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Managed to get in with my physio yesterday.

 She said she's treating it as soft tissue inflammation (i.e. the plantar fascia) for the moment. Rest, ice, massage.

 If that doesn't help she raised the possibility of a stress fracture.

I have a feeling that's what it is. It's not getting any better, and it felt hot earlier despite icing it. There's a definite painful spot. I'm supposed to be doing the Chevin Chase in Sunday and now I'm wondering if it's a bad idea. And going through that horrible feeling where you realise you could be facing weeks off from running.

I tend to let anxiety get the best of me in these situations and imagine that I'll never be able to run again. Think I just need to accept it and throw myself into cross-training and increasing strength.

I'm planning on doing it, if my foot holds out (been having some pain in it).

 It's the first time I'm doing it too and I'm really.looking forward to it. I was hoping to get out and train for it, maybe do the route a few times, but with this injury I haven't been able to. I've done Hellrunner though so it can't be worse than that surely! Everyone I've spoken to seems to think it's difficult.

 I hope it doesn't get cancelled. I get a kick out of running in adverse weather conditions!

 Yorkshire Rob - I'm assuming you run with Horsforth Harriers? I've been looking to join a club and was thinking about Horsforth, I'm only down the road in Rawdon.

So a few weeks ago (maybe 5?) I started to have a niggling pain/discomfort in the ball of my right foot, in line with my big toe. It's on the side of the ball that is nearest the heel, if that makes sense (rather than the discomfort being located towards the actual toe).

 I noticed that it felt tender when I pressed a certain spot, but it wasn't too much of a problem when running. I carried on running because I was training for the Abbey Dash, so after the race I took a couple of weeks off and rested it totally.

 I've been pretty sporadic with icing it and haven't taken ibuprofen so admittedly I haven't been the best. But I don't see any swelling so I don't know if it will help?

 I tried to run again recently and it's actually hurting to run on, especially when going uphill. The pain is localised - it's a certain spot on the ball that hurts to press. It can feel sore when walking but not so much that I can't put pressure on it.

 From Googling it I've found sesamoiditis and metatarslagia as two possibities (or a stress fracture?) but I'm not sure. I don't know whether to rest some more and hope it goes away, see the physio or see the doctor. I want to do the Chevin Chase next week and I've been looking forward to doing it, have a feeling this is going to have me walking round!

 Does anyone have advice or ideas on what it might be? Or what I should do about it?

The only thing that seems to have coincided with it is buying new trainers - Brooks Ghost. The thing is I love them, they're the best shoes I've ever run in (had some Glycerins before them for a few weeks but we had to divorce...just not right for me!). I don't want it to be the shoes. I know I tend to run more on my toes these days, because I'm running faster and in lighter shoes. Could this be a possible cause?

 Weirdly when I tried to run at the weekend (nine miles in the snow probably isn't advisable when you already have an injury) my OTHER big toe started to hurt, not in the same way. It's the actual toe, above the ball. It feels a little stiff and hurts most when I pull back on it.

Sorry for the long post. Any advice would be appreciated. I'm feeling so sad about not being able to run. I think I might try and see the physio this week if there is an appointment.

Ruth.

x

Thanks for the replies!

I did a couple of runs in the shoes and I thought they were fine. I managed 6+ miles with no problems and figured they were great, no issues. On Sunday I did my first long run in them, which was 11.5 miles. Towards the end I had a niggling ache on the outside of my right foot, but I figured it was nothing much. It was a little sore that evening but the next day I had totally forgotten about it.

 I tried to go to the gym the next day, and when I went to put my shoes on (the Glycerins) I could barely walk! They were pressing on a certain sore spot just around my ankle - I believe it might be my peroneal tendon?  I tried my friend's trainers on, felt no pain. Hadn't felt any pain in the shoes I was wearing earlier. It was just when I wore my running shoes!

So anyway today I tried my trail shoes on and I could feel tenderness in the area but not as bad as yesterday. I decided to go to Up & Running and seek advice. The guy there got a load of different shoes for me to try on and they all seemed to dig in the same spot, so I figured maybe it was a coincidence and said I'd see how I went, and have a few days off.

I just got home from town and dug out my NB 850s, put them on and I feel absolutely nothing! No pain at all when wearing them. My boyfriend felt the Glycerins and said they were really hard at the back, no wonder they were digging in. But loads of the other shoes I tried on in the shop seemed to do the same thing, and they were all different brands.

I'm so confused. On the one hand I'm glad because at least I still have a pair of shoes I can run in without pain (although I should probably rest while this thing calms down anyway), but on the other, I know that the NB shoes aren't right for me. I've been told on two occasions having done a gait analysis that I'm definitely a neutral runner, and the 850s are a support shoe. Both guys I spoke to at the store pulled the same confused face when I told them I'd been sold 850s.

But then it seems to be the only shoe out of the ones I've tried on that feels ok.

Any suggestions? It's helpful to know that the 850s don't hurt at all, because I have that to go on as a starting point. It might be worth returning to the store (or maybe trying somewhere different) with that knowledge. After trying so many pairs on and them feeling just as uncomfortable, I started to doubt that it was the shoes at all.

One thing he did suggest was using heel inserts, and I did try some which minimised the pain. But I shouldn't have to do that to avoid shoes digging in.

If anyone has advice or insight it would be greatly appreciated! Sorry for the long rant.