi. VFF (Wedgwood)
Ankle got sore pretty quick, but given the tired foot after the weekend, I'm not terribly surprised. Will try again tomorrow.

Wedding + Heels = Ow

I have always enjoyed wearing high heels for special occasions, perhaps in part because I don't have to wear them every day to work, but even that is difficult these days. I have a great pair of otherwise comfortable heels (Clarks) for my wedding coordination days -- the heel is chunky and they have a nice wide toe box -- but after 6 hours in them yesterday, my feet are pretty pooped. (I wore flatter nice shoes for the pre-wedding running around, but even those have a slight heel.) This is no suprise, my feet always take a beating at weddings, and I don't know that this weekend was any worse.

Guess I'll see how the running goes this week. The wedding went well though. It was my first at the Dome Room at the Arctic Club Hotel. It's a beautiful space, and I really enjoyed the couple I was working with. Good times.

Distracted

3.0 mi. BF (Green Lake)
I did manage to get out for one run this week before the wedding I'm coordinating this weekend, but it didn't feel great. Maybe just because my head was distracted with the busyness of the week.

Sidewalks Getting Easier

4.25 mi. BF (Wedgwood)
Well, I'm gradually running longer before the ankle hurts, but not in leaps and bounds of distance. Ah well, slow and steady (emphasis on slow) will work I suppose. I'm noticing that the neighborhood sidewalks are not nearly so challenging to run on anymore. They're not as easy as the Burke or Greenlake by any stretch, and I'm still going quite a bit slower on them than the smooth asphalt, but still I feel it getting a little more comfortable for my feet. Guess those callouses are starting to do their job!

The dead skin on my left blister-turned-callous (the red spot that was under my pinky toe shown in the picture a while back) came off while running tonight - but no biggy. I didn't notice it until I got home and the skin beneath is completely fine. Now that both those spots are back to newer skin, I'll just keep an eye on them as they start to callous back up again (sans blisters this time, I hope).

Back to Naked Barefooting

4.0 mi. BF (Wedgwood)
Well apparently the post-blister tenderness is pretty much healed, because I was able to run a full 4 miles barefoot tonight. I didn't set any land speed records or anything -- can you say 12 min. miles?! --  as the sidewalks around here are tough for barefooting! Good for building up the callouses and foot strength, though, I suppose. I stopped because the ankle hurt, but at least I made it a little farther this time.

For the record, I've been stretching the plantar fascia most mornings before getting out of bed (and occasionally when getting up from the desk after working for long periods) and I often spend some time before getting out of bed in happy baby pose, fully extending and fully scrunching my toes, pointing and flexing my feet, and rotating my ankles (among others). These past two weeks I've been consistently doing several arch strengthening exercises: one leg balance with eyes closed, resisted eversion and inversion exercises, stepping sideways with a rubber band around my ankles (advised by my chiropractor for strengthening the peroneus), deliberately holding my arches in a neutral position while standing and walking, and heel raises upward and outward (from a source I've now forgotten). There. Now that I've put it in writing, I'll really have to maintain my consistency!

I *Love* Surprises!

3.3 mi. VFFs (Green Lake)
Good news! I think I was right about letting this post-blister heal up a bit more before I can go out barefoot again. Tonight I went to Green Lake and had a great run in the VFFs. I even felt like starting a second lap, though I didn't make it too far before my ankle pooped out. That's ok, though. I hit an avg. pace of 8:47. Speedy for me! And just so Em knows that some day I will be able to keep up with her again....Miles 2 and 3 were at 8:41 and 8:42. Everything felt really good.

And then it got better! Just as I was finishing up my first lap, I passed a handwritten sign in the grass that said "Complimentary Fitness Training" and I saw a small group of people gathering with some very fit-looking trainer types.  I had hoped to be able to keep running, so I passed it by. But after making it only another 1/2 mile or so before having to call it a day, I decided to go back and see what they had going on.

As I approached the guy manning the sign, I asked "Can anyone play?!" He cheerfully invited me to come on up and join them, as the group (of about 8 exercisers and 2 coaches) was just getting warmed up. Turns out it's a training team called Furious Fitness, and they've been doing outdoors bootcamp style training "camps" at Green Lake all summer. I was able to stop in as a first-timer and try out the class for free, but several of the other folks there had already been attending for a couple of weeks. We started with some interval training in pairs. While one person sprinted "to the tree and back," the waiting partner had to do squats. When the runner came back, we switched. We did 3 sets. For the second round, the non-running partner had to do standup/pushups while waiting (stand up with hands above the head and then down into a pushup, then back up to hands above the head, and so on).  After 3 sets of that, we did another round where the non-running partner had to lay on their back and do low scissor kicks. Given the sprints in between, I was good and pooped at the end of all that.

Since I had stopped running because the ankle was sore, I was a little nervous about the intervals, but they were a short enough distance, with stopping in between, that it wasn't a problem. After the intervals, we went back and did combos of jumping jacks, and one-leg hopping exercises, planks, lunges, and some other combos of fun fitnessy stuff. We ended with some ab exercises and stretches. I have to say that during the crunches, it was pretty cool to hear the guy say "keep your eyes toward the sky" and to actually be looking at the sky.

It turns out they're currently charging $135 for 12 classes, and I'm seriously thinking about doing it. At some point, when the weather makes it necessary, they take the training into a gym of some kind (no details on that yet). I'm already a gym member, but have long considered working with a trainer. But this seems like it would be a nice affordable way to maybe get a couple more weeks of outside workouts, with some small group training in the mix as well. Anyway, it was a great unexpected workout that was both challenging and fun. Their website says they're usually there at 6:30pm on weeknights if you want to stop by and try it out. I didn't stick around afterward to talk with them more, as it had started raining toward the end (and had gotten fairly dark - we were working out for 45-60-ish min.), and people were scattering pretty quick. But I did get a packet of info, and a friendly invitation to come back again. What a great way to end the evening's run!

How Does Going "Minimalist " Mean Buying More Shoes?!

When I'm not barefoot these days, I'm usually either wearing my VFFs or my red suede Vivo Barefoots, which have an "ultra thin puncture resistant sole" to mimic barefoot walking.They've been very comfortable, and easy to walk in when I'm specifically trying to walk with a neutral arch. The only problem is that neither of these will work for professional events, and wearing heels right now can get rather painful in a very short time.  But guess what I just found on the Vivo Barefoot site?! They're selling boots! I've always wanted a pair of boots but have never been able to justify the cost. But these boots would be both good for my feet and would be potentially suitable for getting dressed up during the winter months. Or would they? They might look too casual since they have no heel. Hmm. I'm not likely to run out and grab them right away, but well, let's just say I'm keeping my eye on them.

We just got back from our first time cycling the full loop around Lake WA - 58 miles in just under 4 hours. It was a good ride and the ankle didn't bother me at all. So whatever happened last weekend (fortunately) seems to have been something of a fluke. It did hurt for a few minutes after I got off the bike, but that has happened after several of our long rides. Glad that was it, though. It was a beautiful, crisp sunny fall day, and the ride felt great!

Chalking it Up to a Healing Blister

1.0 mi BF (Wedgwood)
I was only able to do a mile again today before the ankle started hurting, but now I have a theory as to why. The other night, the skin on one of my blisters/callouses came off while I was 'sanding' down some of the extra callousy bits on my feet (just to clean 'em up a little -- goodness knows I'm happy to have the callouses!). No biggy, it had been there for days so it was plenty healed up underneath, but the new skin is still just that, new skin. So a little tender. And this little spot (if you look back at the photo of my feet from last week) is just under my pinky toe on my right foot. (The one on the other foot never actually blistered, just calloused right up.) So I think the issue yesterday at Green Lake, made more noticeable this morning when running on my rougher neighborhood streets, is that my foot was trying to avoid putting pressure on that still tender skin toward outside of my foot, thus leaving me running more on the inside of my foot. Which is precisely the movement that causes me pain, and thus precisely the movement I've been trying to avoid with all these arch strengthening exercises and such.

I came up with the theory when I had shoes and socks on this afternoon and found that my foot felt much better than it had earlier in the day. Having that tender area protected made me realize just how much it had been aggravating me and affecting my gait earlier. I was going to test my theory by going for a run in the VFFs, which would protect that skin, but since we're planning a long bike ride tomorrow, I figure instead I'll just take the rest of today and tomorrow to let that skin heal. I'll see how it is on Monday before deciding whether to go BF again or take a day with the VFF's.