[luv2tri]

It hurts. I want to 'suck it up' and run through it. Can I really hurt myself if I push through it? I don't want to cause more damage, but this is pretty chronic, and I am tired of doing everything I am supposed to and it is only marginally better. Did I set myself back last week doing major walking pushing a monster stroller around? Any advice would be wonderful and greatly appreciated! J9

 

[VictorN]

<br><br><span style="color:#000000;">That depends on how bad it really is, but yes, it is possible to hurt yourself and take yourself out of commission.</span><br><br><span style="color:#000000;">Have you seen a professional...preferably a physical therapist who has experience with runners and triathletes?</span><br><br><span style="color:#000000;">Victor</span>

 

[hobey]

1! to everything Victor said. I know someone who ran through PF and changed her gait enough to develop a stress fx. I'd get it checked out by a PT or ortho.

 

[toe jam on crusty feet]

There are a ton of threads on this topic in the side line.....

 

[luv2tri]

I have been to a PT. And truthfully, I am still paying them off after insurance ran out last year. I am doing everything they do. ('cept the electric therapy - which has never really helped me anyway). I am just frustrated. Some days are better than others. I really do not want to pay for things I am already doing. My ortho doc is downtown and a huge pain to get into, very hard to get an appointment, especially if it is not an 'immediate surgery required' situation. I also don't want to stop training. Errrrr <img alt="sad2.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/sad2.gif">

 

[luv2tri]

Thanks TJ - I will go check it out.

 

[slow_n_steady]

I would be very careful if I were you. A number of years ago I developed a pretty bad case of PF while training for a marathon. I did all of the self care kinds of things, plus had orthotics made and had ESWT. The only thing I did not do was rest. It hurt like hell but I was determined to suck it up and keep running. Well, eventually I gave myself a calcaneal stress fracture and ended up in a cast for a month. Needless to say, the marathon did not happen.

 

[jkaiser20]

When I had a wicked case of it, I cut back on the running, iced after every single run, and tried to work on calf flexibility. Oh, I also added a nice set of insoles to all non-running shoes. I seemed to get it in control. Then I blew out a knee and had to take a couple months off. I tried to come back very very slowly. It is always there and tries to rear up sometimes. There are a bunch of horror stories out there of people needing surgery to be able to walk without pain. Be careful.

 

[luv2tri]

Thanks everyone. I am being careful. I just spent a whole season on IR so I do not want to be back there again. In the same breathe - I don't want to give up either. My run tonight is probably out, and I will take it day by day. I may try deep water running. Anyone done that? How do I do it?

 

[rottensquirrel]

Pretty good advice above, have you had a cortisone injection?

 

[luv2tri]

Shot, not yet, but have had them before for the knee, and a wicked case of tennis elbow from some ill fitting aero bars. I may look into that if it would help. It would mean finding a closer ortho doc, but I did see one near here to get to a MRI diagnosed to get in to see the big wig doc up at Northwestern. Is this the same sort of thing as the tennis elbow? Could it help?

 

[Yo Sake]

j9, deep water running is excellent. You can do some research on effective way of doing it. When I had to run in water, I wore a floatation belt and do lots of interval - something like {2min hard - 30sec rest} x 20 to keep yourself entertained with a clock. Steady-state run gets seriously boring unless you have a company. Deep water running is not easy. It is a serious workout. I read some elite athletes do to replace 2nd run of some days.

 

[Kate60]

Deep water running is great and you can slowly add in the running building miles. Also try massaging your foot on a tennis ball.