Way to injure myself a week before the race!

[Saylan]

I don't know why this happened but I managed to injure my foot a week before I leave for the Princess Half!

I did my last long run, 12 miles, yesterday. I wore the shoes I always run in that have about 160 miles on them. I checked and they weren't sitting any differently but they pushed on or rubbed against something on the out side of my right foot, just below where the ankle bone sticks out.

It feels like a bruise, but with no visible signs of bruising, and it HURTS! I thought rst and staying off it last night would help but it is no better this morning. I can't walk on it and have resorted to limping my way around.

I'm trying to get in to see a doctor but so far everywhere is unable to take me for the next few days. I'm really freaking out that I've taken myself out of the race before it even starts and done something that will prevent me from enjoying my week-long stay at Disney.

I'm just at a loss as to what's wrong and what happened.

 

[joan4mickey]

Oh my
I hope you get to see a DR or a fast recovery.
I right there with you..no injury but very ill DR doesn't really want me to run the half

 

[Rose&Mike]

That stinks! I'm fighting a nasty plantar flare up right now, so I feel your pain. It's killing me to not get my last training runs in, but I know it's the right thing to do. Hope you get in to see someone soon.

 

[FireDancer]

Are you icing the foot? I prefer submerging it in ice water than just sitting ice on it (20 minutes at a time).

 

[Disney G Dog]

Most of the time, sports med or ortho clinics can get you in. I live near Indianapolis and Methodist Hospital Sports Med has always got me in the day I show up. I agree with the previous post...submerge it in ice water rather than an ice pack.

 

[Saylan]

Thanks for all the support and encouragement! I hope everyone gets better soon too. It sucks being so close.

Are you icing the foot? I prefer submerging it in ice water than just sitting ice on it (20 minutes at a time).

I'm not yet but I will once I get home from work.

I did manage to get into a health clinic with someone who seemed to know to look at this as a 'runner's injury' versus a running injury.

She isn't sure what's wrong, but she's guessing a possible hairline fracture. She is sending me for xrays at a place that will call immediately to avoid a long wait. She knows my race is in a week and wants to determine what's wrong.

I'm not sure I think it's a fracture so much as a bruised bone so I am going to take it easy and use the ice bucket method to see if that helps. It's more the pressure of something touching my ankle (like the lip of a shoe) versus weight-bearing.

I'm trying to remain hopeful that I'm not out of the race at this point.

 

[Saylan]

Oddly, I noticed when I first got home that once my shoes were off, walking was fine. No limp, a little discomfort, but nothing too bad.

I followed FireDancer's advice and did the ice bucket (well refridgerated water with ice in it, lots of ice) as well as before bed I did a cold pack from the freezer for another 20. It took me a few tries to get my foot in the bucket and keep it there. Holy cow does ice water hurt!

After the ice bucket, my ankle had the feeling of needing to pop (it's the thing that pops that has been hurting) but it hurts to rotate it too much so I didn't risk trying to pop it.

I had the xrays done and hopefully they can get a quick response to my doctor. The technician said she didn't see anything glaringly obvious, but I'll wait for the word from my doctor.

 

[saysay]

Yeah, after I hurt my foot and did an ice bath after the next and my last long run...I WAS CRYING. WOAH it hurt. So sorry you are dealing with this so close to the race.

Hoping you are feeling better today. REST UP. 3 days off the foot before you try anything else. Keep us posted.

 

[jmasgat]

Sending your way that your injury is not too severe and that you can make something work out for Princess.

Maura

 

[es45]

How's the pain today? Hoping this won't interfere with your race plans.

 

[slp1650]

While ice baths should definitely have a temperature shock... they shouldn't hurt. I think they're supposed to be around 55*, but I could be wrong, just something to look up and think about. If it's hurting just stepping in then you get used to it, that's normal. When I swam for the college we had a kiddie pool and trash bins as ice baths at our championship...

Hope you're foot gets better soon!

 

[Saylan]

Hi Everyone. Thanks so much for your continued encouragement.

Saysay (love the name!): I was definitely crying too. I've been taking pretty much the week to rest it. I know I can do the distance so there's no reason to risk hurting it more.

Elizabeth: It's feeling better. I haven't put my running shoes back on though. They are the cause for sure of the pain.

Slp: I'm not sure what the temperature was. There was a shock but also pain. The whole foot was cold but the part that hurt felt like it had a fever while it was in the ice bucket (but not before). I put an ice pack on after and it hurt even more so I'm not sure but maybe I just have a low treshold for pain. It was hurting so much my leg was spasming.

So I got my xray results back, sort of. I have talked to the info nurse who got the results, the doctor who sent me to get the xray, and my physio therapist so far. The nurse says there's no fracture and no bone damage. The doctor says she thinks it is a stress fracture and just isn't showing up yet. My physio said there's no way it's a fracture. He tested my foot and found it's a 'contact injury'.

He's referred me to a pedorthist at the same sports medicine clinic he works at. I see the pedorthist Wednesday morning. Ideally he'll be able to help me both with this issue (why my shoes are doing this) as well as figuring out why I slide in my shoe.

My physio also gave me some '2nd skin' things to put on my ankle. The pain is directly related to my shoe having contact with the side of my foot so this may help until it gets better. I'm to rest it a week and then try the second skin. He also said the ice was a good idea (he iced it there as well as electro therapied it) but said max 15 minutes and maybe not a whole submersion technique. He was willing to admit that my doing that so soon after theinjury probably jump started it healing, though. Thanks for the great advice guys.

I don't know yet if I'll be in any shape to compete yet, but I'm still hopeful! I don't want to throw in the towel yet.

 

[slp1650]

Slp: I'm not sure what the temperature was. There was a shock but also pain. The whole foot was cold but the part that hurt felt like it had a fever while it was in the ice bucket (but not before). I put an ice pack on after and it hurt even more so I'm not sure but maybe I just have a low treshold for pain. It was hurting so much my leg was spasming.

So I got my xray results back, sort of. I have talked to the info nurse who got the results, the doctor who sent me to get the xray, and my physio therapist so far. The nurse says there's no fracture and no bone damage. The doctor says she thinks it is a stress fracture and just isn't showing up yet. My physio said there's no way it's a fracture. He tested my foot and found it's a 'contact injury'.

He's referred me to a pedorthist at the same sports medicine clinic he works at. I see the pedorthist Wednesday morning. Ideally he'll be able to help me both with this issue (why my shoes are doing this) as well as figuring out why I slide in my shoe.

My physio also gave me some '2nd skin' things to put on my ankle. The pain is directly related to my shoe having contact with the side of my foot so this may help until it gets better. I'm to rest it a week and then try the second skin. He also said the ice was a good idea (he iced it there as well as electro therapied it) but said max 15 minutes and maybe not a whole submersion technique. He was willing to admit that my doing that so soon after theinjury probably jump started it healing, though. Thanks for the great advice guys.

I don't know yet if I'll be in any shape to compete yet, but I'm still hopeful! I don't want to throw in the towel yet.

I would try looking at the temperature then... Considering ice baths are supposed to help, yes they're cold and somewhat uncomfortable while you're sitting there, but they're still not supposed to hurt. I would try warming it up just a tad to see if that helps, or asking the pedo about what to do with it.

I understand the frustration with injuries and not knowing what they are. A few weeks out from the Disneyland Half Marathon I was run off the road by an a**hole driving his fancy yellow porche. Well, I twisted my ankle and busted up my knee. I still finished my run (6-8) miles cause it didn't actually hurt that bad. Plus one of my good friends is a rescue EMT and I just called him to help me when the race was over. Well, when I got back into training for the half, my ankle started hurting so bad that I could barely run. At first my physical therapist thought it was my shoes (I have the easytones) and that they were making my foot too unsteady. A month later we realized it had twisted more than I thought when I was run off the road. It then healed wrong and that's what was causing everything. We ultra sounded the area and have been working with it since then. Even now, almost 4 months later it still bothers me on runs, but I'm able to work through it.

Eventually you WILL find out what's wrong... Even if they say you can't run, maybe you could walk the half? I'm not sure how bad it still is, but maybe just getting part of the race in might still give you some of the experience of doing it.

Either way, I hope you feel better! Unfortunately, injuries are a way of life for an athlete and it's all about taking the time to get over them...

 

[saysay]

I agree with slp, even if worst case you just go to the race and do what you can which means possibly not finishing is better than nothing. It took me a few days to reach this conclusion with my foot, but I did and now I am feeling like I can go the distance and get the medal even if I have to walk the whole way.

Hopefully worst case won't be the way it is, but sometimes for me to think through ALL The scenarios it makes things easy to accept no matter what the outcome and ususally worst case is NOT they result, so I end up more excited.

Oh and my name is my DD's baby nick name.

Let us know how things are looking for you!

 

[cloudnut220]

I injured myself right before the WDW half, and with rest, ice, and massage, I still made it through the race. I'm sending good thoughts your way!