First run in three weeks

I am off the running circuit for about 3 weeks now.  I must admit it has been difficult, but I got to get my heel healed of PF such that I can be comfortably be on my heel again.

One good thing with the 3 week forced sabbatical is that it gave me an opportunity to 'sharpen' my swimming skills.  I kind of knew the basics but also knew that I wasn't doing them right.  But, with the help of Naren and countless other youtube teachers, I am kind of better at swimming now.

I am here in London for business and have been walking by Thames to work everyday.  This place is buzzing with tourists, runners and walkers of all kinds.

It was interesting to see so many folks running to work.  These guys and girls ran with a backpack on their back and in many case at a good clip.  Seeing them, running bug bit me..

Though, my self imposed exile was till Sep 15, I couldn't resist running by Thames and experimented with a short run between Lambeth and Tower bridge, which I guess would be around 10k max.

The good thing was there were so many people, we couldn't run fast even if we wanted and I for one didn't want to..

The bad thing was that there were so many people, we couldn't keep our rhythm even for a short while.

Now, How is my heal?
I started well felt good, but past the halfway mark, I felt something different with my left leg.  I was unconsciously landing cautiously and could sense it after a while.

On the whole, I think it is getting better but not out of the woods yet.  I have signed for a 10k run in a local park here and that would be another opportunity to study my heel..

But, I must say this.. this Plantar Fasciitis (PF) is one tough monkey to shake off my back.

More London pictures in this album

Heal the Heel - #2

Heal the heel # 2

Since my last post on this topic, I have been taking 'extra' care with my heel.  But the heel problem is still nagging me.  Ashwin Prabhu was right on the money when warned me after Dubai Marathon early this year.  He prophesied 'anything below ankle takes time to heal' and he is right.. It is taking a longggg time to heal.  The reason is quite simple, we can't stay off our feet and tend to disturb the already inflamed muscle by simply moving around or running.

As suggested by my Physio Vidhya, I got gel heel inserts from a Reliance footprints store in Chennai.  There was no choice and got the last pair of the Dr. Scholl's inserts available.  It was not in great condition but that was the start.  Since then, I have tried few other heel inserts but have finally settled on Dr. Scholls heel cups.  I used them in my Comrades run early this month.  They did provide appreciable relief and kept the heel pain at bay for a while. But, over a long run, heel pain reared its ugly head back up.

Heel cups are clearly not the cure for the heel problems, they at best help you 'manage' the issue.  Then, how do we 'cure' the heel?  According to my Physio, the best and perhaps the only medication is rest, icing and taping.  After that, find the root cause and fix that before starting to hit the asphalt again.

So, I have pretty much not run since Comrades and ice my heel twice a day. (recommendation is to do 6 times.. ).  Also, physio tapes my heel daily to provide some 'cushion'.

This treatment is supposed to repair the fatpad and make the heel pain go away.  But, my physio feels the heel pain I got is only a symptom and the actual cause may be with my running gait.  He feels, something happened up above (legs) to change my gait which is causing the heel pain.

So, even after the heel repair, if I don't fix my gait the problem could reappear.  Now, How does he know the problem is with my gait?  That story in a future post....