Running in retirement

For some reason, I can't get the running thing going anymore, so I have stopped doing it for now.  I just can't get used to shelving the attempts at running even if only temporarily, but I guess I have to. I am learning I can kickbike fine and the mountain bike works too, but something about the stress of running is too much.

Two weeks ago I did one 4 mile run and two 8 milers on the kickbike
Last week I did 12 miles of mountain biking, 28 miles of kickbiking and one 4 mile run.

I think my problem is below the knee and in the ankle-foot area. After I went to the podiatrist two weeks ago I realized he only did two of the three manipulations that he usually does. When I figured out he missed one, I called back to the office and was told I could make another appointment (too expensive for a 5 minute visit), but I was he told didn't do the other manipulation because he thought it might push things too far. I am not one to argue, but it I got one 4 mile run out of the last appointment and then my foot was all off again. I don't feel like affording another appointment so I am seeing if I can get the muscles to pull my foot down on their on. It is still pointing to the side and inverting so the toe is higher than the outside of the foot. It makes it look or act like my foot supinates while I run, but I am not sure of exactly what is going on.

The manipulations I had last December lasted months not days. These manipulations used to be on youtube but were taken down a few months ago. I have found them again here. He did the popliteus and the cuboid mobilizations, but not the first metatarsal mobilization. He also didn't watch me walk after the manipulations so I am wondering if he may have missed something important.

I do see a new Physical Therapist on Wednesday to check out my hip. He is a marathon runner from the Newton-Wellesley Hospital where I had my hip surgery. At this point I need some extra advice on the pressure in my hip when I run and I am thinking it comes from my lower leg throwing my stride off so I hope they can look there and possibly do the missed mobilization and get the stiffness out of my hip when I run.

I already realize I won't be making the full comeback to running this year that I visualized just a couple months ago. I guess I have to keep being patient to get things right.

So to work on my feet I have been doing the Somatic exercises that Sue sent me. I have also been doing these Somatic foot exercises from Martha Peterson (full page with explanations):




These have helped somewhat with my foot positioning and figuring out how the foot should move. I have a hard time everting the foot. I notice improvements on the footbike. I have gone from landing on the outside of my foot to a more flatfooted landing with movement towards controlling my big toe and 1st MTP joint.

I also found these explanations of the anterior tibiallis muscle on the Engaging Muscle Facebook book and website. They are clear explanations of how this muscle works and I wonder if this is causing my foot to land on the side.Rick at Engaging Muscles has answered some questions on their Facebook page to help me understand what is going on a bit more. Strangely enough, right after I wrote Rick, another reader of my blog chimed in with questions similar to mine. I am not the only one with the strange hip-foot rotations and so it is fun to compare notes and figure out what works with other people with similar biomechanics.



This one is really interesting as it shows how the foot moves.



I am looking forward to starting some new PT and asking some good questions. Here is another silly but informative post from the Gait Guys about supination. I am not sure what the exact problem is. I do know my foot isn't working correctly. I have to fix that before the I can run on that hip, I guess.