Wouldn’t you know it would take me the better part of a year to discover the best possible solution for my gimpy foot? I developed plantar fasciitis in my left foot this year and I have spent a good part of the year trying to get it under control. I had very expensive custom inserts made. I paid a ridiculous amount of money for one pair of shoes. I threw out most of my shoes. I spent a lot of time having my inserts adjusted. And no matter how many adjustments have been made, my left insert has never been quite right and I have continued to have pain. Pain that exponentially increased when I would try to run.
Don’t get me wrong, the custom orthotics helped a lot and made walking bearable, but didn’t bring me the full relief I was promised. And in the mornings, walking on the orthotic would be especially bad. Not really the best way to start the day. So this has been going on for months and months and I had pretty much resigned myself to a life of foot pain and a slow, panicky despair of never being able to run again.
Monday, B and I were shopping for groceries and I happened to see some Dr. Scholl’s Tri-Comfort Orthotics. I thought, what the hell, maybe I can wear these to run. Because I am nothing if not stubborn persistent and I had been clinging to hope that I would be able to run again. I really missed it. Yes, I am crazy. I missed running. I think it’s an adrenaline and endorphin thing. I might be a teensy little bit of an adrenaline junkie. But it’s nothing I can’t handle. And I can quit whenever I want.
Anyway, last night I used the new orthotics to run and you know what? It was awesome. I mean, my foot didn’t miraculously stop hurting or anything like that, but what I experienced was muscle pain from unused muscles, not the usual excruciating pain from the plantar fasciitis. Weak muscle pain I can live with because I know it’s temporary. I finished my my Week 1, Day2 of the Couch to 5k program without feeling like it might be necessary to remove my left foot with a dull knife to ease the pain. Definitely an improvement.
For the rest of the night (the awake part, anyway) I had muscle soreness, but the good kind, that eventually eased up. And this morning when I got up and out of bed? I didn’t even notice my foot. As in, LESS PAIN. YAY ME! It’s practically like someone snuck in my bedroom at some point last night while I was sleeping and gave me a new foot. I feel like a new person. So I decided to wear a pair of shoes that aren’t my orthotic friendly shoes with the Dr. Scholl’s inserts. This makes me happy for several reasons:
- I am not wearing my grandma shoes.
- I am not wearing the orthotics that make my foot hurt.
- My foot wasn’t killing me from walking on the orthotic by the time I made it into the office.
- I am not wearing my grandma shoes.
Dr. Scholl? I totally want to kiss you on the mouth. Maybe even with tongue.
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Yay! I may have to send Bob over to see your dr. scholl. Heh.
I’m so glad your pain is less. It sucks goat balls to have pain like that.
Get back to me in 30 days and let me know how it works! I’m tired of my granny shoes too!
I have had that too. I found relief through a naturopathy Dr that had offices near Brookwood Med Ctr.
I might have to try that because my next step is to see a doctor about this ridiculous foot and ankle pain that I’ve been having for about 7 months! I haven’t been running either and I HATE IT!
ok awesome!!!!
When do you want to go run??? I usually get off work at six.