Sidelined.

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So much has happened in the past week that I don't even know where to start. I've decided to break it up into a few posts to not overwhelm you with all of my thoughts at once.

To start with, I will break down all of the things I did prior to the marathon to deal with the pain occurring in my foot.

1. Panic
I spent the first part of the week completely freaking out about the race even jumping to the conclusions that I might have to back out and not do the race entirely. After the panic settled, I began implementing a plan to give myself the best chance to cross the finish line only a few short days later.

2. See a physiotherapist.
On another runners recommendation, I visited the local physio clinic in hopes that they'd do some magic and have some awesome suggestions to make the pain disappear immediately. She had some great suggestions but of course, was unable to make any promises regarding the race and wasn't able to completely confirm a diagnosis either. She was leaning towards PF or plantar fasciitis but having only seen me once wasn't completely sure.

3. Try reflexology.
I've heard about this before, but thought that it was just the same as massage. I was sort of wrong. It is massage but not the same type that you get when you go to an RMT. It is focused on hands and feet and in my case specifically on my right foot. I will say that I walked out of there without any pain and after 2 treatments, I was feeling pretty good. Health Roots Reflexology offers a treatment for plantar fasciitis, and though I wasn't confirmed to have that yet, it was clear that I'd done something to inflame the arch of my foot and the plantar fascia. A lot of time was spent trying to break up the scar tissue at the base of my heel which is where I was feeling the most pain.

4. Massage Therapy.
I had a hunch that something else must have lead to this problem, for it to come completely out of nowhere just didn't make any sense to me. I did a lot of reading about foot problems that runners encounter and one of the things that stuck out in my mind is having tight calves and that leading to PF. After we ran the 32km, I felt pretty good, tired but good. The only slight thing I noticed was that my calves were REALLY tight. I thought that a couple light runs would loosen things up. Anyways... The RMT worked some magic and really massaged out my legs and feet.

5. See a chiropractor.
I have this really amazing chiropractor who is great at dealing with runners and all the problems we offer. I used to see him regularly, but life got in the way, blah blah blah, and I sort of just stopped going. He was the first person I thought of when all this started but I wasn't able to get in to see him until last Wednesday. Like the physiotherapist, he was very hesitant to pass judgement as to what specifically was happening until after the race, but he was pretty sure that something other than PF was going on. He was also very quiet about the topic of reaching the finish line, but kindly told me to return when I got back from LA and we would go from there. He gave me some hip exercises as he thinks the fact that my right hip being significantly weaker than the other side has played a role in this injury.

6. Ice, roll, stretch, tape, repeat.
I used to roll on a regular basis, but like the chiropractor... life and other excuses got in the way. Anyways, the last week or so, it feels like that's all I've been doing. I even bought a lacrosse ball at the Chiro's suggestion to roll the bottom of my foot and it is the best! I had one of those foot rubz balls from the running store but it just wasn't cutting it. I've also been icing my foot before bed to bring down inflammation and pain. Lastly I've been taping my foot with KT tape... I've been through almost 2 whole rolls.

7. Hope.
There wasn't much else I could do beyond this. My biggest fear was getting out there and having to quit in the middle of the race. Mentally, I would rather not even start the race than have to quit in the middle.

You may already know at this point that I did make it to the finish line, beyond that you will have to wait for my race review which is currently in progress. Today I returned to the chiropractor and he is fairly certain that rest is best at this point. So here I am, sidelined from running until further notice. Right now I'm looking at least 10 days but possibly more. My race schedule is entirely up in the air now. I have to say it is odd to be in this position as I never really have. Though I'm not entirely surprised because after Sunday, I am in quite a bit of pain again, so it isn't as though I can run anyways. 

Next up, Day 1 in Los Angeles and the Nutri Bullet Health and Fitness Expo!

Preface to the LA Marathon

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Well, this is it, we are leaving tonight on our journey towards LA, and I'm coming face to face with my sort-of-last-minute decision to sign up for the LA marathon.

Foot Update (What's this about? Visit this post if you don't know what I'm talking about):
There's still some aches and pains on walking although it is somewhat better than how I felt on Saturday. I have not and will not attempt running again until race day as per Dr.'s orders which means the LA big 5k included with my marathon registration will not be happening. I've been to a physiotherapist, a chiropractor, had reflexology, and massage therapy this week. The Physiotherapist said it could be plantar fasciitis and the Chiropractor thinks it's something else. Either way, I'm confident that I've done everything I can at this point and the rest is out of my hands. I'm doing my best to think positive and hope for a pain-free marathon on Sunday.

How I'm feeling about Marathon #2:
So many things are going through my mind at this point. I woke up with a cold and Delta airlines won't assign us a seat for our flight in the morning which is making me wonder if it is oversold... So right now those are at the top of my list for concerns. 

I'm nervous and unsure about my foot, but mentally I feel ready. In all honesty, I've felt ready since finishing my 1st marathon. Yea, I did take a little break, but I knew that I had many more marathons in me and it was only just a matter of time. This weekend, however, I will not be attempting a PR but rather just to cross the finish line. I had originally hoped just to PR my 1st marathon time even by just a second, but at this point my foot is unpredictable and getting to the finish line is enough of an accomplishment for me.

Traveling to a race always adds some extra jitters to my pre-race nerves, but it can also be a lot more exciting. Not only am I heading into my 2nd full marathon, but I'm getting a mini vacation with my sister and my friends!

I've traveled to lots of races last year including Nevada, Disneyland, New York, Portland, Whistler, Seattle, and Disneyworld.... WOW thank goodness I'm not traveling that much this year haha! But seriously, I'm really hoping this race goes as smoothly as those did.

In an effort to think positively here are some fun facts about this trip:
I packed everything in carry on luggage! Since I'm only doing 1 race now, I only have to pack 1 running outfit, thank goodness!

There are tons of yummy places to eat in LA and we are going to try to visit as many as we can in the next 4 days!

Sisters' trip v2.0 is happening! My sister and I have the same sense of humor and she's always the best at cheering me up when things aren't going as planned.

LA marathon has set it up so you can leave supportive messages for runners that can be seen on screens throughout the course, you can leave a message for me here. You can also track me on Sunday here.

Have any advice you'd like to share for traveling to a race? Maybe you're a flight attendant and you can ease my concerns about our flight being oversold (please... somebody help!)?

What's the worst that could happen?

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I say this phrase to myself a lot and I need to stop doing it. When I signed up for the marathon last week which is eek, only 5 days away now, I said it then.

After running the 32km I felt surprisingly quite good. Minimal soreness and some tightness in my legs, but that was pretty much it. This only confirmed to me that it was okay to make the decision to sign up. Fast forward through 2 more runs during the week, I headed out on Saturday for just a little run to loosen up the legs prior to West Van Run on Sunday.

I made it 2km. And throughout those km's a pain started to progress in my foot that I have never experienced before. Panic ensued. I immediately stopped and did my best to walk back to my car without crying.

Why is this happening now?

I began damage control. What can I do to fix this in only a few days before we leave for LA?! Well first, seeing as how I can't get into the doctor on a weekend, I began googling and searching my orthopedic chapter from school. The most fitting description for the pain I was/am feeling is plantar fasciitis. There is no easy way to describe it, but if I am correct, the connective tissue in my foot is inflamed, likely from overuse. It doesn't sound very painful, but oh my is it ever. I've NEVER had a problem with my foot before, I have dealt with knee issues for a long time, but for the most part have been able to run through them. This, I just don't know.

I've created a plan of attack to get me on that plane on Friday in hopefully no pain, and across the finish line of the LA marathon on Sunday.

1. No more running until Saturday at the LA Big 5k.
2. Wearing shoes whenever I am upright. It is the most painful to have my feet flat on the ground.
3. See a chiropractor, physiotherapist, reflexologist, and an RMT. Whoever could possibly provide any relief, I'm going to see them in the next 4 days.
4. Rest. Limit time on feet. As much as I want to run around with Griffin and pack and clean and get everything organized for my trip, the best thing I can do right now is hang out on the sidelines, well, as much as you can do that with a toddler.

So no, it's not the worst thing that could happen. And now, 2 days later, on Monday morning, I'm less panicky and slowly calming down. It was hard to sit out West Van Run on Sunday, which you might remember I took part in the photo shoot for. I was happy to cheer everyone in for some awesome PRs, but a huge part of me wished I was out there running with them. It hurt most especially knowing that I also missed out on First Half a couple weeks ago.

Spectating in the snow at West Van Run

So I am sitting here and with all of my heart hoping that MY RACE is right around the corner, on Sunday, and that I will be able to cross that finish line, and even better with no excruciating foot pain.

Have you ever experienced plantar fasciitis?