Ouch.

Published on by Pippa @ Pip in Motion

My name’s Pippa, and I have plantar fasctiitis.

Cos you know, admitting you have a problem is the first step to recovery.

I’m not even being ironic here; it’s taken me ages to admit that there might be something wrong. I’ve had nagging arch pain for the past month. I’ve been able to keep it under control for a while with myofascial release exercises from my amazing sports massage guy, as well as rest days, yoga, stretching, ice, and alternating my running shoes. I did everything I was supposed to.

crying baby

However it became clear this weekend that despite my best efforts, I was fucked. On the Friday I’d been inspired by Finding Traction (a documentary on badass ultra runner Nikki Kimball) and I managed convince myself that my feet felt fine and that a lunchtime run was in fact just what the doctor ordered. You know, just to loosen everything up for a bit. In hindsight, that was a bad idea. Fuck’s sake.

Saturday was moving day, so running was out of the question in any case. But when Sunday morning rolled around, it became clear that under no circumstances should I run. I had to simply accept this, and I had a little weep. I was in a lot of pain, and I’d also miss my long club run.

after running in the cold

Nonetheless I resolved to remain positive, and spent at least 2 hours researching plantar fasciitis over a several cups of coffee. Know your enemy, as they say. I would give you a rundown of my newly-learnt wisdom but frankly I’m not a medical professional and you could learn all this from far more reliable sources with a simple Google search.

Skipping my Sunday run was a huge step for me. In the past I would have powered through, unable to prioritize the long-term benefits over the short term gratification. Plus, I really like Sunday runs with my club. But it’s okay. I have simply changed my perspective; instead of being Pippa, Half Marathon Badass Bitch, I’m now Pippa the Arch Pain Slayer. (Don’t judge me here- this ‘avatar’ technique is a completely legit, peer reviewed and proven technique I learned from Jane McGonigal, who I love to bits).

I have absorbed all the literature I could find on the symptoms, and I booked an appointment with my sports massage guy, who, god bless him, was unavailable on Sunday but fielded half a dozen panicked questions from me via Whatsapp.

My point is; I’m injured, and I’ve accepted I’m injured despite all the precautions I took to avoid this. So now, priority number one is defeating this bitch so I can get back out there as soon as possible.

its handled

Three cheers for personal growth!

Lots of love

Pippa

PS. Any wisdom on plantar fasciitis, conventional or not, would be appreciated!

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15 thoughts on “Ouch.”

  1. I have it too, and am having a minor flare up. A couple thoughts: 1. according to my research, running on it does not make it worse. So I still run. For me, the pain goes away after the first mile.
    2. My husband told me that professional basketball players get this too. And they play on. I figure I’m at least as tough as them!!
    3. Superfeet green shoe inserts….cured me last time! And the food news is that the inserts last longer than shoes, so you can transfer them.
    3. Tennis ball massage. Put the tennis ball under your foot and roll it with affected area.
    Not a doctor here…so please take everything I’ve said with a grain of salt.

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Thanks! Just got back from the massage guy. He said no running under any circumstances for at least a week, if not two. There seem to be some mechanical problems with the front of my foot too 😦

      Tennis ball massage has been amazing so far, although I keep squashing them so I’ll have to go for something more substantial 😀

      Liked by 1 person

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  4. Mannnnnnnn – I HATE this! I battled it for a while last year. I started doing stretches three times per day – sitting in a chair I’d cross my legs, hurt foot on top, and using my hands, stretched my toe back toward my shin and held it for 10s or so and then released. I did this 3 times followed by three 10s calf stretches leaning up against a wall or my desk, keeping the heel of my hurt foot firmly on the ground behind me. It took 2-3 weeks of doing this regularly but the pain went away and hasn’t bothered me since! I certainly hope you can get over this soon!

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  5. I get plantar fasciitis too if I’m not careful.

    Here are things I do:

    Constant massaging of the feet.I second the lacrosse ball. I also go to a Chinese reflexology place to have them massage my feet.
    Wear good supportive shoes.
    Use KT tape. You can youtube how to tape your feet. There are different ways and I found that I like a long piece running lengthwise, and then a couple short ones going across.
    I use IcyFeet to ice the affected foot (http://www.amazon.com/Icy-Feet-Pair-Right-Left/dp/B00F52F63E) – you can buy just a single if it’s the same one being affected.

    Liked by 1 person

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  6. Awww ouchie!!! Totally sounds like you have taken the first step girl! Plantar fasciitis SUCKS- I had it last year cos I was running too much and working crazy hours as a waitress on my feet all day (and not getting enough sleep cos of study…) It HURT. It healed up when I took a break and switched running shoes and waitressing shoes luckily!

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  8. Pingback: My First: Serious Injury Stint | Mind Body Work Travel

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