Magic Remedy

After a minor foot injury and taking a week and a half off I am back on track. I was doing my 16 mile run through Rock Creek Park with the Arlington Road Runners Club and I woke the next day to a very tender foot. Not owning a car and having to walk to work, the grocery store, and all other errands make this type of an injury much more annoying than I could have imagined.

I spent the week limping before I had an X-Ray which showed nothing was wrong with my bones. My doctor used to be an EMT for the Marine Corps Marathon and told me he used to watch people collapse on the Memorial Bridge right around mile 21 (subliminal hint to get me to quit?). Things were not looking good. I took the long runs off and figured I'd give running a try after walking felt natural again.

This Saturday I did my first long run back, 18 miles! My foot felt fine the whole run but when I stopped to refill on some water I immediately noticed the same pain was back. A coworker and a runner at ARRC told me to try an ice bath. I used to be forced to do ice baths for crew and a fair warning to all this is not for the faint of heart. I filled my tub up with the coldest water and emptied my freezer's ice supply into it. 15 unbearable minutes later I got out and gave each of my feet an additional 20 minute ice bath.

As much as I whined the whole time about my frozen limbs and the fact that our margarita ice supply was now gone the ice bath worked like a miracle. My foot didn't hurt at all afterward. On top of that, my typical grandma waddle on long run days from tight hips didn't happen either. I walked like a normal functioning person for the rest of the day.

The ice bath is now a permanent part of my routine.