So what did I ignore?
Rule 1: New shoes need to be broken in. I have to admit, I was so excited about my new Vibrams (like a kid on Christmas), I went nuts and went for a long run in them the first try out. Never mind the great advice the staff gave me upon buying my first pair to go easy on them until my feet were used to them. I owned a pair already...what's to get used to? Um, A LOT. See, this pair has different soles, and a different covering. I first paid with some blisters (not unusual for a run), but then I made my muscles weak by pushing myself so hard. So when I went to treat my blisters that night, and pointed my toe a little TOO far to the side, I strained it.
Rule 2: Don't increase your mileage too quickly. Sure, I know the 10% a week rule. And I've been doing about 3.1 miles a week the past few for my longest run. But did I do the math right when I set my GPS? No. I thought my three 1 mile intervals, plus walking between, wouldn't add that much. I ended up doing about 3.8 miles. OOPS. That's 20% more, actually, more than 20% more. Which is why my muscles fatigued.
Rule 3: Always ice an injury as soon as possible. So, when I felt the twinge in my arch, did I do anything? No. Wrong, wrong, wrong. Should have iced it immediately.
Rule 4: Don't rush into activity too quickly after injury. When I woke up Sunday morning, I didn't feel any pain in my foot. I assumed everything was fine. I should have listened to the voice in my head that didn't feel like going to yoga. It was some wicked foreshadowing. Because all the toe pointing in yoga is what really messed up the foot, I think. Which is a great reminder...being stubborn and rushing back too quickly sets you back more in the long run.
Rule 5: Be patient. So here I am today. I have already decided (in consultation with my massage therapist, also a runner), I'm off running at least a week. In fact, I may not run again until the Rodeo 10k in about 20 days if I feel I need to hold off. And I'm okay with that. I've run 10ks before without training. I'd rather take this break than have to take one several months long like last year. I'm wearing my arch inserts in low heel shoes. I'm wearing the Strassberg sock at night to release pressure. The good news is that this little strain feels like nothing compared to the plantar faciitis pain I've felt in the past.
Rule 6: All is not lost. I can still cross train, so that's lots of walks, cycling and arm weights. I'm not letting this get in the way. Everything happens for a reason. To be honest, my next few weekends are quite packed, and I wasn't sure how I'd get those long runs in anyway. This relieves me of the guilt of not doing them in the name of recovery. And I can focus on getting baby biceps back.
Rule 7: Don't stop learning. Not only am I putting my lessons into place from treating the PF last year to mitigate this pain, I'm learning what else I should do as I ease back in to avoid this happening again. As long as we keep learning, that's what matters most.
It's all about keeping the bigger picture and greater goal in perspective.
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