Today I had my appointment at the Sports Medicine Clinic.  I’ve had two treatments at Metrocrest Sports Medicine, and both times it was a good experience. They quickly got me back to my exam room, and interviewed me; asking what was hurting and how it happened.  Truth is, I have no real idea what did this too my foot. I was a little embarrassed because well when you get hurt, unless you get knocked out, you know what it is that caused it.   Maybe I pushed it too far by going a full 10 mile run.  My mileage has been increasing quicker than the plan, but I didn’t feel as if I was over-extending myself, in order to go this distance.  I paid attention to my body, and I seriously felt zero pain on Saturday’s run.  To be honest it was like Zen feeling while out there. 

Could it have been the sprint I had to do to get back out to the Jeep, from the restaurant, to retrieve my forgotten camera bag, before the skies opened up?  Maybe.  I was wearing some Sketchers work shoes, with an orthotic in them, that pushes my foot way out of the depth of the shoe.  Maybe that free movement with the sprinting did it?  No idea.

I had x-rays done, but due to all of the corrective bone surgeries in the vicinity of my pain, it was hard to tell if there was a stress fracture.  The doc and I discussed what each would do to my training; basically grinding the running to a halt for at least two weeks. It could also just be an injured tendon, but when he mashed around on my foot, leg, and ankle, the pain was in a small single area, and did not affect the tendons that spread from the foot to leg.   It was just one dime sized area that was tender to the touch.

It was all pretty strange.  He sent a request to get me set up for an MRI to make sure what we are dealing with here.  I’m a little nervous, as I don’t want to be down for a long time.  The White Rock Marathon is in December, and a runner with more miles under their belt could train for it in 18 weeks; I would just hate to push that envelope and get hurt again. He said though that he thought that I could still make it.

I’m keeping off my foot until the MRI.  The doc said that I could still bike and also swim.  I’m holding on both for a couple more days.   Biking may irritate a stress fracture, from what I read, and I need a one piece to feel right about water running or swimming at the gym.  Oh yay more shopping!

Next purchase though is going to be a walking boot or a brace for my foot.  I have a boot from a previous injury years back, but it is old, heavy, and is actually too big for me. Seriously it sounds like some one has dropped a 10 lb dumbbell on my hardwood floors when I walk in it.  My first step startled my roommate (*BOOM* WHAT WAS THAT????), and scared my half-deaf dog.  I tried walking in it again tonight, but it just made me hurt more than I would with an ACE bandage and a good wrapping job.

So here I am, on the sidelines.  I’m keeping up hope.  I’m gonna run again soon, and complete my marathon.  I just need to follow doctor’s orders.