TOFP- how long till I can run again?

yallayalla

Barefooters
Apr 14, 2011
31
6
8
Its been almost three weeks. I have pain on top of the left foot somewhat near the ankle. (def on the TOF) Yeah, too much too soon, but regardless, I've finally woken up and realized what a joy BF running is, and I'm on the sideline. It doesn't hurt all the time, but when I've tested it, I feel a twinge of pain. Not too bad tho. I've been wrapping it, icing it, ibuproffin. Please tell me I'll be back on the road soon!



Thanks
 
Yalla, how exactly did you do

Yalla, how exactly did you do TMTS? Were you barefoot? Were you wearing footwear? Were you running too far or too fast for your barefoot or minimal experience level?

Welcome!
 
completely barefoot, slow

completely barefoot, slow progression from 200m moving up to 2 miles. My pace was much quicker than usual the day it began hurting.



I'm wondering if I should see a doc, or just wait longer. Any tips besides RICE?
 
Is the pain on the outside

Is the pain on the outside part of the ankle or the inside? I got some serious pain on the outside of my ankle... turns out it was posterior tibial tendonitis. I took a short break and lessened my distance until my foot could get stronger through BF running. No more pain!!
 
Yallayalla, You need to

Yallayalla,



You need to look at your foot and then learn to converse with your body. Is it swollen and painful to walk on or put any pressure on? If not it could be a muscle tear or inflamed tendon and not a broken bone. If it doesn't feel broken then save your money and rest.

Work slower than before. If you don't give your body enough rest it will force you to rest by injury or illness.



Mike
 
I think that TMTS is typical

I think that TMTS is typical for TOFP, but I also believe that some of us experience a natural change that takes place in the foot; the foot is shifting and settling. I mean if we think about this, how is it not possible? We hear of people all the time saying that their feet have widened, that the tops of their feet have raised, that their arches are higher now, or their arches have lowered, that they now wear a different shoe size. I think that most of the aches and pains we feel is just the natural progression of our feet reverting back to the way they were intended. It's going to hurt for a little while. It's going to take time. Your feet are strengthening. Your feet are changing.

Do take it slow though, in both distance and speed. Some of us progress faster than others.
 
If TMTS is typical for TOPF,

If TMTS is typical for TOPF, then how can I have it suddenly in my left foot, as in last weekend during an easy 5.5 mile run on my usual course (for the past 3 months) and after running 260 miles barefoot exclusively since January? I tried to run this morning but couldn't make it past the driveway. Whatever happened, it's real pain.

Disclaimer- my left foot is weakened by 2 sprains, one which popped the talus, and bunion surgery.

I noticed some achy pain while wearing flip-flops last week but that is the only warning I had.

Also, long before I started running BF, I've been barefoot most of the day at work and generally out of work as well.

My question is, could flip-flops do this? I've always heard they're horrible for ankles and mine is pretty pissed right now.
 
I posted that to someone else

I posted that to someone else four months ago, Twink. I also didn't say TOFP was exclusive to TMTS only. I'm sure people can get TOFP for other reasons too. (That's like saying you can only break your leg doing one thing.)

I know of one doctor who thinks flip-flops are bad for us and one doctor who thinks they are good for us. The one against says walking in flip-flops can lock up the human spring, while the one who is for it says it's good for working the intrinsic muscles of the forefeet. Both arguments make sense to me.
 
I see how I generalized your

I see how I generalized your first statement without considering that this just must be another phase in the growing pains and I have to dial back.

It's just distressing to have a wonky foot again all of a sudden when I was finally running pain-free for a while. The flip-flop perspectives both make sense to me too.
 
Barefoot TJ wrote:I think

Barefoot TJ said:
I think that TMTS is typical for TOFP, but I also believe that some of us experience a natural change that takes place in the foot; the foot is shifting and settling. I mean if we think about this, how is it not possible? We hear of people all the time saying that their feet have widened, that the tops of their feet have raised, that their arches are higher now, or their arches have lowered, that they now wear a different shoe size. I think that most of the aches and pains we feel is just the natural progression of our feet reverting back to the way they were intended. It's going to hurt for a little while. It's going to take time. Your feet are strengthening. Your feet are changing.

Do take it slow though, in both distance and speed. Some of us progress faster than others.

So true. and then start running trails minimalist gear and change again. I have been barefoot and minilmalist now for three years, This year I turned up the dirt trail and never looked back and every pain I got learning barefoot came back on the trail. Ankle pains, right not I am getting a lot of TOFP and blisters.

Oh it is so worth it though
[*]Heat 20 min[*]Ice 20 Min
Do it three times (3X) a day and if you are like me, in three days you will see noticeable improvement in TOFP
 
Thanks for your input

Thanks for your input LavaRunner. It makes sense, since I was up to 9 mi BF on the trail before frozen mud set in. Then I was forced back to flatish asphalt training for the half-marathon May1, and then 10 wks ago I moved to a neighborhood where my legs and feet are having to adapt again to the new strains of steep uphill/downhill running.

I started icing it yesterday when just walking around felt pain that turns my stomach. What's odd is that it seems to shift around the foot and I can't localize it.
 

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