Have I got plantar fasciitis?

As I mentioned in my last post, for just under a week I've been experiencing pain in the heel of my right foot. It feels like a bruise just under my heel bone, but there's no discolouration of the flesh.

I've been doing some self diagnosis on Google, and the most likely culprit is 'plantar fasciitis'.  Plantar fasciitis is an inflammation of your plantar fascia, a strong band of tissue (like a ligament) that stretches from your heel to your middle foot bones. It supports the arch of your foot and also acts as a shock-absorber in your foot.

You can learn more about the condition here http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Plantar-Fasciitis.htm, which is where I've taken this image from (thank you www.patient.co.uk).

I found a reference that a poor gait can cause plantar fasciitis, so I started paying special attention to my foot as I walk, and I noticed that I was crunching up my right foot, pulling my big toe in and rolling my weight around the outside of my foot, whereas on my left foot I'm was rolling laterally from heel to toe and distributing the weight evenly.  I also had more flexibility and control on my left foot that my right.

This is probably as a result of the very bad sprain I got which resulted in me being inspired to change my running style (or maybe I was already doing it to some degree which is why I injured myself in the first place - who knows!).

Most the treatments I found talked about stabalizing the muscle and arch using inserts or boots, or more severe cases having cortosone injections, but this didn't feel like the right answer for me.  If the plantar fascia is being shortened because I'm scrunching my foot up, then surely immobilizing it will compound the problem.  It seemed to me like I needed to stretch it out!  Shoe inserts and corrective measures have never run true with me, and I always pestered my parents about why do we need shoes as we didn't evolve with them, and when I was a teenager I remember disagreeing with Mum about the need to wear shoes as my feet wouldn't grow properly.  The result: I do have wide size 7.5's, which in my late teens and early 20's I regarded as terrible as my feet were too big for cute little stilettos, but now I'm glad that at least my feet developed as the should when I was a child.

I digress! On Saturday I had a massage, paying particular attention to my foot, Achilles and calves (as these were very tight and could have been a contributory factor to my possible plantar fasciitis), and have been going everywhere I can in my bare feet, or just socks in the office (where bare feet would definitely be frowned upon), and have been focusing on allowing my weight to be centred on the foot, allowing the arch to decompress.

For me, this has helped massively,to the extent that I went on my second barefoot run today.  I can still feel some slight sensitivity in my heel as I walk, but nothing when I run due to good running form meaning the heel isn't really weight bearing.  Maybe it will come back and bite me, but hopefully I'm on the mend.  I'm lucky - some people with plantar fasciitis suffer terribly for many months at a time.

I have self diagnosed and treated, and if you suffer from plantar fasciitis I recommend you get a professional medical diagnosis and treatment plan.  There is a lot of evidence out on the internet and in books that suggests barefoot running not only prevents plantar fasciitis, but can also be the cure for it, but then on the flip side others people have found it causes or aggrevates the condition.  Everyone's different. Maybe it will work for you, but always speak to a doctor or physio therapist to check if it is safe for you to try.

Can cycling improve you running technique?

The last couple of days I've been getting some heel pain in my right foot, it feels like a bruise when I put weight on it.  I don't know how this came about - I've not been running for a few days prior to this flaring up, but I think it's linked to a very tight Achilles and calf, and am getting a massage tomorrow, so will post more on this then.

Until my heel is better, to try to keep my cardio up, I decided to cycle the 7 miles to and from work today.  It was my first bike ride in over a year, so was prepared to struggle, but was pleasantly surprised that it was quite easy - although my quads did feel it at times!

On my way in, I started to wonder if cycling could be used to improve technique.  When I run, I'm very aware I do something odd with my right leg - I kind of 'kick' my foot out.  I've been working hard to correct this (and maybe this is what's causing my heel pain?), but it's tough to see what you're doing without a mirror.  Cycling forces your legs to move in a constant circle, with no 'kick out' anywhere (unless you want your feet to fly off the pedals). So for me, this could be great cross training.  Yes I work in the gym and go to yoga regularly, and occasionally swim, but cycling does seem like it would tackle my particular problem.

Barefoot Ken Bob was an advocate of cycling in his book - I didn't pay too much heed to this at the time, but having come home from work considering this question I re-read the chapter.  Now of course Barefoot Ken Bob advocates cycling barefoot, but he has some good ideas about spinning your legs at a 90+ cadence, and believes that all runners should also cycle.

I started doing some online research, and there is a lot of evidence to suggest that cycling can indeed improve your running - one article in particular stood out:

"Leg turnover will increase like whoa.

Pedalling a bike requires consistent motion and a steady, smooth cadence. Sound familiar? That’s because the exact same thing is true for running. The world’s best marathoners have a leg turnover rate of about 180 steps per minute. ChiRunning, a form of run coaching with a focus on efficiency and injury prevention, suggests a cadence of 174-180 footfalls per minute.

Your cadence on the bike can transfer to running. Start by trying to achieve a 90 rpm (or revolutions of both pedals per minute) on the bike in an easier gear. Once you can hit this rate, move to your harder gears while maintaining the 90 rpm cadence."

 I'm a massive fan of increasing cadence, and it's been THE thing to improve my performance, so this makes sense to me.  Even whilst I was cycling back from work I thought about cadence and timed myself, and I came in at 88 RPM, so pretty close.  

My conclusion? You have to go with what feels right, and for me, right now, this feels right. I'm going to build in a weekly (or maybe bi-weekly) bike ride, and we'll see what happens!

Fivefinger 5K Leith Hill, Surrey, 15/09/12

Whilst I was in the gym this morning I got chatting to a guy wearing Vibram Five Fingers.  I wanted to find out how he was getting on with them, and he was loving them! Now, Barefoot Ken Bob believes that whilst VFF's are miles better than modern running shoes AND other minimalist running shoes, he also believes that unless you have good form and experience running totally barefoot, they will teach you poor form. He does concede that they are a great tool for runners living in a colder climate to his native California, so they are something that I would like to try.  They are not cheap however, and as my second toe is a little longer than my first toe (I'm not a mutant - promise - it's something 10% of the population have) I'm worried about the fit.

Random gym guy hadn't experienced any discomfort between his toes, but did advise that the fit between styles can differ considerably, so he believed it was important to try them on before buying.

Over the course of the conversation, random gym guy told me about a barefoot 5K coming up in a couple of weeks (also open to minimalist and VFF runners).  It's more of a meet up event and is followed by a BBQ.  Looks like fun - I'm not sure if I'll be up to 5K yet, but I'll give it a go if I can!

The race is called the Fivefinger 5K at Leith Hill, Surrey on  Saturday September 15th, and is only a fiver. Bargain considering its a BBQ too.

Read more at:
http://shop.primallifestyle.com/saturday-september-15th---fivefinger-5k-leith-hill-surrey-1799-p.asp

Lengthen hamstrings to improve performance

Having been an avid Yogi for more years than I care to count, I've always thought that my hamstrings have always been fairly flexible. I've always known that its not my most bendy area, and that there's certainly room for improvement, but on the whole I've been fairly satisfied.

BUT!  I've recently learned that my hamstrings are short enough to impact a variety of excersizes, and that this wonderful Yoga flexibility where I can get my head on my knees has more to do with how bendy my back is.  It's great that I have a flexible spine, but shorter hamstrings is having a negative impact on my rowing technique, ability to do squats and burpies, etc.

When doing a squat, you should keep you back straight through the entire motion, but I'm finding at the bottom end of the squat my back is collapsing.  I thought this was down to a weak back, but evidently at the bottom of the squat when you knees are bent the most, the hamstring pulls on the seat bone.  If your hamstrings are not long enough the seat bone will be pulled too hard and so your lower back will become rounded as your bottom tucks under you.

So, what causes tight hamstrings?
In my case it's high heels shortening both my calf and hamstring muscles, sitting at a desk all day, and over-relying on yoga for all my flexibility.

So I'm going to embark on a two week 'lengthening' programme to increase the length of my hamstrings, and I'll keep you posted with a daily diary here.

Some stretching and lengthening I'll be including are:

Laying down leg lift:
Lie flat on the floor with your legs out straight.  Raise one leg as far into the air as you can and hold in lace with your hands behind the thigh (if your hands don't reach without your shoulders or head lifting from the ground, use a belt or towel held in each hand).  Hold for two minutes, increasing the intensity as the feeling of stretch fades. Gently lower the leg back to the floor.

Repeat with other leg.

Try to do this at least twice a day.

The 'Harry Potter':
This is one my trainer showed me.  Be warned - if you have tight hamstrings, the first few times you do this will be a bit uncomfortable, but it will ease off as your mucles loosen.

Find a railing (such as on a fence or climbing frame) or sturdy edge, such as the back of the chair.  It must be secure so that it won't fall off or over, or in a position that you could fall over the edge of a building or stairway, etc.  It will also need to be slightly lower than your pelvis (or lower still if you're very stiff) so you may need to raise yourself slightly by standing on a sturdy box, block or telephone directory.

Stand on one leg and place the other over the bar, so the bar sits just behind your bent knee.  Now, keeping your back straight, straighten the leg, hold for a moment and then relax.  Repeat 7 more times.

Now move your leg forwards by 2 inches, so your knee is further away from the bar, and the bar is closer to your bottom, and repeat straightening your leg another 8 times. Keep moving the bar up the back of your thigh by a couple of inches and straighten your leg 8 times until you reach the base of your buttock.

Carefully release your leg.

Repeat with other leg

Desk stretch:

Stretch your hamstring while sitting on a chair or at your desk. This is a comfortable exercise for those who already have Sciatica or back pain, and it can be done at your desk at work. Extend your left leg out, point your toes up and then down. Feel the pull at the back of the knee. Hold for a few minutes and then bring the leg back.

Stretch as many times as you can, and then repeat with the other leg.

Don't forget that trainers have padding in the heel, which will also encourage shortening down the back of your legs, so always try to do these stretches barefoot (this will also encourage stability in the ankle muscles too).

And remember - if it hurts STOP.  Pain is your friend - it tells you to stop otherwise you'll damage yourself. A bit of discomfort and a pulling, stretching sensation is OK, but don't hurt yourself.  Once of the main principles of Yoga is 'non-violence', and this means to yourself as well as others.

Hamstring Lengthening Diary

DAY ONE
OK, so I must admit, I forgot to take a photo first thing, so this pic was taken in the evening and I spent an hour this morning devoted to a warm up and full body stretch, paying particular attention to my hamstrings. At this point in the diary I can't imagine it  making a huge amount of difference!

I tried to keep my back straight, but as you can see my lower back is too rounded, which is something I'll have to try to improve over the next few days.  And of course my cat didn't want to be left our of the action!

AM
As part of 1 hours gym session including a good warm up:
Full calf and hamstring stretch - 2 minutes per leg
Heel on bar hamstring stretch (ballerina style) - 2 minutes per leg

PM
Full calf and hamstring stretch - 2 minutes per leg
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg

---

DAY 2
Today my quads, glutes, hamstrings and shoulders are killing me - thanks to the CrossFit "Fran" James had be doing Tuesday evening, so my flexibility is definitely less than it should be - that being said though, a good stretch should really help!

AM
As part of 1 hours gym session including a good warm up:
Full calf and hamstring stretch - 2 minutes per leg
Heel on bar hamstring stretch (ballerina style) - 2 minutes per leg
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg
The Harry Potter

PM
1 hour yoga class (no particular emphasis on hamstrings, but a good all round stretch)
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg

---

DAY 3

I'm getting some heel pain today - not sure why as not been running this week and not done any impact work on my heel.

AM
Following a 7 mile cycle to work:
Heel on bar hamstring stretch (ballerina style) - 2 minutes per leg
The Harry Potter

PM
Following a 7 mile cycle from work:
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg
Full calf and hamstring stretch - 2 minutes per leg

---

DAY 4

AM
An hours massage

PM
EPIC FAIL - A cider festival meant stretching was forgotten!

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DAY 5

AM
Uh oh - cider festival making its presence felt!

PM
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg
Full calf and hamstring stretch - 2 minutes per leg

---

DAY 6

AM
Full calf and hamstring stretch - 2 minutes per leg
Forward Bend - keeping back straight and seat bones lifted - 2 minutes

PM
A yoga class paying particular attention to stretching the hamstrings, calves and Achilles.

---

DAY 7
Hmm - I can certainly feel last nights rather intense yoga class this morning (although in a good way)!


AM
Following a Sun Salutation:
Extreme side stretch - 2 minutes per leg


PM
Following a PT session:
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg

---

DAY 8

AM
Following a 300m barefoot run & 20 minute Yoga Session:
Extreme side stretch - 2 minutes per leg


PM
Following a PT session:
Laying down leg lift - 2 minutes per leg

OK, so we're just over the halfway point, and as you can see I'm definitely got more forward movement, although my hamstrings do still feel quite tight when I'm stretching them.  My buttocks are a bit higher here, but I'm definitely still rounding my lower back a bit more that I should be!

---

DAY 9

AM
Following a 7 mile cycle to work:
Heel on bar hamstring stretch (ballerina style) - 2 minutes per leg
The Harry Potter


PM
Following a 7 mile cycle from work:
Yoga Class

---

DAY 10

AM
Heel on bar hamstring stretch (ballerina style) - 2 minutes per leg
The Harry Potter


PM

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DAY 11

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DAY 12

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DAY 13

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DAY 14

My first barefoot run!

So this weekend I did my first actual barefoot run!

It was only for half a kilometre at the end of a longer run, but as advised by Barefoot Ken Bob, it was on a rough gravel path.  Ken Bob recommends learning on the roughest gravel you can find, as you can't get away with sloppy technique, and once you're comfortable barefoot  running on rough gravel, running on any other surface is easy!

I've been doing lots of walking barefoot, so my feet have both become tougher and more sensitive to the surface I'm walking on, and I found that running on the gravel was easier than walking on it. I'm not going to lie here - there was the odd bit of sharp stone that made me flinch, but none did any damage and they they were forgotten about by the next step.

After a few metres hubby joined me my removing his shoes, and whilst he struggled a little more than I did (he's not been walking barefoot very much and his feet are quite tight and inflexible due to an old injury where he broke one of his heels, and he's never fully recovered from it), he enjoyed the experience too.

I loved the sensations through my soles.  I love my feet being massaged and stroked anyway, and most evenings in front of the TV hubby finds my tootsies in his lap demanding some attention - I'm very lucky  in that he obliges more often than not.  Running (and walking too) barefoot is like a massage: Sand, gravel, grass, rough stones, smooth stones, planks of wood, tarmac. Each texture offers a different sensation, each lump and bump on the ground activates a different pressure point, and making the transition from one surface to another is delightful!  Sounds mad, but its true!  I did worry needlessly about getting a splinter running across a wooden bridge though.

A couple of hours later I did find the balls of my feet itched oddly.  It wasn't enough to be uncomfortable, but it was very bizarre.  The only thing I can think it was that the slightly sharper or harder stones that I landed on slightly crushed some layers of skin or flesh - not enough to cause any noticeable damage, but enough to kick of a healing process.  Apparently after running barefoot for a while, the ball of your foot develops a fleshy, fatty layer to protect you, so it may have just been this process starting.  The sensation had completely disappeared by the evening, and was certainly less unpleasant than some aches and pains I've had after some shod runs, such as aching feet, calves or back.

I can't wait to try it again!

The importance of Cadence Training

I mentioned in my first blog entry that introducing cadence training into my weekly programme has had a massive impact in my overall speed.

The idea is that you reduce your stride length but increase your leg turnover.  This may seem counter-intuitive, and at first I found my legs were tiring and it was even harder work just to breathe OK!  After my first attempt (which exhausted me) I spoke to trainer James about it, and he advised me that I was probably speeding up to cope with the new cadence, when in fact it doesn't really matter how much distance you cover - you can almost run on the spot provided while practising a high cadence.  By increasing your cadence when moving slowly you will perfect technique, and once your technique is improved that will automatically translate through to longer and faster runs.

So, I've been doing my best to fit in a minimum of one, but ideally two, cadence sessions a week.  Sometimes I don't have time to do everything listed within the session, so I cut everything by half (other than the warm up and mobility). I think little and often is better than large and irregular (and this idealology applies to more things life than you may think)!

The cadence drills James gave me were:

WEEK 1  5 minute easy run  5-10 minute mobility  A Skip and C Skip - hundred meters on both  4x45 seconds at 94-96 Cadence  A Skip and C Skip - 100 meters on both  1x2minutes at 91 cadence Recover  Tabata sprint - 20 seconds on as fast as you can 10 seconds off. REPEAT 8 Times

WEEK 2  5 minute easy run  5-10 minute mobility  A Skip and C Skip - 100 meters on both  4x1 minute at 96 Cadence  A Skip and C Skip - 100 meters on both  1x4minutes at 91 cadence   Recover   Tabata sprint - 20 seconds on as fast as you can 10 seconds off. REPEAT 8 Times

There is also a B Skip that I don't do - mainly because I have awful co-ordination.

Also in case you didn't know when measuring cadence you generally only count on one leg, so a 96 cadence means your right leg touches the ground 96 times in a minute, so that's 192 times a minute for both legs.  The reason we do this is because often our legs are moving too quickly to count both easily.

Another problem I encountered was that I was counting as my right leg touched the ground. This had the effect that i was pushing really hard through my right leg, and was basically stamping it down too hard, resulting in sore shins!  I found the solution in one of Barefoot Ken Bobs visualisation techniques where rather than focusing on putting your foot down, think about picking it up, so now I count on when I lift up my right foot.

This technique has subsequently translated to my longer runs, and as a result I find I'm stepping much more lightly and quickly, and therefore am quicker too.