Gear, and Gadgets, and Running...Oh my!

So, I haven't posted for almost three weeks now because I had been really struggling with the tendonitis in my foot.  Fortunately, I think I'm through the worst of it and I'll be able to continue training for the marathon in October.  I've logged about 8 or 10 2-mile runs in the last couple weeks and, although my foot still aches a bit after each run, I definitely don't think it's getting any worse.

As a bit of a treat for successfully getting back into running, I bought a new Garmin FR60 watch with a heart rate monitor and foot pod accelerometer.  I was really on the fence about buying a GPS watch, but finally decided on the foot pod after reading so many reviews about people waiting for GPS watches to find satellites, losing satellites, and charges that only last 4-8 hours.

The accuracy of the FR60 seems to be pretty good, but I haven't taken it to a track to calibrate it (and definitively test it's accuracy).  There are mile markers on the Mount Vernon Trail and it has read 0.98 miles for the first mile both times I've used the watch.  I don't know if it's the watch that's off, or the trail marker.

Although this watch CANNOT give me virtual training partners, track a friend on the trail with the same watch, track elevation, show me 3 or 4 different display fields on one screen, or show me a map of the trail on which I am running, it does everything that I want it to do.  It CAN record my mile splits, give me a current/projected mile pace, record distance accurately (I think), and upload all of my info to the Garmin Connect website for training analysis.  One of my favorite features is that it has an approximate battery life of 1 year.  That means no charging between runs, and no dying in the middle of a run!  Yay!  The watch and the foot pod just take traditional watch batteries.

I've read many online complaints about the setup being very difficult for this watch because it only comes with a quick start manual (the full manual is available online).  I took it out of the box and made sure that it paired with the foot pod while I was still in the store.  It immediately paired with the heart rate monitor, but not the foot pod, and I actually needed to ask the guy at the store for some help.  He got it paired within a minute or two and gave me a quick tutorial on how to navigate the watch interface.  After learning a little bit from the guy at the store, I've found the watch very easy to use.

I've only used this setup on 2 runs now, but I would definitely recommend this.  I'll update this review in a few months to let you know how it holds up.

Happy Running!

Difficult Run Trail--Great Falls, VA

Today I took Thumper and Bambi on an adventure out near Great Falls, VA.  We parked at the Difficult Run Trail lot, and headed toward Old Dominion Road first.  It was a roughly 2 miles for a round trip of 4 miles.  The trail just seemed to stop at Old Dominion Road even though there was a sign across the street saying that this was "stage 9 of 10 on the trail."  I walked about a 1/4 mile up the street to see if the trail started back up again but quickly found myself in rich white suburbia.  I decided to head back and check out the other end of the trail.  We got back to the parking lot and pulled out the pack n' play so Thumper could stretch out and I could rest a bit.  We had a little lunch and then set out in the opposite direction toward the Potomac.  That stretch was about 3 miles for a round trip of 6 miles, giving us a grand total of 10 miles for the day.

The weather was great, and Thumper seemed to have a blast.  Occasionally he would just burst into laughter as I trudged along the trail.

Trail Map

Some of the trail washed out from all of the recent rain

Bambi panting on the side of the river

The trail heading toward Old Dominion Road

A beautiful view of an opening in the river heading toward the Potomac

An interesting section of bamboo

A self shot of Thumper and I

A close up pic of the creek toward Old Dominion Road

Here's a cool rock bridge to cross the creek

Some deer hanging out across the creek

A family pic...the only one missing is Legs...we miss you!  Hope you're having fun at work  :-P

 Overall this was an awesome trail.  It's very flat and easy, but there are some technical spots to keep things interesting, mostly due to recent storms.  I'd love to head up toward the visitor center at Great Falls next time.  The weather was perfect and, being from the northwest where you can swim in just about any fresh water around, I wanted to jump in so bad.

Happy Running!

A Whole New Perspective

Although my foot has been doing better, and I'm pretty sure that I'll be running again soon, it's still very frustrating.  I was reading through the new blog posts on the running blogs I follow and it just made me want to go out for a run soooooo bad.

I was reading Wyatt Hornsby's The Running Man blog post today and he seems to be a bit frustrated too.  A bit funny that his complaints are about not seeing race success from 100+ miles per week training and my complaints are about not being able to run at all.   Fortunately for me, he gave me an amazing insight.  I can walk!  I've been so stuck on not being able to run, that I never even thought about walking for a workout.  Running Man mentioned that he'd been walking and hiking quite a bit to break up the monotony of so much running.

Walking doesn't cause any pain in my foot, so I threw Thumper in the backpack (figuratively) and took Bambi out for a power stroll.  I covered 3 miles in about 60 minutes, which equates to a 20:00 mile pace with a 30 pound pack.  That's not too shabby if you ask me!  Here's a pic of the turnaround point looking out at our nation's capital across the Potomac.

I think this hiking insight is exactly what I needed to get me through the rest of my recovery.  I'm sorry that it had to come from Wyatt's training troubles, but I'm sure happy to be back outside!  Thanks Wyatt!

Happy Running!

Recovery From Extensor Tendonitis

*Make sure you read my Final Injury Update

It's been just over a week since I met with the podiatrist, and I can finally begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  My foot isn't completely better yet, but I've had some drastic improvement over the last couple days.  I've gotten into a routine of applying a heating pad for 20 minutes, massage for 15 minutes, then ice for 20 minutes.  I try to do this every morning, and it really seems to be helping.  I also apply heat or ice a couple times throughout the day depending on how I feel.  I did a couple of really light runs immediately following my appointment with the podiatrist, but I've decided that running, even short and slow, wasn't helping my injury.  I do still walk 2-4 miles per day because that doesn't cause any pain in my foot, and I need to remain somewhat active to avoid going crazy.  Just getting outside makes me feel like less of a couch potato after 3 weeks of limited or no running.  I've also tried to exercise regularly by riding a stationary bike or lifting weights.  It feels good to work my muscles, but working out in the gym or living room just doesn't compare to running outside.  I can't wait to be able to run again.  I'm really hoping that by next week my foot will be ready for another test run.  That will put me at about 4 weeks from the original injury.  I can't help but think that if I had completely quit running sooner I would be back to training for my marathon right now.  This has been a good lesson for me in listening to my body, and knowing when to run through pain and when to listen to the pain...and stop!

Happy Running!

Injury Update--Extensor Tendonitis

*Make sure you read my Final Injury Update

I realized that what I've been calling metatarsal tendonitis is incorrect.  It's actually called extensor tendonitis, named after the muscles attached to the tendons, not the bones.  The diagrams below show the basic structure of the muscles, tendons, and bones affected by extensor tendonitis.


*images provided by http://docpods.com/extensor-tendonitis-tendinopathy

To summarize my injury; I experienced pain in the top of my foot between my 1st and 2nd toes, between my 2nd and 3rd toes, and between my 3rd and 4th toes as a result of transitioning to barefoot running too quickly.  This was an inflammation of the extensor hallucis longus tendon and the extensor digitorum longus tendon.  The inflammation was likely caused by the increased strain placed on my calf muscles from barefoot running.  As my calf muscles tightened it made it more difficult for the extensor muscles to raise the toes upward toward the knee.  I saw a podiatrist and had an x-ray to rule out the possibility of a stress fracture in any of the metatarsal bones in my foot.  For anyone experiencing "top of foot pain" I would recommend an x-ray or MRI as a first step rather than self-diagnosing tendonitis over a stress fracture.  Treatment is fairly different.

I've compiled a list of treatments that seem to work well for me.  Keep in mind that some of these may work for you, and they may not.  You'll just have to experiment with them.  Please post any treatment methods that worked for you in the comments section!

• Ice: I ice the top of my foot 2-3 times per day for about 20 minutes with my foot elevated on a pillow.  This feels amazing, and it keeps the inflamation and swelling down in my foot.
• Compression:  I wrap my foot with an elastic bandage to provide some added support as my foot expands as it touches the ground with each step.  This also provides a little extra cushion for my forefoot, which also seems to help.
• Wear Running Shoes:  I've been wearing an old pair of neutral running shoes, in conjunction with the wrap, for walking around in.  The support and cushion seems to really help alleviate the pain.  Another helpful tip is to tie the laces more loosely than usual.  Tying them too tightly will add pressure to the inflamed tendons.
• Forefoot Padding:  I added two pieces of medical gauze under the sole of my running shoes beneath my forefoot to help cushion the impact.  This actually seems to help a great deal.
• Stretching:  I've found stretching my calves, ankles, and pretty much anything below my knee to be very helpful.  Here are a couple stretches that I do:
• While standing, place the tip of your toe on the ground without supporting any of your body weight.  Gently roll your ankle in circles, both clockwise and counterclockwise, while keeping your toe in the same place.  This seems to really help relax the tendons in the top of the foot
• Classic calf stretches.  I like to place my feet shoulder width apart and do a gentle half squat while relaxing my lower legs.  You may need to support yourself by placing your hands on a wall or piece of furniture.
• Massage:  I start with extremely gentle pressure on the top of my foot in the areas that hurt.  Gradually I can increase the pressure as my foot begins to loosen up.  The pain on top of my foot decreases dramatically as I massage the area.  It just takes a little time.  After about 10 minutes I can massage my foot with almost as much pressure as I would without any injury.
• Toe Raises:  While sitting in a chair I lean back to take the majority of weight off my feet.  Begin with your feet flat on the floor and gently raise your toes up off the ground while keeping your heels in place.  You'll feel your extensor muscles (around your shin) contract.  This will help to strengthen the muscles and tendons causing the pain.  This may not be a good idea early on in treatment, but if you can do it without causing any pain it will probably be okay.
• Running:  I know this one sounds crazy, but about every 2-3 days I go on a very light 1-2 mile jog (I've done two 1-2 mile runs since my appointment).  I run at a pace about 2 minutes per mile slower than my usual pace, and I wrap my foot like I mentioned above.  This actually doesn't cause much pain when I have my foot wrapped, the gauze in place, and, of course, when wearing my running shoes.  I don't recommend this if it causes pain so severe that it alters your running stride (also what my podiatrist said).  I really think that this plays a role in encouraging your body to repair the injured area.  It also seems to loosen up the tendons and muscles in my legs and feet.  Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor and you should ask one if you should run while you're injured.
• Rest:  Before seeing a podiatrist I took a full week off from running.  I did one 2-mile test run in shoes that really hurt, which prompted me to make the appointment.  I had an additional 4 days off from running before I actually met with the doctor, so I had an almost 2 week rest period with one short, slow run in the middle.  After meeting with the podiatrist and confirming that I didn't have a stress fracture I've tried to stay off my feet a bit more, but I still walk the dog and baby and go about my normal life.  Everything I've read says to rest, rest, REST, but I'm not convinced that laying in bed for 2 more weeks would make much difference in my recovery.  On top of that it's boring!

That about sums up my treatment plan for extensor tendonitis.  I don't know that I could pick any specific treatments that help more than the others.  For me, it seems to be the combination of all of the above that is driving my recovery.  As of now, I only have pain between my 2nd and 3rd toes so I think that I'm well on my way to being able to train for the marathon in October.  My podiatrist did say to expect a 2-4 week recovery time for the tendonitis (Today is 3 days after our meeting).  If there is not significant improvement after 4 weeks, or if at any point it starts to get worse, I should get an MRI to definitively rule out stress fractures.  I hope this helps someone!

Happy Running!