To back track a bit, my left foot started to hurt Sunday night after my 24 mile long run. It ached, but I experienced no sharp pains. I attributed this to the fact I had just ran 24 miles and thought nothing of it. On Monday my foot still ached, but again nothing serious. Same thing Tuesday morning. However, Tuesday night on my run I started to experience a sharper pain. So sharp that it hurt. BAD. I finished my run and went straight home and started icing it, hoping with some good rest I would be better in the morning. WRONG.
I got to work at 7:30, by this time I was almost hyperventilating I was so freaked out. For those of you who don't know I work in physician recruitment and my office is in a hospital. How convenient! I worked for an hour and my foot still hurt. My co-worker came into my office and asked how I was feeling. Almost in tears I explained how my foot really hurt. She suggested that I email my physician. Within minutes I had this super long email composed to him describing my pain- of course I marked it as "high priority". Hello, I have a marathon in 24 days!
Five minutes later after no response (it's not like he could be busy or anything, right?!) I went and checked the clinic schedule. He was marked as off- ALL WEEK! He was on vacation! Okay, I guess that physicians deserve a vacation too, but still.........
By this time I have already been obsessing over Web MD and have every bad thought imaginable running through my already emotional and train wrecked mind. I texted my coach and told him I thought I had a stress fracture. His response, "oh, boy". I texted him back and telling him that I was freaking out and described my pain and when it started, how I had ignored it, etc.
I couldn't stand it any longer and packed up my bag and drove myself to urgent care. While I am sitting in the waiting room my coach called. I described the pain again and when I first started experiencing it and where it was at on my foot. He told me that he didn't think I had a stress fracture, but rather a soft tissue strain. He said to go ahead and get an x ray for piece of mind, but he would be surprised if I did have a stress fracture. Just hearing him tell me that calmed me down.
When I was finally seen by an urgent care physician I had convinced myself I probably didn't have a stress fracture, but I still wanted an x ray...just to confirm. After a quick exam of my foot and a couple of x rays later, the physician confirmed I DID NOT HAVE A STRESS FRACTURE. I almost hugged her I was so excited. I almost started jumping for joy, but of course I didn't...my foot still hurt! She told me I probably shouldn't run for a couple of days and that I should continue icing and that it should start to feel better.
I went back to work thrilled I didn't have stress fracture, but bummed I would be missing another marathon workout. My coach said that it would be okay since I am tapering and that this happened at the best time since I am starting to taper. I decided I still had to have a workout of some type so I did a 90 minute spin workout. Holy moly! I about died!!!! It was an an awesome workout.
The plan for the rest of the week is to continue icing my foot and try to run easy today. If it is still bothering me then I will just do another spin workout. So far it is still pretty sore, but more of a dull pain today. No sharp pains, knock on wood.
I feel like I am going crazy. I probably have met my insurance deductible over the last month since I started training for Eugene. If I could just live in a bubble until April 29th, that would probably be the best option. Or a padded cell...I am so over paranoid right now it is ridiculous! Not to mention I have already started my crazy tapering mood swings. This is going to be a long 24 days. Please pray for my family & co workers. :-)
PS- My physician (he is so great) emailed me when I was at UC--even on vacation. He didn't think I had a stress fracture either. Maybe I really do need this neuro consult, but not for my nerves for my brain!
--Tasha
I had a similar thing happen with my foot this training cycle. I felt like such a wimp but my foot seriously felt broken or fractured or something. Sharp pain and it lasted for days. Finally my chiropractor (Nicole's coach) adjusted it and within a few days it was better but it hurt SO bad. I was worried. Almost there!
ReplyDeleteAmanda I'm seriously turning into a crazy person! I have never felt like such a basket case before. Its like PMS times 1000!!!! 24 days...I can do it!
DeleteOf geez! I hope you are okay but just one thing. You cannot see a stress fracture on an X-ray until 3-4 weeks after it occurrs and the healin process begins. Then u can see where it is healin it will look like a little bump. The only way to a stress fracture hen it first occurrs is with a MRI or bone scan. I am surprised Rey did an X-ray???
ReplyDeleteYou BE careful!!!!! I pray to god for your sake it is just soft tissue! But I have been worried about you doing all these long marathon paced runs. They are really hard in the body. John said I got my SF last year from ramping up my mileage and the long marathon paced runs:( praying for you!! Be super cautious! Better safe than sorry at this point! Hugs girl!!!
Thanks sweetie! I'm going to be taking it easy the next couple of weeks. I feel ready for Eugene, but the most important thing is for me to arrive to the race start in one piece!
DeleteWow, what a day! So glad it's not a stress fracture. I had a weird thing happen with my foot after an 18 mile training run with my first marathon. Iced and rested and it wasn't cutting it. Then, in bed one morning, I was stretching out my legs and feet and stretched my toes out at the same time. Pop! I heard something pop in my foot, got up, it hurt more. But,from there just started feeling better and better. Something had popped out of place! I was so thankful once I figured that out :)
ReplyDeleteDeep breaths. 24 days. You've got this!
I know, so glad its probably just soft tissue. I was exhausted last night because I had gotten myself so worked up. Paranoid doesn't even start to describe me right now. 24 days needs to go by quick :-)
DeleteThank God!! Glad its just soft tissue. My right foot gets sore too and I have to stretch it A LOT. It's probably because your left leg is weaker and so many muscles, tendons and ligaments connect with the foot. I've come to the conclusion this has been an issue with my right foot because my right leg is weaker, although it is getting stronger :) I'll be praying for you and your family and co-workers....remember WoooSaawww (Bad Boys 2, if you haven't seen it, you must or just watch it again for some laughs)
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you don't have a stress fracture on your foot. I would never wish that on anyone...especially on a person that's been training like crazy! I had that before as you know and it sucked. I've also been experiencing some pain in my left foot and I have another half this weekend. I really want to go all out but I'm hesitant about being to harsh. Hope you can continue to run pretty lady! :)
ReplyDeleteHUGE sigh of relief for you!! I know that a couple days of missed training is a bit frustrating, but it's not going to hinder your condition and ya gotta be so grateful it wasn't worse! Be smart and be careful girl!!!
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