Lacing Up My Running Shoes Again

Here we are at the last Weekly Wrap of January and I am reporting my first run of the year. I took a month off cut way back (only running on the treadmill at Orange Theory Fitness) with the hope that my plantar fasciitis would get bored and go away. 

lacing up my running shoes again

That didn’t happen, but my test run didn’t leave me hobbling like our hike last weekend did either.

Saturday I was committed to doing a short run, and tried to pay attention to all my body parts. I felt like the sole of my right foot was working during the first 1/2 mile, but it never felt uncomfortable or painful, and soon it didn’t feel like anything was going on. I felt my left ITB for a little while, but luckily that settled down quickly. 

After I finished my run, my foot might have been a bit achy, or I might have been over-sensitive to it. I rolled it on a frozen water bottle, mostly as a precaution. I also iced it at the end of the day, again mostly as a precaution. 

When I got out of bed on Sunday, my PF did not make itself known during those first few steps–a good sign. I went to Hot Power Fusion at CorePowerYoga, where we did lots of balance poses and foot stretching, which I hope helped. I will be icing again tonight, mostly as a precaution.

All in all I think my test run went well, but now comes the hard part: ramping up s-l-o-w-l-y. I’ve already revised my plan for this week a few times, and am committing to another easy 4 mile run on Thursday–before I see a physical therapist–and, depending on how that goes, a 4 or 6 mile run on Saturday. I was going to do another 4 mile run earlier in the week, but realized that easily could be too much too soon.

My other decision is what shoes and inserts to wear. Saturday I wore my Mizuno Wave Riders with no inserts. I also have more supportive Mizuno Wave Inspires. And, I have both pink and green [amazon_textlink asin=’B0015ZES1G’ text=’Super Feet*’ template=’ProductLink’ store=’runniwithpers-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’8e5e155e-0452-11e8-b27b-3ff385fb7660′] inserts. Last year I wore Mizuno Wave Riders  with pink SuperFeet so maybe I should go back to that combination. 

*Amazon Affiliate Link

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Weekly Wrap

Monday: Strength workout at home with my new exercise bands.
When Lisa recommended The X Bands, I knew they would be worth a try. They are really thick, which makes them more comfortable and more durable. I decided to get the full set of “booty bands” so I can select different resistance for different exercises. 

Get your own set of The X Bands  from Amazon (<<Affiliate link)

Tuesday:  14 mile ride at CycleBar
I’ve been hitting about 12 miles in Aimee’s 45 minute class, but this week we did more speed intervals and I hit 14 miles! 

Did you see Deborah’s tips for Indoor Cycling classes?  I do try to warm up a bit before class, but maybe I should do it for more than 2.5 minutes.

Wednesday:  Orange Theory Fitness

row // weights // run

I was more cautious on the treadmill after last weekend’s PF flare up, so I spent the first segment at the high end of green instead of pushing my pace/incline to get into orange. Once I felt warmed up, I increased the incline to get my heart rate up a bit more. 

Thursday: Strength workout at home. 
Inspired by Rachel’s post, I tried toe yoga and other toe exercises she suggested. My toes will not move independently of each other! Clearly this is something else I can work on to improve my feet muscles. 

Friday: CPY2 at CorePowerYoga 
Our peak pose was crow to fallen angel. I was surprised to be able to get my forehead on the floor while still keeping my legs up on my arms. I did not straighten my legs or raise them into the air, so I think my pose was more like fallen crow. 😉 

Saturday: 4.4 mile easy run + 44 mile bike ride
Amazing weather Saturday (60F!) was going to give way to a rainy Sunday, so I doubled up my outdoor workouts. 

A rare double workout summary on my Garmin app.

Sunday: Hot Power Fusion at Core Power Yoga
This class is quite different from CPY2, and I am coming to love it for its differences. The amount of sweat that drips off my body in the hot room is astounding, and I look forward to surrendering to exhaustion in shavasana.

stretching my feet before class

All in all I’ve enjoyed the variety of my January workouts, and haven’t let myself miss running too much. That said, I am ready to be lacing up my running shoes more regularly, especially as I count the weeks until my March 10 miler.

I’m linking up with Holly and Wendy for the Weekly Wrap.

Join in for accountability, motivation and support!

Did you reach your January goals?

Do you have anything big on tap for February?

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46 Responses to Lacing Up My Running Shoes Again

  1. So after I recovered from PF I decided to abandon the super supportive shoes and switch to neutral shoes. I also ditched all the inserts. Oddly, I think it is helping.

  2. Sara says:

    The x bands look like they will be great for your workouts! Great job getting everything done this week. Hopefully the PF won’t flare up too bad as you get back in to regular running.

  3. Wendy says:

    Ugh to the PF. Shhhh but I am feeling the twinges in my feet…I’m trying to do everything I can to keep it away. I also took my inserts out of my shoes and am running with just the factory insoles. So far, so good…

  4. I would like to try a core power yoga. I just want to a yoga class today that was a major snooze fest! Hopefully your PF goes away for good, and you can get back to your regular running routine.

    • Coco says:

      I never liked yoga that much until I tried CorePower and I was hooked almost immediately. It helps that I’ve got a few studios and lots of great instructors to choose from.

  5. Have you ever tried massaging your feet (especially the arches) before getting out of bed in the morning? For me, the most painful thing about PF was those first 10 or so footsteps after sleeping all night…massaging my feet kind of “warmed them up” for the day.

  6. Lesley says:

    Good to hear the PF is doing better right now. I find when I’m getting back into running, my heals needs stretching, as well as my calves. I woke up Friday after my Thursday run, and boy were my calves sore.

  7. I’m glad your test run went well. The advice I’ve seen on PF is so confusing – I hope you’re able to find a solution for keeping it under control.

  8. Kimberly G says:

    I am glad that you run went relatively okay. I think that once you find the right combo of sneakers and inserts, you’ll be good to go!

    Awesome job on all your other workouts this week! How do you like hot yoga as compared to traditional yoga? I feel like i need to master traditional yoga first before trying a hot yoga class, lol

    • Coco says:

      I never mastered traditional yoga. I think the warm room might help relax your muscles and make it easier? The heat does take some getting used to, but if you start with no expectations ….

  9. Darlene says:

    Glad to hear that you are on your way back.

    Hope you continue to have pain-free runs.

  10. What a week of workouts! Glad your PF wasn’t flaring up. January’s goals are well on their way to being accomplished!

  11. Kelly @ Noodle to the Rescue says:

    Hooray for a return to running!
    PF was my first ever running injury, probably about 10 yrs ago now – I have been obsessive ever since about stretching my feet and (knock on wood) it hasn’t ever come back.

    • Coco says:

      Oh, you are lucky. This is the third time I’ve had it. The first was the worst though. At least now I know the first signs.

  12. Chaitali says:

    Yay, great news that the test run went well and didn’t aggravate the PF 🙂 Hope the ramping up goes according to plan.

  13. HoHo Runs says:

    44 miles on the bike is very impressive! I hope your PF stays away and you can get back to a running schedule that you like. I am wearing Inspires with Zelus insoles. But sometimes I wonder if that compromises the structure and point of wearing the Inspires. Thanks for linking.

    • Coco says:

      Shoes and inserts can be so puzzling! The weather was so nice for our bike ride. I was exhausted by the end, but don’t regret it!

  14. Teresa says:

    You’ll probably get as many different opinions on PF as there are people who suffer from it! After about a 4 months bout with it years ago, I switched to Newton running shoes and have never had a problem with it again. Now I have had other problems that the Newtons may not be great for …but they definitely keep the PF away. One orthopedic told me it was probably due to the fact that Newtons have such a low heel to toe drop that it keeps the tendon stretched out not allowing it to shorten. Who knows…. but what I do know is that it is always something, right???

    Fingers crossed it keeps calm for you!! Nice cycling miles, btw!

  15. Sorry to hear that you’ve still been having PF pain. I started using inserts after I had my PF trouble – I used the Green Superfeet and the insoles from RoadRunners Sports in the past, both seemed to work well.

  16. Glad to see you were able to lace up again and great pace too! 44 mile bike ride?? Whew!! Looks like I might break 100 miles for January woo hoo! It’s been a long time since I’ve done that!

  17. Elaine D says:

    PF is no fun! Luckily mine hasn’t been an issue in a long time. I had to get custom orthotics but now I no longer use them and things are well. I hope yours will heal soon.

  18. Farrah says:

    I’m back on hospital service again so exercising has been a struggle (technically, I do still have time in a day to do it, but I’ve been so exhausted :'( ). That’s an awesome workout week! I’m glad you got to start running again and I hope the PF decides to just leave entirely!

  19. Toni says:

    ugh injuries suck…Glad you are getting back to it…looks like a great week overall.

  20. Jenn says:

    I had a pretty strong January. I’m a few miles short of where I wanted to be, but I will make them right back up, for sure.

    Interesting that you were both Riders and Inspires. I don’t think I could switch back and forth between neutral and stability like that. However, I do swear by Superfeet. The have made all the difference for my PF.

  21. Andrea says:

    Gah. I’m so sorry that PF is still plaguing you. I hope you find some relief soon!

  22. Shathiso says:

    You’ve done so well to incorporate other exercises into your regime as your foot heals. Glad test run felt relatively okay and best of luck this week x

  23. Angela Cardamone @marathonsandmotivation.com says:

    I worked through my last bout of PF with a chiropractor and it was hugely helpful! I’m also careful about changing out my shoes!!

  24. Jessica says:

    Resistance bands are a great tool to have around. I never thought I would use the mini bands, but I think I use mine once a week!

  25. Hang in there with the PF. I had it really badly at one point, too. It took forever, but it eventually went away.

  26. Sorry to hear about the lingering PF. I hope that some of the changes that you’re making will help alleviate your pain for good.

  27. Very smart, to come back slowly! PF is no joke! Take you time and you will be stronger than before.

  28. Clarinda says:

    Congrats on your return to running and crushing 14 miles in your cycling class. I haven’t been on my bike in forever!

  29. Renée says:

    oh! glad your PF is doing better, that’s good news! hope this continues!

    ah what I would give for a 70KM bike ride ! But it’s too too cold here, no way would I do that!

    I feel pretty ok about my January. Nothing big for Feb, but I started my training this week so I’m looking forward to working towards a goal!!

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