I might have hurt my foot

[Tristan]

Now I gone and done it... and right before race day no less. Signed up for a 4miler on Thanksgiving with a friend. My running has been a little lacking in the past month, and that could have been partly to blame. I pushed myself a bit too hard last week, with a good long run on Tuesday that left me a little sore the next day then some speed work on Friday. My right foot started to get sore soon after my run on Friday. I also wore VFF's which might have played a role as well. I had run in these several times, mostly during last winter, and a couple times on some trails, but nothing more than a couple easy miles, and not in a couple months. But since I'm not too good with cold yet, I thought I might need something for the race and figured I’d try em. I really should have tried them earlier with easier miles first. But I was doing 1/2 miles sprints, a couple tenths walk to recover, and then repeating. My soles struggle a little bit more with speed, so thought it would be fitting to use them while doing the sprints compared to a long run. Was feeling pretty darn good until afterwards...

So its just my right foot, and its sore along the outside metatarsal. Not sure if VFF's are to blame, or simply that I over did it sprinting. I kind of thought I might have been over-supinating during the runs but perhaps the lack of feedback was such that I didn’t give it a second thought. Not sure if I'll be up to racing Thursday or not. Sunday it was pretty sore, enough that I was limping the first few steps. After walking a bit though it eases up and feels better. But first thing in the morning, or that first few steps after sitting on the couch for a couple hours, and I'm doing some limping. Doing better today, I can walk just fine, but I still feel the soreness. This might be my first race ever I might have to DNE. Which sucks cause I even paid a friends way in to run with. And finishers get a bottle of wine! Well maybe I can walk it, or if I am actually feeling back to normal miraculously, maybe I'll jog it. But I doubt I'll be trying to beat a 7mm pace like I wanted to! I just hope I didn’t damage anything seriously.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Ice it around the clock...no, not non-stop, but as much as you should. And rest! Sounds like it could be a tendon. Let's hope it's not a stress fracture. Good luck to you, Tristan. I hope you are better tomorrow.

 

[NickW]

Good luck Tristan. I hope after a couple days of rest you start feeling better.

 

[Tristan]

Ice it around the clock...no, not non-stop, but as much as you should. And rest! Sounds like it could be a tendon. Let's hope it's not a stress fracture. Good luck to you, Tristan. I hope you are better tomorrow.

Probably should have iced it over the weekend. Why can't I remember the simple things? lol.

 

[Abide]

Where does it hurt exactly in a general area or can you find a real specific area?

 

[Tristan]

Where does it hurt exactly in a general area or can you find a real specific area?

I just grabbed a pic I had from something else to point out where abouts the pain is...

It stretches from the first bony joint back from the little toe and ends around the soft part ahead of the heel. Its hard to tell if its on top or underneath really, sometimes it almost feels like its in the middle - like between the two metatarsals, but honestly I am bad at figuring out questions like this! I try pushing and prodding and I can't find any specific spot, no sharp pains or anything. I feel it most just walking, or if I 'push off' on the forefoot slightly to the outside.

Bare Lee - I had a little TOFP when I was starting out. This feels completely different compared to what I thought was TOFP then, and much more to the side. Not sure if there are different kinds of TOFP though. Calves, yes that is probably the most common issue I have nearly all the time. They get pretty tight after the big long runs or the speed workouts, and I roll them and message them frequently. That could be indication of something, but I figured it was mostly since I have really small calves and up until last year I never used them much - I mean I was pretty hard core heel striker. The other frequent issues I have is under the arch of my foot will cramp up sometimes, and messaging the calves does help that to. But this is a brand new thing that has pretty much taken me out of commission, at least since Friday. I got a sneaking suspicion that I was just pounding the edges too hard with the VFFs. But tonight is definitely feeling better, so I got my hopes up this will pass. And if I get really lucky and think I can at least jog in the race, the latest weather forecast indicates I'll be now into my barefoot temps... though just barely. Oh and thanks about the experienced runner part though but most of my experience has been in how not to run . When it comes to bfr, I'm barely an intermediate I suppose.

 

[Sid]

Hope you heal up quick!

 

[kozz]

I do a lot of speed work and my 5th mets are always sore afterwards. It's not a big deal once you're adapted to it.

Too bad about the race, but it's just a turkey trot.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

Speedy recovery Tristan. I have trouble in that area once in a while. I don't do anything special, the ache just seems to fade, but I do take it very easy on the running if I have soreness there. See how the next few days go, I bet you will be able to do the race, just turkey trot it and enjoy some of the tail feathers in the back of the pack.

 

[scedastic]

tendon? like peroneal?
either way, give it a few days, I say.

 

[Abide]

I do a lot of speed work and my 5th mets are always sore afterwards. It's not a big deal once you're adapted to it.

Too bad about the race, but it's just a turkey trot.

Yeah same here kozz.

It's likely just a tendon strain and not a stress fracture Tristan.

 

[Tristan]

I do a lot of speed work and my 5th mets are always sore afterwards. It's not a big deal once you're adapted to it...

Speedy recovery Tristan. I have trouble in that area once in a while. I don't do anything special, the ache just seems to fade, but I do take it very easy on the running if I have soreness there...

Yeah same here kozz.
It's likely just a tendon strain and not a stress fracture Tristan.

Yeah I may have overreacted, perhaps its just soreness and no real damage, just need to give it a little time off. Its normally my forefoots that take a beating, so this was different and had me worried.

Unfortunately I didnt get much recovery rest last night... went to bed a little late (12:30ish) and then got a call at 2AM that I had to come into work. Had trouble getting back to sleep of course, but maybe an hour more by the time I had to get up at 4. Yesterday I had a little under 4hrs too. I'm dragging, and I'm sure its not helping my recovery.

Bare Lee - I misread your post, thought you were talking about calves when you were saying shins. Not sure if its related to this issue but I must admit I pretty much neglect my shins so its worth a shot. I wouldnt say it goes away though, it just is the most tender after a long period of not using it.

And I paid attention this morning when I first got up and it was a little more sore - I'd say the pain as slightly greater around the bony part of the 5th metatarsal right at the end near the soft part of the side of the foot - like in my picture above it would be the lowest part of the green circle, if that means anything.

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

You stand correct when you put the blame on the VFF's. Been there. Running mostly barefoot for awhile then resorting back to footwear will confuse the feet back to its unnatural state. Especially doing speed work, you shocked and put stress on the feet which they are not used to. I'm sure it's just a tendon strain which can last awhile. See how feel on race day and rest up.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

I was thinking the same as Gentile. I ran this morning in shoes (my first in 9 months not counting sandals), just 3 miles and easy pace. Ended up with sore ankles and arches. Why does it have to be so hard going back?

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

Why does it have to be so hard going back?

I know! So far I am still going strong with barefoot in the cold weather but sooner or later I will have to resort to footwear, it's horrible. Takes me awhile to adjust with something on my feet.

 

[rickwhitelaw]

I know! So far I am still going strong with barefoot in the cold weather but sooner or later I will have to resort to footwear, it's horrible. Takes me awhile to adjust with something on my feet.

At least we are not alone. Sounds like the Canadian guys have been adjusting to their shoes also.

 

[dutchie53]

At least we are not alone. Sounds like the Canadian guys have been adjusting to their shoes also.

Yup we are, and I for one find it difficult to make the transition back into the min shoes. Been a week or so and still not feeling it. This week has been mild enough for barefeet again but by the end of the week it should be cold enough to go back into shoes. To stay on topic though, earlier this year while training for a half I went fo my long run wearing vff's. By the time I go to the 6th mile my feet were not happy and starting to hurt. Wound up taking them off and doing the last 5 barefoot after which my feet felt fine. Can't explain it either because the fall before I had no issues running in them.

 

[NickW]

I see a lot of you complaining about the shoes, for me there is one thing I've just recently found with shoes (which I am just yesterday coming to a realization on), IF they fit you just right you will be able to run in them with no problems. If your having problems adjusting and the shoe is causing you pain, IT IS NOT THE RIGHT SHOE FOR YOU. Hard thing is finding a shoe that fits just right. I've tried to make a lot of minshoes work for me, turns out though, I already have a pair of shoes that work for me, so what if they don't meet all my minshoe requirements? I've come to the decision of why fight what my feet seem to like just because the shoe is not zero drop... Almost every shoe I try seems to hurt my feet, but the one shoe that doesn't I didn't want to wear because I don't consider it a minshoe even though the shoe industry does (NB MR1400). It's not like I wear the shoes everyday or for every run (they are a when I need it shoe, a tool if you will). I most recently tried the Skora Base in my attempt to find a pair of minshoes that fit right, which after a mile or two seem to make my arch slightly unhappy and my feet feel beat up afterwards (weird because barefoot doesn't make my feet feel beat up like this) and my right ankle starts hurting. Obviously, not the right shoe for me right? Then why did I keep trying to run in them? Because I wanted to make them work for me because of their meeting of my data requirements. I am taking them back this weekend and just going to get a second set of the NB MR 1400, that way when my old ones wear out I have a second pair. My feet and body like 'em, so why should I fight that?

 

[Barefoot Gentile]

It's not complaining, it just sucks running in shoes. I think it's hard for me to put into words how better off I feel running barefoot. I don't have to run barefoot, I ran for 18 years in the biggest foam boats you can buy (Asic Kayanos) and never got injured, or suffered injuries. I have some awesome minimal footwear that fit me perfectly, Luna's, vibrams, and a pair of softstar shoes, but nothing beats the simplicity and comfort running bare. I would be a 100% barefoot running purist IF I didn't live in the east coast. Why do you think Ken Bob moved to Cali?

I play basketball as well, and play in basketball shoes with zero problems. I think the point we are making is of course we can run in footwear, but it's a bummer when we need to.

 

[NickW]

It's not complaining, it just sucks running in shoes. I think it's hard for me to put into words how better off I feel running barefoot. I don't have to run barefoot, I ran for 18 years in the biggest foam boats you can buy (Asic Kayanos) and never got injured, or suffered injuries. I have some awesome minimal footwear that fit me perfectly, Luna's, vibrams, and a pair of softstar shoes, but nothing beats the simplicity and comfort running bare. I would be a 100% barefoot running purist IF I didn't live in the east coast. Why do you think Ken Bob moved to Cali?

I play basketball as well, and play in basketball shoes with zero problems. I think the point we are making is of course we can run in footwear, but it's a bummer when we need to.

I understand exactly what your saying Gentile, but quite a few of the others are complaining about how the shoes hurt them. If the shoe hurts, it's not the right shoe. I prefer to be barefoot too Gentile, but there are places I like to run that I cannot enjoy barefoot because it is too painful for me. I do understand exactly about how running barefoot feels so much better (just for me it feels better until the surface is too rough or the ground is too cold).