Ever since my knee's randomly hurt after running the 5k and finding out that, not only did I have squinting patellae but also was the proud owner of weak hips, I've been trying to follow Dr's orders to a T. They said I needed orthotics, so I went and got my custom orthotics. They said I needed PT, so I worked my tuches off and managed to get out of PT in record time while still learning a lot. I was told to break my orthotics in slowly. So I did. Everything I was told to do, I did.
You would think everything would be smooth sailing from this point on, right?
Wrong. My last 3 runs have been accompanied by a great deal of tension and pressure in my left calf/shin. It's not "owww" painful but more like "Gee, that doesn't feel right. I should stretch it."painful. Last night I tried a new approach and warmed up on a stationary bike first, then stretched and then did some floor work before getting onto the treadmill. It helped and I managed to bang out a decent 5k without too much exertion. My calf/shin was still tight but not like the last two runs.
So, because I'm new to running with twinges and tweaks (running at 15-16-17-18 is much different than 25) I told Dr. J about what I was experiencing. He said maybe it's shin splints. I replied that wouldn't make much sense because 1) I haven't ramped up on miles or intensity. I've just been trying to maintain a decent base since PT and 2) I watched a lot of people suffer with shin splints in high school and this didn't feel like what they experienced at all. So, I stretched (noticing how tight my calves were) and then borrowed the gyms foam roller for a little rolling. I left feeling decent. Not great but not as bad as the previous two runs.
Tonight, Dr. J and I were discussing what could have brought on this calf/shin situation and I asked if he thought my orthotics could be contributing. He immediately said yes, which surprised me since he's always a "follow what *your* doctor says" kind of person. Basically he thinks the toe lift in my shoes is changed by the orthotics which is making my foot flex more and putting more stress on my lower leg. Thinking about it, I have to admit it does make sense.
Now I have to decide if I want to continue to try to make the orthotics work or if I want to try switching an OTC brand or just going back to running in no orthotics. Keep in mind, up until this year I never wore orthotics and never had knee pain or any injuries. Why did I suddenly need orthotics and develop squinting patellae? The answer to the latter part is probably just a side effect of being a woman and growing older. Our weight may not change but our shape does. My hips have widened. That is probably to blame for my knee caps. Yet, I've been strengthening my hips, core and upper body. My PT did say that she thought I could go orthotic less in the future if I kept up my strengthening. . . Maybe it's time to find out if I can make the switch to now orthotics?
I'll experiment a bit in the next few weeks since I'm not in scheduled training mode until the end of December.
Also, I went ahead and invested in this bad boy to help work out my tight spots and hopefully bring some relief to my poor legs.
What do you runners think?
Have you been here before what helped?
Did you ditch your orthotics? Why?
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