A Funny Step Leads to a visit to the neighborhood Podiatrist

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October 9, 2012 by Lisa Run Fast Mama!

After taking a quick bathroom break around mile 23 during the Chicago Marathon, I seem to remember the road being really uneven. I cautiously slowed down my pace and then all of a sudden the bottom of my right foot hurt.  Granted my entire body HURT at that point too, but I knew something wasn’t right with the right foot.  Each time I landed on my forefoot, I could feel every bone and it just plain hurt.  Perhaps around a 5/6 on a scale to 10.  But, who am I to judge.  I think I have an incredibly high pain tolerance as I havent taken any pain meds in over a year and a half.

I digress, but this well, it felt wrong.  I knew nothing was broken.  I broke my ankle before and couldn’t put any weight on it at all.  A few thoughts ran through my head.  Things along the line of:

Well, If I continue running like this, maybe it will hurt more and I will really break something.

Hmm, something odd is up with my foot.

This isn’t normal pain.

I only have 2.5 miles to go or so, perhaps I can shift the weight to my heel and speed-walk the rest.

Time doesn’t matter, finishing does.

So, my friends, I concluded to stop running and walk the remaining 2.5 miles or so of the Chicago Marathon.  It was the best time ever, seriously.  Once I slowed down enough, I enjoyed it.  I was totally immersed in the moment and had a huge smile on my face.  I was able to take in all the sights and sounds around me.  To experience the life, the city, the magnitude of what me and 37,000 and some odd strangers were experiencing.  The pain was there, but not as bad, my body relaxed and my mood totally shifted to an awesome, happy state.

Not only would I finish my first marathon, I would be upright and happy too! I wouldn’t be getting my medal and warming blanket and flopping over the first chance I got.

I don’t want to spoil my race recap here too much so I will fast forward to after I met my family…

My daughter was the first to spot me, as usual.  She said “I knew your purple shoes and your bright pink shoelaces!”  So cute, and thanks to FitApproach for the awesome SweatPink laces.  We hugged, I got congratulatory kisses and mentioned my foot hurt.  But, I had bigger things on my mind… The NIKE Store!

I didn’t buy any race gear all weekend as I was waiting for the Finisher gear and getting my medal engraved.  Hubby looked up the Nike store on GPS and we headed out. It was just over a mile and a half away.  A block into it, we hopped on the back of one of those bikes that take people short distances and he drove us most of the way.

Got my medal engraved, a finisher long sleeve tee, short sleeve one and a half-zip long sleeve and grabbed a cab back to the hotel. Foot was a bit irritated at this point, but I was geeked!

Most of the streets were still blocked so we had to walk about 4 blocks. This is when I not only started shivering so bad my teeth were chattering, I remembered about my food.

The adrenaline from completing such an event does funny things to your mind and body. Got back to room, rested for an hour and off to dinner.  Foot didn’t look that good Sunday night, but hey, was still on the Marathon high.

Monday am, I thought to take a picture of how swollen it was.  Drove home from ChiTown, 5 hours or so give or take, went to Whole Foods to get some food and really started to be in pain.  I thought about going to Urgent Care, but realized I really should see a sports doc and would rest and ice it the rest of the night.

 

 

Monday Morning

 

Resting and Icing Last Night

Took a good 45 minutes longer than planned to get ready for work this morning as I was really hobbling around.  The rest of my body felt great, really didn’t feel like I even ran, but my foot.  Went into work, got yelled at to go to the doctor.  So, made an appointment.

Doctor did all the pressure, touchy type tests then wanted to get x-rays.  It seemed like I waited forever for the results.  He finally came in and I noticed this huge chip on the top of my foot.  Look like the bone cracked away…

He started over the Metatarsal region and said all looked good, then he got to the bone area.  He asked if I injured myself previously and I kinda freaked.  He pointed to the spot that the chip was and it was on the other side of my foot…. UM! OK!!! He said it was an old injury that healed and I have no recollection of it.

Everything on the x-ray looked good for this current injury and he does not think it is a stress fracture due to he could touch everywhere and I didn’t scream or wither in pain.  Most likely a strain.  So, I’m in a soft cast for 4-5 days.  I need to remove it myself and see him again next Thursday.  If all is well after I remove, I can try to run again, slowly!

So relived and glad I went.  At least it is immobilized well enough to heal and I can take it slow for a few days to recover.