Training Check-in/Encouragement Thread

[Yungbuck73]

[QUOTE=PirateLover;2364292]Does anyone have any experience with Plantar Fasciitis?

I have had a problem with Plantar Fascitis for a few yrs now. I went to a podiatrist and got custom orthotics. They were expensive but everytime i get a flare up, I use them in all my shoes for a few days and I usually feel better. Since I have started getting ready for runICOT, I keep the orthotics in my work shoes.
I know there are some orthotics you can buy in drug stores, but mine are custom and I get them refurbished every year or so.

[PirateLover]

I have had a problem with Plantar Fascitis for a few yrs now. I went to a podiatrist and got custom orthotics. They were expensive but everytime i get a flare up, I use them in all my shoes for a few days and I usually feel better. Since I have started getting ready for runICOT, I keep the orthotics in my work shoes.
I know there are some orthotics you can buy in drug stores, but mine are custom and I get them refurbished every year or so.

Thanks for the response. That is what I was afraid of. Right now I can't really afford a big expenditure. My cousin had to get custom orthotics and it cost him a pretty penny. My insurance isn't that great. I guess I'll head to a podiatrist if the pain is persistent, but I was hoping I could make it go away on my own It's so weird that it came out of the blue. I have never had a problem with my feet like that, but from what I've been reading it does seem like plantar faciitis. Boooo!

[GMRO]

Thanks for the response. That is what I was afraid of. Right now I can't really afford a big expenditure. My cousin had to get custom orthotics and it cost him a pretty penny. My insurance isn't that great. I guess I'll head to a podiatrist if the pain is persistent, but I was hoping I could make it go away on my own It's so weird that it came out of the blue. I have never had a problem with my feet like that, but from what I've been reading it does seem like plantar faciitis. Boooo!

Good luck!!!

I've never had that...but can only imagine its painful.

My feet are duck feet flat. SO many shoes bother my feet. They are wide and most shoes just squish the heck out of them and in 5 mins its very painful.

I did get some very nice nike lunarglide4's this past May2013 while on vacation. WOW, they fit my feet perfectly and they didn't require any break in. My feet never hurt in these.

Not saying they would work for you...but I do see the need for proper shoes. JG has some great info on how to chose shoes and how NOT too as well.

Hope you get your condition cleared up!

[GMRO]

Great job everybody!!!!

Where in the heck to you get all those emicons?

ROFL!!!
Very KEWL!

[Christine]

Where in the heck to you get all those emicons?

ROFL!!!
Very KEWL!

When you are in the reply box, you'll see the ones to the right, and below those you'll see "more" -- click on that and it opens up a huge page full of them! They're so fun!!

[BrerGnat]

Thanks for the response. That is what I was afraid of. Right now I can't really afford a big expenditure. My cousin had to get custom orthotics and it cost him a pretty penny. My insurance isn't that great. I guess I'll head to a podiatrist if the pain is persistent, but I was hoping I could make it go away on my own It's so weird that it came out of the blue. I have never had a problem with my feet like that, but from what I've been reading it does seem like plantar faciitis. Boooo!

You don't need expensive orthotics. You can manage PF on your own. You will have to spend some $, but not a lot. Both my husband and I have had PF (I currently have a flare up as well).

First of all, get some Dr. Scholl's Orthotics for HEEL PAIN. They will indicate on the package that they are for PF. Make sure you get the Women's. When you put these in your shoes, you won't even notice them.

Also get a PF nighttime foot splint. This thing is super uncomfortable, I'm not going to lie, but it works! It is a brace that you wear while you sleep that keeps your toes in a flexed position. In general, you want to avoid the "pointed toe" position as much as possible. The goal is to STRETCH the plantar fascia as much as possible.

NEVER walk anywhere barefoot from now on. Always wear supportive shoes or sandals with good arch support. I like Fit Flops for summer.

Before you get out of a seated position, stretch your foot for a second first.

Take NSAID's as tolerated. My favorite for this kind of pain is Aleve Liquid Gels.

You can run through PF as long as you slow down. Make sure you are using a short stride and focus on a midfoot strike and really focus on rolling off the ball of your foot at the end of each stride. This will provide a nice stretch after every stride. Obviously, if your pain is really bad (as in, you are limping around), take a week or so off from running, and do some other type of cardio to keep in shape. I actually like to do stair climbing (on actual stairs, not a machine) while I have actively painful PF, as I will do the climbing on my forefoot mostly.

The Dr. Scholl's inserts are under $10 and can be found at Target, Wal Mart, chain drug stores, etc. The brace is around $30 if I recall correctly.

[barnaby]

Does anyone have any experience with Plantar Fasciitis?

My wife had it. Unfortunately, the only way she got rid of it was a Dr. visit, rest, and orthotics. She also had to wear a boot overnight. But I know other people who manage it on their own as well, as BrerGnat does.

I've never had problems with it, however I did have shin splints. Best thing I ever did was go to a running shoe store where they analyze your gait, posture, etc. Getting the right shoe made a big difference. If you haven't done it yet, it is worth a try. (I only jump in this thread on occasion to try to glean some running advice, so it may have been mentioned already)
I know your in the NJ/PA area, not sure how close you are to Mullica Hill. I went to the South Jersey Running and Triathlon Company right in town. It a small business where you get a knowledge and friendly staff. And the prices were comparable to a big chain store like Dicks.

[PirateLover]

Thanks guys. I do have a good show. I went to a store where they analyze your gait and all that stuff. The foot that I believe has PF has always pointed out a little bit. Not sure if that has anything to do with it.

Nat, those are some great tips. Of course I am a barefoot/flats type chick most of the time. In the summer I am barefoot whenever I can be. I don't have fit flops but I do have a pair of flip flops that are 2 inches thick and quite firm with some arch support so I guess I'll start wearing those around the house for now. I'll get the cheap inserts and take some Aleve and see what happens from there.

[disneygoofball]

Anyone else having a rough week of training? I don't know what the deal is - maybe the weather (it's super hot and humid here right now), or maybe just summer laziness. This has definitely not been a great running week for me.

[GMRO]

So yesterday I ran my RACE DAY final on the JG 5K app. Week 7 day 3...

I improved my 5K time by 2min 28 seconds when compared to before I started JG's workout program to now.

AND WOW was it hot yesterday in PA. "Real-Feel" temp was 104F. I ran at lunchtime and then after work with DW at 7PM for another 5K. Both times showed the same improvements within seconds! I was totally pumped!!! My official time at the Castaway Cay 5K was good, IMO, but now it's even better.

I'm a firm believer in JG's method. Funny, at the 5k on CC I did a full run. Now with JG's method I'm faster, stronger and take the walk breaks during the 5K.

It really felt great to finish the program and see the results. Very happy with the app and his method. And it's nice to see he's got a few stay in condition days to use as well. A very well thought out app IMO.

Problem now is I'M WEARING OUT MY SHOES FAST!!!

[GMRO]

Anyone else having a rough week of training? I don't know what the deal is - maybe the weather (it's super hot and humid here right now), or maybe just summer laziness. This has definitely not been a great running week for me.

Stick with it!!!

DW has struggled this week. She complained about the heat for sure. And at times she said during her workout run portion she had to walk it.

I told her, as JG says, you made it thru the work out. YOU need to listen to your body and take the walk breaks when you need them. Remember you FINISHED the workouts all week and that's great!

YUP, in PA this week it’s been VERY HOT and 74 to 76 humidity. LIKE PEA-SOUP! I'm sure it slowed me down as I adjusted my pace. BUT it still felt great to finish the runs/workouts. I took weds off and let me tell you I was edgy all day!!! Could not wait till Thurs to get my runs in!

I can only run about a few times a week or my hips get very achy. So I take a day off to recoup. I figured that out as my pace slipped if I pressed on each day. I was adjusting for my discomfort. A day off makes all the difference. And my pace returns to what I consider the norm. I'm sure after the heatwave this week, we are to have 80's next week, I'll see an improvement in my time per the lower heat/humidity. DW will too! She's already looking forward to our Sunday morning run/workout.

Don't fret...you got thru it!

[cer]

Anyone else having a rough week of training? I don't know what the deal is - maybe the weather (it's super hot and humid here right now), or maybe just summer laziness. This has definitely not been a great running week for me.

Last week was my "bad" week. This week was much better. We have had a lot of rain here and it really took the edge off the heat.

Starting a new 4 days of running tomorrow. The heat is back...we'll see how it goes.

[Melanie]

Well, even though I'm just walking, I still have managed to make it through this week with this horrendous heat. I'm bumping up the length of my walks as well, doing 4 miles each of the last 3 days. I'm also going to the gym at night and doing a slower paced treadmill walk. I'm starting to see results, which is a great feeling. A few more weeks of walking, with a few short sprints, and then I'm going to dive into Couch to 5K. Hopefully my hip issue doesn't rear it's ugly head again.

Keep up the good work everyone, and stay hydrated!

[GMRO]

Well, even though I'm just walking, I still have managed to make it through this week with this horrendous heat. I'm bumping up the length of my walks as well, doing 4 miles each of the last 3 days. I'm also going to the gym at night and doing a slower paced treadmill walk. I'm starting to see results, which is a great feeling. A few more weeks of walking, with a few short sprints, and then I'm going to dive into Couch to 5K. Hopefully my hip issue doesn't rear it's ugly head again.

Keep up the good work everyone, and stay hydrated!

Good for you MEL!

AND FOR EVERYONE WHO's STICKING WITH IT IN THIS CRAZY SUMMER HEAT!!!

Course in Feb2013, while I was shoveling show for the girls - papillons, I was looking forward to the heat... hheheheh

[disneygoofball]

This is such a great thread for encouragement. It's nice to know I'm not the only one having a rough week. I'm thinking of joining my husband's gym - I need to start doing some strength training, and it will give me an option for really hot days.

[BrerGnat]

I'm so glad this hot week seems to be over today. Looking forward to returning to outdoor running. I've been using my treadmill the past week and have eeked out 5 mile runs a few times, which I often have trouble with outside, so I know I'm not really working as hard on the treadmill.

I went for a bike ride yesterday and it felt nice to not be pounding on my feet for once. Man, it was hot, though!

Everyone keep up the great work!

Mel: Way to go! Now my long walks don't seem so bad, do they?

[Melanie]

Mel: Way to go! Now my long walks don't seem so bad, do they?

Wowza! Today was brutal. I lounged around a bit too much with my coffee this morning and got off a little later than I wanted to. 3.3 miles later, I was done! It took me a bit to recover.

I took a little cheat day yesterday ( no exercise and went over on my caloric intake) and I felt so guilty. I know it's probably good to cheat every now and then though? I know most of you are probably past this stage, so let me ask....do you run/walk/exercise in order to eat what you want?

[BrerGnat]

Wowza! Today was brutal. I lounged around a bit too much with my coffee this morning and got off a little later than I wanted to. 3.3 miles later, I was done! It took me a bit to recover.

I took a little cheat day yesterday ( no exercise and went over on my caloric intake) and I felt so guilty. I know it's probably good to cheat every now and then though? I know most of you are probably past this stage, so let me ask....do you run/walk/exercise in order to eat what you want?

Don't feel bad. I cheat at least once a week. In fact, Saturday is my day where I don't log my foods. Anything goes. Only one day per week though.

I always say I run so I can eat dessert.

[cer]

Don't feel bad. I cheat at least once a week. In fact, Saturday is my day where I don't log my foods. Anything goes. Only one day per week though.

I always say I run so I can eat dessert.

We call our day off from our eating plan our "free food day". You must have those extra calories and carbs occasionally so that your body will continue to lose.

My problem for a while was that our scheduled free food day would start on Friday and go through Sunday! - Ummmm, it did not work.

And as far as running to be able to eat whatever, that doesn't work for me. It is a shame, really, I have found that my diet is a much greater part of my overall fitness and can easily negate any work I have done. So, unfortunately, running does not make me have the freedom to eat anything, anytime, but that would be so cool if it did.

[mickeyd]

Run Melbourne Half Marathon

I’m pleased to report that on Sunday I completed the Run Melbourne half marathon – my first ever half marathon (and first ever race).

It was a chilly 6 degrees (C) when we started running just after 7am. My plan was to slowly run (jog) the first mile or so until the crowd thinned out and then revert to my Galloway run/walk intervals. That was the plan, but a couple of things happened along the way. First, I was running with some friends as part of a charity group and I wanted to run with them for a bit. After the first mile my legs were feeling great, and my breathing was easy, so I decided to keep running with the group. I wasn’t sure if I would regret this later – but the pace of the group seemed quite manageable. It wasn’t until about 4 kms in I realised that we were actually running at a 5:58min/km pace (about 9:30 min / mile), which was pretty fast for me.

Now that the sun was up the weather was perfect for running, clear sky and 10C. There was heaps of entertainment along the course, and running with the group was lots of fun. Before I knew it we were at the half way point and I was still feeling pretty good – still running. It was about this time that I lost the rest of the group without realising it. I was a bit worried that I had deviated so far from my race plan. In all my long run training I had used run/walk intervals and I had just run 11 km without any walk breaks. I was in the zone, focused on maintaining a consistent pace and conserving energy. I thought the others were just a few meters behind me, but after not seeing or hearing them for a mile I realised that I had moved ahead. I decided to keep going at my pace, knowing that the others were better runners than me and that they would catch up. I was thought it was quite likely that I would slow down dramatically in the last few kms.

In the end, I surprised myself. I was able to keep my steady pace right up to the end. The last km was the hardest – my legs, hips and back started tightening, but the pull of the finish line and seeing my family kept me going.

My official time - 2:08:01. I couldn’t believe it. I began the run thinking 2:30 would be achievable and I would have been happy with that time. The aim was really just to finish. So excited that I have now officially run a half marathon.

Not sure how I could possibly run a full marathon the next day – walking up and down stairs is hard enough right now – but there is another 5 months to work that out. I’m sure during the Dopey Challenge I will be sticking to my run walk intervals!! But Run Melbourne was a fantastic first race. I had lots of fun and now have a proof of time to get me out of the back corrals at WDW Marathon Weekend (as well as a fancy Run Melbourne medal).