I hate you heel pain

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Greeneyedwonder
Greeneyedwonder Posts: 12
in Fitness and Exercise
I have been on course to running my first half marathon this upcoming Jan. I have always been an athlete and I love running. For the first time in my life, I really understand a runner's high. I started off a few months ago running 3 miles and then over the course of a couple weeks I would try to increase up to 4 and then increase up to 5. Up until recently, the most I was every able to run was 4 miles. Now I am averaging 6-7 miles and trying to increase. That is..until the EVIL HEEL PAIN! Seriously WTF? The problem I am facing now is that I am afraid if I don't back off and rest it, I will cause more damage and not be able to do anything at all. Right now...I have changed my running shoes to have increased support, I massage the area, I ice it and take anit-inflammatories. What I want to know is, can I still keep running even though I have this pain? Or is my only option to stop running all together.

Replies

  • wildhehr2
    wildhehr2 Posts: 122 Member
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    I would suggest taking a week off, and then trying a lower mileage amount. I know it sucks....I had heel pain in January, kept up with my running until march, when I literally could not take another step...and $300 custom orthotics and 3 injections later...I still can't run. It's been over 5 months. It's better to take time off now, take it slow, and remain in the game than to push until something breaks (or snaps, whatever). Good luck!
  • redscylla
    redscylla Posts: 211 Member
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    Have you been to see a doctor? Find out what's causing the heel pain and then you can address possible solutions. My sister had horrible heel pain for months and months. A whole round of doctors and tests and wasted money on orthotics and ... she had this nasty bone spur on her heel that was stabbing her tendon. Gee, no wonder it hurt.
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
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    you said that you got shoes with additional heel support. Were these recommended to you by someone?

    More cushion isn't always the answer. I have had PF, achilles tendonitis, etc for years and am I finding some relief with a new shoe that is so much less than what I was running in before.

    just a thought

    and yes I have heel spurs too!
  • Greeneyedwonder
    Greeneyedwonder Posts: 12
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    I know taking time off seems to be the answer. Perhaps it's the stubborness that comes from the hispanic side or the Irish side...either way, I might just have to switch my routine. Just a word of advice...I am pretty confident that the pain started with the shoes I was wearing. In all my years and all the shoes, I have never had problems with my heel. 2 months ago, I bought a pair of running shoes that boasted being on of those light weight high tech, thin soled shoe...one of those that gives the effect of running barefoot. The guy at the store said they were the best. Well...soon after, the heel pain started and so I upgraded to a sports insole. STill didn't help. Last week I went to a running store. They measured my foot, they watched me run on the treadmill and basically almost slapped me upside the head when I told them the shoes I was running in. They told me that the shoes I was using were good for sprints, short runs and weight room training...NOT for long distances. I bought a new pair of ASICS but the damage I think was already done. SO I guess this would be agood time to take up swimming again...or a Zumba class.
  • drgndancer
    drgndancer Posts: 426 Member
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    You probably have plantar fasciitis, but I'm not a doctor and even if I was I couldn't do a firm diagnosis via the Internet. It's one of the more common reasons runners get heel pain. If that's what it is, you want arch supporting insoles, not heel supporting. It's counterintuitive, but it makes sense when you understand why your heel hurts.

    Talk to a sports medicine podiatrist, and get x-rays done. The doc can look at the x-rays and diagnose the problem. If it's pf and if it's not too bad, you can probably keep running, while it heals, though you may need to cut mileage. I did a pretty large write up on pf here:

    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/696536-heel-spurs

    Though it may not have been that guy's problem. Long story short, talk to a doctor.

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