Fun for Friday - Positives of Not Running

Well we made it to Friday! And while my general topic isn't fun (injuries), I wanted to turn it into something fun.

Let me back up a minute (or 6 days). For a few weeks I was having a niggling pain over a bone near my ankle and the upper part of my arch was feeling really fatigued and achy. But not like plantar fasciitis. I started backing off my miles and make a very conscious effort to include more slower runs.

I thought I was doing dandy. You know, playing by the rules. I've been adding in more strength workouts for deep core, glutes, and hips. I've been rolling my calves, piriformis, IT band, feet. However, I've been neglecting my feet again, with the exception of rolling the crap out of them. So, more specifically I've been neglecting strengthening the intrinsic muscles of the feet.

By the end of my 10-miler last Saturday, I was starting to hobble. My foot pain had reached it's threshold telling me I was done. As most of us do these days, I turned to the internet to start searching for the diagnosis. As a personal trainer, I had to study and learn muscles, understand insertion points, tendons, ligaments. Let's just say that pays off for running injuries.

I diagnosed myself with Posterior Tibial Tendinitis. I iced my foot. I taped it up with KT Tape. I stopped running. I read up on how to prevent, how to rehab, trigger point releases, massaging techniques ... you get the picture.

By Wednesday, the pain was not easing up and walking was difficult in and of itself. So, I sucked it up and went to the doctor. I always feel like it's such a waste of time to be honest. However, I can't write scripts for myself ... so I went. My biggest fear was stress fracture. However, I really didn't think it was that. The doctor confirmed my self diagnosis of Posterior Tibial Tendonitis. I'm good huh?

His course of action is mega dosage of anti-inflammatory, icing, resting. At a minimum rest is 7 days. Maximum is 14. He said that when the pain is gone, I should be fine. However, if it comes back, it could be something more. Great diagnosis doctor. I guess my annoyance isn't even the rest part, it's that he didn't suggest anything like what I had read about prevention. Let's prevent the problem from happening again not just assume it is something else when I start running again.

Anyway, trying not to dwell on that annoyance. I will start to incorporate physical therapy exercises according to what I've been reading. If anything, they'll help prevent plantar fasciitis in the future. These are exercises that my physical therapist had prescribed to me two years ago. Funny how you stop doing things you know you should be doing when you think you're recovered.

So, the fun part ... Positives of Not Running (gasp)

• Less laundry to contend with.

• No real need to get up at dark-thirty.

• No playing chicken with the traffic or being annoyed when you have to wait forever at intersections.

• Not inhaling massive amounts of pollen.

• It's windy out? Who cares. I'm not running in it.

• It's raining out? Who cares. I'm not running in it.

• More time for strength training (just no alternating lunges I discovered)

• More time with the bike on the bike trainer. I'm blowing through Season 3 of Parenthood.

• Time on the bike has me convinced I'm building amazing quads.

• No worries about being attacked by dogs, geese or any other strange animal.

• No need to slather on sunscreen for workouts.

• More "free" time on my hands. 

And of course, I have a list of negatives. But that's no fun to read or listen to. I mean, I do kinda of miss picking out my running attire, planning out my routes, even that pesky wind in my face. 

What are the positives of not being able to do a particular workout or activity that you typically enjoy?