Teaching myself how to run

Okay, couple updates. Had the MRI taken yesterday and get to go over the results with the doctor on Thursday. I wish I knew how to 'read' MRIs because I have all the films, I just don't know what the heck they all mean.

I've been running. Probably not the brightest idea, but it feels good to be out there. However, I have had to change something major in my running... my foot strike. I have always been a heel striker and quite comfortable with it up until this injury. When I went out for a run Monday afternoon, my ankle was really just killing me (the tendon area). I didn't want to stop so I completely adjusted my foot strike to mid foot. I basically stood up tall and as I leaned slightly forward, my foot stepped out to catch my fall. My knee was bent and I landed on my entire foot, not just my heel. And knew this was how I needed to be running. So that is what I did. I ran the entire 6 miles very conscience of the way my feet struck the ground. Within a minute I was not feeling any ankle pain! I was careful not to land on the balls of my feet, but on my entire foot at once.


Yesterday morning my husband accompanied me on the bike as I ran. I practiced my midfoot strike and he commented on how different my body appeared. I asked him what was different and he said, "Your body looks taller." Apparently I slouched a lot the way I used to run. He also said it looked like my feet were landing underneath me rather than in front of me... this is what I want!!!

When I watch my kids run, this is how they do it. They don't heel strike. Somewhere along the way we adults start to land on our heels. There are some fortunate grown up runners who naturally run with a midfoot strike, and I've found that they deal with practically no overuse injuries. I talked to Miguel about it and he said it was actually the most efficient way to run, but it will take practice. But he is all for it if I don't feel pain. Of course he's naturally a midfoot striker. Some guys have all the luck. ;)

I'll update when I get the results of the MRI tomorrow.

Run on, run healthy!