04 September 2015

The Injury Bug

The last few months have been a tough bit of minimal running.  Just as I was getting over my groin injury, I developed a plantar fasciitis issue with my right heel.  It kicked off in June and I feel like I am just finally getting over it.

Shortly after it developed, I raced a duathlon in Ohio as part of the Zoom Multisport Race series. It was a 4 mile run/34 mile bike/8 mile run race and didn't go well for a variety reasons.  A flat on the bike killed my time on the bike and heat/humidity did me in on the run. Oh yeah, I also dropped a shoe about a quarter mile from the transition as I was popping my foot out of it and had to turn back around and grab the shoe.  It definitely was not a great race.

After we got back to Vegas from that trip, my heel pain continued to grow and there were mornings that the simple stagger from the bed to the bathroom to start the day was difficult. I did manage to keep running 2-3 days a week and focused on shorter/faster workouts. I also used the time to focus more on cycling - both speed and endurance.

In the end, it took something simple to get a handle on the issue. I picked up new boots to replace my several year old work boots and after a few days, it was like magic and my heel began to feel better. I've also given up on my flipflops and picked up a second pair of Hokas to run in.

I have a set of duathlons coming up over the next two weekends. I hope that the heel is good to go and that I have kept up with enough running to have a solid showing at them. We shall see on the 12th.