After I poured over the available options, including Coach Steve's recommendation, the Pro-Tec Night Splint, I came to the brilliant conclusion that I could save money by simply attaching my injured foot to something that was at a 90° angle.
I searched my apartment to no avail. I looked online to see what other injured cheapskates did. The most popular method involved an EVA sheet that was cut and softened in a pre-heated oven.
That almost seemed like more trouble than it was worth so I quickly dismissed that idea and started going through every inch of my apartment.
Needless to say, I couldn't find a single thing in my apartment that offered a 90° angle. Discouraged, I threw myself on the couch to mope. That's when I eyed my kickboxing gear in the corner of the room.
It suddenly dawned on me that my Century Shin Guards were pretty much the polar opposite of the Pro-Tec Night Splint.
I could hardly contain my excitement when I realized they would do the trick. My foot isn't at a 90° angle but the reversed shin guard still forces increased flexion of my foot.
I've slept with my mixed martial arts night splint for the past three nights and I've yet to make it through without waking up and violently yanking it off and tossing it across the room.
Regardless, I am hopeful that the increased dorsiflexion will aid in my foot's recovery.
ART is a combination of examination and treatment. It involves evaluating the texture, tension, movement and function of muscles, fascia, tendons, ligaments and nerves. ART treats soft-tissue injuries by moving muscle fibers, tendons, and ligaments through a combination of motion and deep, targeted massage to release adhesions, smooth the movement of tissues, release entrapped nerves of blood vessels, and promote healing.
The purpose of my visit was two-fold. First, I wanted to get some treatment for my posterior tibial tendonitis. Second, I wanted to get some advice on my tight calves, quads, and hips.
Dr. Gonzales started the session off with some range of motion and strength analysis.
He recommended I do some exercises to strengthen my glutes. He explained it's difficult to say if my psoas are tight due to weak glutes, or if my glutes are weak because due to tight psoas. He showed me how to isolate my glutes with some butt lifts to help re-educate my neuromuscular system.
Some aspects of the ART manipulation were similar to experiences I've had with Rolfing but I definitely appreciated Dr. Gonzales' holistic approach.
In the past I've mentioned that my plantar fasciitis sometimes manifests itself as an intense, burning pain in my arches and I would have a hard time differentiating the plantar fascia pain from the posterior tibial tendon pain. When I explained this to Dr. Gonzales and I pointed out the different pain locations, he explained my arch pain is actually a result of a sore flexor hallucis brevis muscle.
He spent a great deal of time showing me how to differentiate between the plantar fasciitis, the posterior tibial tendonitis, and the flexor hallucis brevis pain. He said it's easy to get confused because the tendons of flexor hallucis brevis run along the bottom of the foot, under the head of the first metatarsal bone, and attach to the small bone of the big toe.
I have a high pain tolerance but I must admit that the ART hurt significantly more than a deep tissue massage. Surprisingly, my left calf was much worse than the right side. He said my left posterior tibial muscle was extremely tight. I had to focus intently on breathing in and out to endure the intense pain.
After all that, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to stand but my legs actually felt a lot better. He had me walk around a bit and I marveled at how my calves actually felt a little looser.
Next, Dr. Gonzales took me outside for a running gait analysis. He videotaped me running back and forth across the packing lot a few times.
It was both awkward and fascinating to observe the footage. My untrained eyes couldn't detect any abnormalities but Dr. Gonzales made the following observations (which immediately became glaringly apparent):
I have some issues with my left gluteus medeus which are causing pelvic instability
My spine rotation on the left side is restricted
My knees cross
My left arm hardly moves
He is going to have some more in depth analysis performed on my video and then he suggested I talk to my coach about techniques and ways I can correct these issues. In the meantime, he recommended I work on stregthening my glutes and do some exercises to improve my gluteus medeus stability.
I felt like my visit to Dr. Gonzales was really productive. I'm anxious to hear the additional feedback on the video.
The Green Girl is struggling to find a balance between increasing her mileage in preparation for the San Francisco Half Marathon and staying healthy and injury-free.
Since I switched over to the 1012's, I haven't felt any posterior tibial tendonitis pain. My plantar fasciitis has improved as well.
I've been very conservative on my mileage up to this point. I finally feel the confidence to get some longer runs in but I also need to keep a close eye on my acidity levels. I'm finding The Ultimate Workout Log really helpful because it enables me to track exactly how I'm feeling each day. In addition to energy and pH levels, I'm tracking things like stress levels and swollen lymph nodes.
June has become an exceptionally busy month so I need to be careful not to push myself too hard.
Rad Runner Girl is going to be doing the City of Laguna Hills Memorial day Half Marathon on Monday. She was anxious to get one last hill run in and she's never trail run before so she decided to come check out the Ocean Trails with us.
The weather was warmer than usual last night and there wasn't much of a breeze.
Rad Runner Girl took off with the faster group and I settled comfortably into the back of the pack.
The wildflowers have dried up and many of the stalks had turned the color of hay.
I felt a sense of libration on my run yesterday knowing I have finally found the right pair of shoes for my little feet. I love my 1012's.
Since I started running in them, I haven't had any plantar fasciitis flare ups or posterior tibial tendon discomfort. I also noticed my arches are a lot less sore when I do my nightly massages with the Tendon Rescue.
As we headed back down the trails, the clouds cleared and we could see a full moon in the bright blue sky.
Tonight is Long Beach SparkTeam skate night at Skate Depot. They offer 'Cheap Sk8' on Wednesdays from 8:00 - 10:30 pm. Skating and rental is only $6.75.
I can't inline skate because it aggravates my plantar fasciitis but I can roller skate.
I'm looking forward to a fun night of skating with the Sparkers.
After feeling one too many twinges of posterior tibial tendon pain, I knew I had to take them back. It was one of those cases where you feel fine when you are running but you feel pain after the fact.
I was running out of options at this point. The New Balance 85x high stability shoes combined with my orthotics were over-correcting my overpronation and causing me to oversupinate. The 740/760 stability shoes were not supportive enough. The 1123 motion control shoes offered the appropriate level of support but the sole was bulky and I disliked the high heel counter and flimsy tongue design.
I was feeling a little discouraged when I headed back to my local New Balance store after work today to return my latest purchase.
I was patiently waiting for a salesperson to assist me when I saw a pair of 1012's. Like the 1123's, the 1012 has a straight last. My podiatrist had mentioned shoes with a straight last would be a better fit for me because my Fred Flintstone feet are so straight.
I tried them on and jogged around the store. They felt really good and my gait felt solid and even. My faithful New Balance store allowed me to exchange the muddy 760's for the 1012's - no questions asked.
I was anxious to take my new shoes out for a spin so I headed out shortly after I got home.
Both of my knees are sore - I'm assuming from putting them through what is now four pairs of shoes in just over a week - so I opted to go for an easy run and focused on keeping my feet aligned.
I ran through some small neighborhoods and past shopping center. I ran on the grass around the Long Beach Traffic Circle.
Long Beach locals like to tell a tale of how the engineer who constructed the circle, Werner Ruchti, ultimately died in an automobile accident on the Circle.
From the Circle, I headed northbound on Lakewood Blvd. I ran past the furniture store that falsely advertises its demise a few times a year.
I was pleased that both my arches were feeling good. I wasn't experiencing any of that initial soreness that I felt with the 760's. My plantar fasciitis didn't flare up either.
The Green Girl joined the Sole Runners for another Tuesday evening trail run.
This was my second run in the New Balance 760's after a successful trail run on Sunday.
Ever since I was diagnosed with posterior tibial tendonitis, I massage a generous amount of Peaceful Mountain Tendon Rescue Gel on both my feet every night before I go to bed. Since I also suffer from plantar fasciitis, I also take special care to massage and stretch the plantar fascia.
I could definitely feel an increase in soreness in my arches after running in the 760's on Sunday but my arches didn't seem to have the twinges of pain indicative of an injury.
My boss took a few of us out for lunch yesterday and we ended up in a small booth. Since I'm a short Green Girl, my feet couldn't reach the ground and there was limited leg room so I ended up having to tense up my legs for the entire meal. When we stood up to leave, I felt some of that posterior tibial tendonitis pain. I gingerly put my weight on it and slowly walked outside.
I panicked but by the time we got back to the office, my foot felt fine. I thought twice about running after work but decided I'd see how my foot felt by the end of the day.
That pain didn't return so I went for my trail run last night. Thankfully, my foot felt fine for the entire run.
Under an overcast sky, the Sole Runners climbed the ocean trails. Coach Gary stayed behind with the back-of-the-packers. I commented that I'm a strong uphill runner but ever since I injured my foot, I've struggled to run downhill. He suggested I take smaller steps and bend slightly at the waist so I focused on trying to do that on the way back down.
At one point, I felt like I had really gotten this technique down and I had picked up some significant speed but then the rest of the running group flew by me and I realized I wasn't going as fast as I thought I was. Heh.
When I rubbed the Tendon Rescue into my feet last night, I was relieved there wasn't any posterior tibial pain in my right foot. this morning, my foot is feeling good, too.
I've been feeling some intermittent pangs of pain in my knees and I figured that was because I've been experimenting with different shoes but I'll keep an eye on this as well.
The New Balance sales people are all too familiar with me and my fit issues. I was advised my best bet would be to try the 760's but the salesperson warned me if they didn't work out, I'd probably have to stick with my 1123's.
I wore the 760's yesterday but I didn't get a chance to actually run in them so I was anxious to get out and take them for a spin.
We parked near the entrance to the ocean trails and headed out. This particular trail starts out cliff side so we could see and hear the waves crashing below us.
At the first fork, we turned down a switchback and zigzagged down a steep incline. I slowed to a crawl for fear of slipping on a loose rock and tumbling.
There was a rocky beach at the bottom. We paused to watch the waves.
We admired the bright yellow flowers scattered across the rolling hills. Even though it was another overcast day, it was still beautiful.
On our way back, we spotted the switchback we had gone down earlier.
My feet immediately sensed the decreased arch support in the 760's. My arches ached the first mile or so but after that initial discomfort, the shoes started to feel good. I was relieved that the new shoes didn't seem to aggravate my plantar fasciitis or the posterior tibial tendonitis in my right foot. And as far as I could tell, my feet were staying straight and not overpronating or oversupinating.
I was pleased that I could feel the ground as I was running. I feel like I have a lot more control with the less supportive shoe.
I'll take them out for a few more runs this week to make sure this relationship will last beyond the honeymoon stage.
Now that the Green Girl has been running in her New Balance 1123's for a few months, she decided it was time to review them.
I have small, wide feet with very low arches and my feet roll inward more than they should. In addition to overpronation, I have also had plantar fasciitis since I was young. My plantar fasciitis manifests itself in a deep, dull pain in my arches. After a bad right ankle sprain early last year, I now also struggle with posterior tibial tendonitis.
To give a little background on the Green Girl's running shoe history, I started out with the New Balance 85x series of stability shoes with Green SuperFeet. I loved the extra wide toe box in the New Balance shoes because my feet swell a lot when I run long distances - especially in the heat.
The 85x series worked realy well for me until I injured my right foot and ended up with custom orthotics. The combination of the 85x stability control and my new orthotics overcorrected and I ended up oversupinating.
To make a long story short, after a lot of trial and error (and thanks to New Balance's generous return policy), I discovered New Balance 1123 motion control shoes.
I had my podiatrist check out all the different New Balance shoes and he felt the 1123's would probably be good shoes for me. He also mentioned shoes with a straight last would be a better fit for me because my feet are so straight.
My review is not going to cover the aesthetics of this shoe. The Green Girl learned at a very young age that when you have very small but wide feet, your shoe options are extremely limited so I made my shoe buying decisions based on utility, not fashion. If a shoe fits me, I wear it.
My first impression of the 1123's was that they were really stable shoes. The broad sole felt good under my feet. They feel very firm - not cushiony like the 85x models. The heel counter on the 1123's is really high. So high that the achilles notch really irritates my ankles when I walk. I almost returned them until I discovered the height doesn't bother me when I'm running. And really, running is all the Green Girl cares about.
My biggest complaint is the poorly designed tongue that constantly slips down into the shoe. It has a notch for looping the laces but the tongue is so flimsy that it doesn't make any difference. This really annoyed me at first but because the tongue is so soft, you can't really feel it so unless I look down at my feet while I'm running, i can't even tell the tongue has slipped almost completely into the shoe.
The 1123's are the heaviest running shoes I've ever worn but truth be told, they don't weigh as much as you'd expect them to. I mean, they have the thickest midsoles I've ever seen in my entire life.
Despite the 1123's shortcomings, the stability this shoe grants me is enough to keep me running in them. Making sure I have adequate support and stay injury-free are my priorities.
In conclusion, if I could redesign the shoe, I'd lower the heel counter and fix the tongue. I'm anxious to see what changes New Balances makes when they release the next model in this line.
After the Green Girl was diagnosed with posterior tibial tendonitis, she made an appointment at Medcessity for some physical therapy.
I had worked with another therapist at Medcessity a couple of years ago when I injured my right wrist and ended up with a bad case of tendonitis. After working with him for a couple of months, I was thrilled with the results - I was able to punch bags right after my last session. I was instructed by the orthopedic surgeron to always duct tape the wrist to prevent re-injury so I religiously tape my wrist over my wraps when I kickbox.
Here are the exercises the physical therapist recommended for my posterior tibial tendonitis:
Ankle/Foot Gastroc Stretch
Gluteal Planks
This one doubles as a core builder so you can work on your six-pack while you strengthen your posterior tibial tendon.
Pronation/Supination Exercise
This was the hardest one for me. He had me twist my upper body back and forth and then he told me to mimic that movement that the arches of my feet makes when I twist but without the twist.
Dynamic Balance Exercise
He also recommended going on a treadmill backwards for 2-3 minutes at a time and also 'grapevining'. The grapevining was difficult for me because I'm really uncoordinated and I kept kicking my other foot. Since I also suffer from plantar fasciitis, he recommended I do self plantar fascia massage. I do that on a regular basis using the Foot Wheel that Rad Runner Girl gave me for Christmas.
My plantar fasciitis manifests itself as an intense, burning pain in my arches. The problem with this is that it's hard for me to differentiate the plantar fascia pain from the posterior tibial tendon pain.
The posterior tibial tendon helps hold your arch up and provides support as you step off on your toes when you walk or run. I tape my arch when I run to give the posterior tibial tendon additional support.
I always use Mueller M-Tape® but I would assume any brand sports tape would do the trick. I use sports tape instead of kinesiology tape for my posterior tibial tendonitis because it's much more supportive.
This is how the I tape for posterior tibial tendonitis:
I take 3 approximately 10" strips of sports tape and I stick them from one side of the ankle bone to the other. Make sure your foot is at a 90° angle when you are taping. You want the tape to be snug but not too tight. This will be one of those things you figure out by trial and error. If it's too tight, you foot will start to throb.
Here's the second 10" strip:
Here's the third 10" strip:
The next step is to wrap sports tape around the ankle to secure the 3 strips. If you do this too low, you will find it pinches your skin with each step:
The final piece of tape will wrap around the arch once more. Start the tape to the side of your leg and 'figure 8' it down around:
And 'figure 8' it back around the ankle and then cut the sports tape:
Your wrapped foot will look like this:
I am hoping by taping my foot and icing religiously, I'll be able to successfully train and complete the Athens Classic Marathon with the Sole Runners in October.
I went up to San Jose for Halloween weekend so I could take my niece Trick-or-Treating.
On Sunday, I went with my family to Santana Row for the weekly Farmers' Market. I spotted the New Balance store and went in to see if I could get a pair of replacement shoe laces for my 857's.
For some unknown reason, the 857's shipped with really short laces. The sales person knew exactly what I was talking about when I explained my need for longer laces and was kind enough to dig up a spare pair. The fact I didn't have to pay for a new pair of shoe laces made my day.
I was ready to leave with my free laces when the sales person asked me if I was interested in any shoes. I asked him if by any chance the 859's were on sale. Turns out they were 30% off and they had them in my size - 6.5 D width.
My very first pair of running shoes were the 857's. I was so disappointed when they were discontinued but I gave the 858's a try and they felt the same so I was happy. So far, I really like the 859's. The only difference I can feel is the increased support around the ankle. I appreciate the fact that it's more snug because my ankles would slip in both the 857's and the 858's. I used a special lacing technique to keep my feet from slipping in the back.
I know many runners spend their entire lives searching for the perfect shoe so I'm thankful I've found something that works for me. My feet are hard to fit because they are really wide but small. When it comes to running, I need a lot of support for overpronation and plantar fasciitis. I need a shoe that is stable and stiff. A shoe with a lot of cushion actually hurts my feet. Thanks to the New Balance line of stability shoes along with Green Superfeet insoles, I'm able to be a happy running Green Girl.
When my left arch started aching after my very first 5 mile run, I knew I needed additional arch support. My New Balance stability shoes had served me well for the shorter distances but my feet needed more support for the longer distances.
My arches almost completely collapse when I put weight on my feet. I also tend to overpronate when I run. The arches in your feet are designed to collapse and provide shock absorption. This is considered normal pronation. If your arches collapse so much that your feet roll inward, this is overpronation. For me, both my feet overpronate but my left foot rolls in more than the right. If your feet roll outward, this is supination.
I was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis years before I decided to take up running. This is an inflammation of the plantar fascia, a thin layer of tough tissue supporting the arch of the foot. Because of my plantar fasciitis, activities like ice skating or roller blading are very painful for me. I also prefer to run on hard, even ground - running on soft surfaces like grass or sand are much more painful for me. When I was first diagnosed with plantar fasciitis by my podiatrist, she recommended I get custom orthotics. The orthotics were not covered by my insurance so I had to pay for them out of pocket. Unfortunately, they were uncomfortable and I never wore them. The edges cut into my heels and the orthotic only extended to the middle of my foot. With each step I took, I could feel the edge against the soles of my feet.
The day after my painful 5 mile run, I went to Road Runner Sports to get some advice on insoles. If you have a Road Runner Sports near you, I highly recommend visiting their store. They have this tool they call the Shoe Dog which they use to evaluate your gait, pronation, and stride. After analyzing me with the Shoe Dog system, the salesperson suggested I try a pair of Green Superfeet insoles.
At first, I thought they were too stiff but my feet responded really well to them. Because I had such a demanding training schedule, I had limited time to break them in. I wore them out to dinner, to work the next day and I ran a few miles when I got off work. I was concerned I needed more time for my feet to get accustomed to them but that wasn't the case.
The Green Superfeet insoles gave me the extra support I needed to increase my mileage. I'm able to manage my plantar fasciitis by wearing my New Balance stability shoes, the Green Superfeet insoles, and icing my feet after my long runs. I also massage the bottoms of my feet on a daily basis with a golf ball and stretch my calves every chance I get.
Shortly after I got my Green Superfeet insoles, I went to an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in sports medicine and he mentioned he always tells his patients to try a pair of the Green Superfeet before investing in expensive orthotics. I wish my podiatrist had suggested the Green Superfeet from the start.
After Coach Steve recommended a plantar fasciitis night splint for the Green Girl, she looked into her options.
That almost seemed like more trouble than it was worth so I quickly dismissed that idea and started going through every inch of my apartment.
I could hardly contain my excitement when I realized they would do the trick. My foot isn't at a 90° angle but the reversed shin guard still forces increased flexion of my foot.
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The Green Girl went on a trail run with her friend, Janey, this morning in Palos Verdes.
