Sunday, October 23, 2011

Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis?

Distance 12.5km [total: minimalist 256.3km: Barefoot 1882.7km] Week 43


Monday, 17-Oct, 5km.
Yet another test run along the beach for a short distance. The pain is still there, not to the extent it was at when I first noticed it around 3 weeks ago but it is enough to stop me going out and putting some long distance in. This run was an entirely beach run as I have been doing for the last few weeks as a softer alternative to the road. It may be a mistaken belief on my part that running on soft sand is easier on the ankle than running on the hard road. The hard road may not be as forgiving but it is a stable, predictable surface. I still managed a 10minute 2km run, even with an injury.

Saturday, 22-Oct, 7.5km
How my weekly distance has evaporated once a chronic injury pops up. Is this shaking my belief in barefoot running you may ask. No, it's not. It never was going to be a total end to all injuries as there are many reasons you can get injured.
After poking around on the internet to locate the exact point of my ankle problem I have revised my diagnosis. I don't believe it is an ankle sprain like I first thought, usually that requires a trauma to start it off which I couldn't recall having. I now believe I have Posterior Tibialis Tendonitis. An inflammation of the tendon that wraps around the lower part of the ankle and controls the foot arch. The other end goes up into the calf area.
I now believe I started this off when I came back from my overseas holiday. I got back into my gym work and did lots of leg work, including hamstring deadlifts and calf raises. During this first week my calves were so stiff I could hardly walk, but, I managed to push myself out for a few long runs in the belief that this would ease the stiffness. All I have done is unbalance my running style and aggravate a tendon problem. I then compounded it by doing more leg work at the gym and repeating the exercise, thinking I was helping the problem when in reality I was making it worse.
So here I am 3 weeks later, not cured.
I ran 7.5km today in perfect conditions, the ankle pain was still there so I took it nice and easy. It is not swollen to the extent it was 2 weeks ago but it is still enlarged.
I have sent of for some KT Tape to strap across the foot to act as support. Another rule I shall add to my book is not to run when I have done a leg workout that has given me sore muscles, in fact it may be easier just to say why do I need to do leg exercises anyway, running is all I need.

Neil

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