So finally after about 4 months of pain I've had to bite the bullet and visit the doctors this evening.
I'd built up to running about 25 miles per week over last year and last winter (in zero drop minimal shoes - Brooks Puredrift, VFFs and Lunas), and ran a 14 mile mountain race in January, and a half marathon in March. I was enjoying running more and more so started building up the mileage in bigger steps than is recommended. Around the half marathon in March I noticed I had quite a quite a lot of pain in the bottom of both feet which was worst in the mornings, but usually improved later in the day.
Like an idiot I just tried to push on through the pain, and hoped it would go away. It got to a point where after running 13 miles and 11 miles on consecutive days, that I could barely walk for several days - limping around my office and downing piles of ibuprofen. At first I tried to manage it by reducing the mileage a little, buying some £140 cushioned running shoes (yeah - I know) and some orthotic insoles for my office shoes. My right foot actually healed on it's own, but the left has stubbornly refused, giving a lot of pain the morning/day after any run. Wearing the orthotics at home or around the office actually hurt more than not wearing them - so I ditched those pretty quick.
I took 2 weeks off running and then ran several times on holiday (Volcanoes in the Canary Islands - I couldn't NOT run there) in Brooks Cascadia 6, back came the pain with a vengeance. I had a ticket to the Barefoot Connections conference last month in Surrey (UK) where Barefoot Ted was speaking and coaching, I decided not to go when I woke up that morning and could barely stand or walk, let alone run the planned 10km trail race with Ted - I was pretty upset as you can imagine!
So for the last 3 weeks I've only been doing two or three 1-2mile runs per week, and only in bare feet or Luna's. The pain has receded a little but is still there nagging in the background, other than stopping running entirely there wasn't much left to try.
So I called the doctors this morning, and went in for an appointment after work. I realised within a couple of minutes conversation that the doctor is a traditional "get gait analysis, £200 orthotics, £150 shoes kind of guy"; so I told him I'd already had gait analysis twice, first time got pronation correction shoes which ended up hurting my knees badly, second time I got neutral shoes which were a bit better, and I told him I seemed to do better with less padding/drop/support rather than more. I decided to stop short of mentioning barefoot as he seemed to be set in his opinion, he even took a glance at my bare foot and said "oh yes you have very flat feet" (I don't at all).
Anyhow, he prescribed me 2 weeks of anti-inflammatory pills (naproxen) and then wrote me out a prescription for a depo-medrone (corticosteroid) shot. Which was what I was after to clear the pain up. He's also referred me to a podiatrist to have custom othotics made (I'm not planning to follow that up).
I left his office, took off my running shoes and slowly jogged 1.5km home in bare feet - no pain (yet) and felt great.
So the plan is, to take the next 2 weeks off running (that's not going to be fun - he said I'm fine to cycle or swim though) and let the naproxen do its job, then go back for the steroid shot in my heel. Once the pain is 100% gone, I plan to resume the barefoot running - gradually easing back into it at first and making damn sure there's no pain after each run. And slowly build back up the distance, without pushing it too far too quickly again. I was entered for a 15mile mountain race on this coming Saturday which I've cancelled and moved my entry to next year. I have entries for two half marathons in September and October, but I'm not going to risk them if I have any doubt at all that my feet are OK. Realistically I don't think I'll be ready for them, certainly not the one in September.
I'll update regularly with any progress/news. Hopefully the plan will work, any thoughts?
I've been trying to go barefoot everywhere at home, and wear zero drop Vivobarefoot formal shoes in the office, and Luna's everywhere else. Should I wear something supportive and/or with raised heel just while my foot heals, or keep wearing the zero drops and keep the tendons stretched and try to build strength in my feet?
I'd built up to running about 25 miles per week over last year and last winter (in zero drop minimal shoes - Brooks Puredrift, VFFs and Lunas), and ran a 14 mile mountain race in January, and a half marathon in March. I was enjoying running more and more so started building up the mileage in bigger steps than is recommended. Around the half marathon in March I noticed I had quite a quite a lot of pain in the bottom of both feet which was worst in the mornings, but usually improved later in the day.
Like an idiot I just tried to push on through the pain, and hoped it would go away. It got to a point where after running 13 miles and 11 miles on consecutive days, that I could barely walk for several days - limping around my office and downing piles of ibuprofen. At first I tried to manage it by reducing the mileage a little, buying some £140 cushioned running shoes (yeah - I know) and some orthotic insoles for my office shoes. My right foot actually healed on it's own, but the left has stubbornly refused, giving a lot of pain the morning/day after any run. Wearing the orthotics at home or around the office actually hurt more than not wearing them - so I ditched those pretty quick.
I took 2 weeks off running and then ran several times on holiday (Volcanoes in the Canary Islands - I couldn't NOT run there) in Brooks Cascadia 6, back came the pain with a vengeance. I had a ticket to the Barefoot Connections conference last month in Surrey (UK) where Barefoot Ted was speaking and coaching, I decided not to go when I woke up that morning and could barely stand or walk, let alone run the planned 10km trail race with Ted - I was pretty upset as you can imagine!
So for the last 3 weeks I've only been doing two or three 1-2mile runs per week, and only in bare feet or Luna's. The pain has receded a little but is still there nagging in the background, other than stopping running entirely there wasn't much left to try.
So I called the doctors this morning, and went in for an appointment after work. I realised within a couple of minutes conversation that the doctor is a traditional "get gait analysis, £200 orthotics, £150 shoes kind of guy"; so I told him I'd already had gait analysis twice, first time got pronation correction shoes which ended up hurting my knees badly, second time I got neutral shoes which were a bit better, and I told him I seemed to do better with less padding/drop/support rather than more. I decided to stop short of mentioning barefoot as he seemed to be set in his opinion, he even took a glance at my bare foot and said "oh yes you have very flat feet" (I don't at all).
Anyhow, he prescribed me 2 weeks of anti-inflammatory pills (naproxen) and then wrote me out a prescription for a depo-medrone (corticosteroid) shot. Which was what I was after to clear the pain up. He's also referred me to a podiatrist to have custom othotics made (I'm not planning to follow that up).
I left his office, took off my running shoes and slowly jogged 1.5km home in bare feet - no pain (yet) and felt great.
So the plan is, to take the next 2 weeks off running (that's not going to be fun - he said I'm fine to cycle or swim though) and let the naproxen do its job, then go back for the steroid shot in my heel. Once the pain is 100% gone, I plan to resume the barefoot running - gradually easing back into it at first and making damn sure there's no pain after each run. And slowly build back up the distance, without pushing it too far too quickly again. I was entered for a 15mile mountain race on this coming Saturday which I've cancelled and moved my entry to next year. I have entries for two half marathons in September and October, but I'm not going to risk them if I have any doubt at all that my feet are OK. Realistically I don't think I'll be ready for them, certainly not the one in September.
I'll update regularly with any progress/news. Hopefully the plan will work, any thoughts?
I've been trying to go barefoot everywhere at home, and wear zero drop Vivobarefoot formal shoes in the office, and Luna's everywhere else. Should I wear something supportive and/or with raised heel just while my foot heals, or keep wearing the zero drops and keep the tendons stretched and try to build strength in my feet?