Oh joy, plantar fasciitis is such a delightful ball of fun! I just love it. I hope it never freaking goes away.
Yes, this damn injury is starting to make me grumpy, if you didn’t notice. Seriously! I finally get to a point that I enjoy my workouts, love to run, and BAM, my own foot betrays me, and now I can’t run at all. Or do much of anything, for that matter.
I dived into research and articles about plantar fasciitis, and the more I read, the more horrified I became. I read how it can take months to go away, how you might need to rest for weeks on end, and people saying once they had it, it never truly went away.
All I took from it was: “OH MY GOD! I can’t work out anymore! EVER! I will never run again! I will stop burning calories completely and will most certainly gain weight and will end up 600 pounds on that TV show, and my husband will have to bring me food, and I won’t be able to leave the house because I will be so big, and I will be depressed and miserable and did I mention FAT?”
*clutching heart, panting, sobbing, collapsing miserably to the floor*
Maybe I overreacted just a little, but it is a stressful situation. I worked hard to build the endurance to run 15 miles, and every day trying to treat this stupid injury is just another day I am slowly but surely losing strength and endurance. It pisses me off.
After my panicked melt-down, I made myself calm down just a fuzz, and I researched workouts that I can do with plantar fasciitis. Most of them are not practical, like swimming, because I hate water (and the smell of chlorine) and don’t have access to an indoor pool anyway. But I can still strength train, and cycling was on the list. I will have to meander back to my Spinning classes. Supposedly the elliptical is an option too.
I will also need to be very careful with my calories. Less intense workouts means, obviously, I am not burning nearly as many calories.
Losing 2 or more pounds a week is just not going to happen for a while. I hate that, but not being able to work out like I want to means my weight loss will slow down. I am hoping it doesn’t come to a screeching halt. If I am mindful of my eating, and keep up with the workouts that I can do, I hope that one pound per week is realistic.
What I absolutely cannot do is use this as an excuse to give up, to throw in the towel, and just quit trying. It’s a setback, sure. But it’s a slow-down, not a stop. If I stay tough and devoted and focused, I can avoid gaining weight back and will keep moving forward, just much more slowly.
I’m proud of you! You are finding ways to still maintain your loss. I know how hard it is to be restricted and I can only imagine the panic!
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After doing some research I think there are a few things that can help you get back to running in no time. There are supports for your plantar fascia. (The cheapest I found were $18.) As well as soaking your foit in epsom salt for at least 10 minutes a night, stretching the muscles for a minimum of 10 minutes a day, and buy new shoes with extra arch support. You may also try using a muscle relaxing cream on the arch of your foot every night to help reduce the inflammation in the muscle.
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Thank you! I bought new running shoes, and I now have inserts for them. I ordered another set of inserts for my other sneakers. I have not tried muscle relaxing cream yet.
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I would definitely do everything i could to get the inflammation down since it seems thats what causes the pain.
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i Have been there…built up my miles and boom planters hit! I still get twinges but I was able to get back to running …I just had to learn how to manage the plantar issue… first and foremost, for me I have to buy new running shoes a LOT more frequently than the recommended mileage, Secondly…a frozen bottle of water…lay it on the floor and roll your foot across it…with pressure. Thirdly…KT tape! When I feel a twinge, I use the KT tape t…maybe a placebo, but it works for me and I’ve NEVER had it get out of control again. Like that first bout!!!
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Runtastic lets me track how many miles are on a pair of running shoes, so I am keeping an eye on that. I started using a tennis ball to massage my foot but will try the frozen water bottle tonight. Does the KT tape do the same thing as compression socks?
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Buy good running shoes & replace often. No more than 500 miles. You will feel when they no longer give the support. It can make a HUGE difference.
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