First post in quite awhile.

Have been dealing with Plantar Fasciitis for a couple months.  Finally seem to have it under control.  Tried over-the-counter inserts, ibuprofin, foot mesages, etc. without acceptable results. Wound up mentioning problem to my Chiropractor and ended up ordering $400 orthodics from him. They took a magnetic resonance image of the bottom of my feet to design the inserts.  It took probably close to a month to get used to them but what a difference they have made. Though I still feel a little arch pain in the mornings when I get up it has become a non-factor in my running.  The orthodics have basically changed the pressure points on my feet.  Marie this might be something for you to look into.

My monday night trail run group has started up again. It is a real motivator to run with others and have a set time on your calender.

Good luck to all in your races this weekend.

-Bill

Suzee- You will do fine on your run. I have pretty much been using the treadmill exclusively all winter as well. My club runs started a few weeks ago and the transition to outside was smooth.  I'm sure all your treadmill work has created a good base for you. As far as the rain once you get into your run you will forget about it.  The running hat and jacket will serve you well. I'm sure your orthodics will be fine as well. Just give them some adjustment time.

-Bill

Sue! Good luck on your first group run tomorrow!!! As for running in the rain..it is not that bad. As long as you have a hat on to keep it from pelting your face while you are running...it is quite refreshing!

With the hat on you barely notice it is raining. Now if it starts thundering and lightening, that is a whole different ballgame! Run...fast...to...shelter...or ....the....car!

I guess I missed where you got orthodics. What was the problem.

Billr! Good to see you back and that you are running again. Hopefully the PF will be controllable.

Marie! So glad to see that you are back also! Even though they were small runs...they are still runs! When you have an injury, even a 1 mile run is a milestone! Happy that you have a PT that is a runner and will

understand better what you need as far as therapy goes.

Debra! So sorry about the pain in your hip! When I was training for my Marathon, I always had a bad pain in my left hip (butt cheek to be exact) that would ache for several days after my run. It usually occured

after running longer miles and up hills. Funny thing though, it never hurt me during or after my Marathon! You are 3 weeks out from your HM right? You have put in your training and you are not going to get

any better in the next 3 weeks. The main thing now is to get to the start line as healthy as possible and with as few pains as possible. I know during my Marathon training everyone kept telling me in those last 3 weeks

my motto should be...do no harm! That is what you should strive for also...do no harm or futher damage to your hip! I am excited for you!!!

I have not run at all in almost 2 weeks! It has been 6 weeks or so since my Marathon and I have run about 7 or 8 times total due to injuries. I am going to run in the Color Dash 5k tomorrow! I just got an email that said they had

capped the run at 500 entrants! Wow! That is alot of runners for a small town 5K! I am not going to be running for a PR for sure and I will not cause anymore damage to my foot and toe. I will walk if I need to and pull out all together if i

gets to painful. I am not supposed to run at all until after I go back to my Dr. on Tues., but I had already paid my entry fee and my friend was counting on me running it with her. I will only be 2 days shy of my appointment. My foot is not

any better anyway so I do not see that it will cause any more problems then I already have.

Hopefully, my Dr. (who is running Boston on Monday before I see him on Tues) will set an appointment to do Cryogenic Ablation to the nerve in my 4th toe and put and end to this once and for all and I can get on

with my running!

Bill, glad to hear you are back and healthy! Sue, good luck with your training runs! I remember being in your shoes. It was 17 degrees and dark but not nearly as far a drive. If you want this badly, it's all worth the effort.

First, let me say Good Luck to all of you running a race this weekend!  Show 'em what us old folk can do!

Suzeecat: be careful running in those thunderstorms!  You want to have lots of energy when you run but not a million volts of DC energy from a lightning strike!  By the way, we have had a heck of a wet rainy winter and spring here.  I bought a light running jacket on Amazon.com (Brooks brand) and could not be happier with it!  Very water repellent but breathes so you do not get soaked with sweat or overheated.

All: I have been complaining about the hip pain over the past while.  On Tuesday it was back again and I was mentioning it to a friend who is a non-runner.  He told me he kept experiencing hip pain in exactly the same place as mine and it just would not go away.  That is, until his doctor diagnosed him with "wallet neuropathy" (also known as Wallet sciatica, hip-pocket syndrome, wallet neuritis,  or fat wallet syndrome) from always keeping a fat wallet in his hip pocket.  Sure enough, my pain is exactly where my wallet is!  I took the wallet out and started carrying it in my jacket pocket.  The next day, my hip pain was gone.  I have run 3 miles now three times since, and am pain free!  Hopefully that was the real cause.  I don't know where I will carry my wallet when (if) the weather warms up enough where I don't need a jacket, but I will deal with that when the time comes.  Just something else you might consider if you are experiencing leg, hip or lower pack pain.

Mary Kay- Thanks for the great article on pain. I think we all can identify with that.

Kathy: Good luck with your toe situation. Take it easy in the 5k

Debra: Good luck with your hip. Hopefully it is nothing serious than a strain and will get better soon.

Chip- I like the John Bingham quote. I  am always trying to stop carrying my wallet in my hip pocket but I still keep doing it.

Thank you all for your kind words of support while I was battling PF. You are a great group.

-Bill

Hi All

I have been lying low for the past month, because I too have had aches and pains. After the St Patricks Day run, I rested for almost a week, then headed out and decided I needed more rest after a achey 1.25 miles. So I rested a few more days and gave it another try. This time I was good for a little over 2 miles, but still had aches in my hips. The next day I found a pair of short tights. As I had been using full length tights an felt they were benificial, I thought I would give these a try to see if they gave enough thigh support to be good for the warmer weather. Well those old shorts from my bicycle days of 12 years ago were pretty tight -  I weigh the same, but have become more compact around the middle  : (

After not more than a good city block there were stabbing pains in my glutes and down the back of my leg. I am sure this was brought on by those very tight tights. Another couple days rest did no good, so I headed off to my friendly physical therapist. After pulling and rotating my leg and checking this and that, she asked if I ever had any back pain. Well, yes, I frequently have a back ache right here (pointing to the muscle just behind my waist line.) Ah ha, She then proceeded to pull on a belt around my middle to pull on my spine. The continuous dull aches in the hip and thigh bones left. The sciatic nerve is being pinched. It is not considered too serious at the present, but I need to do certain stretches. She cleared me to do a little 1 mile event this week to see how things go.

The event is put on by our local YWCA to call attention to this week being Rape Crisis Awareness Week. Their race is called "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes". They enlist the mayor and police chief and a few other local San Jose dignataries to put on pumps and run or walk as well as they can on a mile route around down town. As women are allowed to participate also, I am a part of a team called "Women in Sensible Shoes". The YW will use any proceeds for their Rape Crisis programs - both one-on-one assistance to rape victems and programs they have for prevention. I have garnered $250.00 for our team in just this weekend.

If I can manage a relaxed one mile, then I will attempt a 4 mile Saratoga to Los Gatos 4 mile run/walk. 

Mary Kay:  Your link to the Pain essay was right on. Sometimes (most times) it's hard to tell if the pain is real and may cause damage if not treated. That's why it took me a whole month to decide to see my PT. She says it's real. But temporary if I follow her plan.

Message was edited by: Phyllis Karsten

Thumbs up to all runners in Boston today!

My daily 30 minute walks continue.  I so look forward to my lunch hour to get some exercise & somewhat clear my mind. It is amazing how much better I feel in the afternoon.  This past Saturday (I put it off long enough) I lifted weights, used the rowing machine & ab dollie.  Ended with the treadmill (2 1/2 miles) I felt like I could conquer anything....then Sunday arrived...  Even though I was sore; decided to go for a run.  Well I ended up doing more walking then running.  What I noticed the most was my calves; oh my; really "hurt"  It was strange; they just felt like they needed S-T-R-E-T-C-H-E-D alot & then some!

PHYLLIS  What a great idea to raise awareness & funds!  None of us understand what a person is battling until "we've walked in their shoes"; that is for sure.  Here's to you for a good healthy walk!  P.S. I am wearing sensible shoes more & more these days !