There was some spillover from New Year into today as I could not get to sleep early last night and did not wake up in time for my yoga class. Bummer! So I punished myself by going to the gym and putting in 30 minutes on the stationary bike and 40 minutes on the treadmill, alternating between a brisk walk and jogging. I tried out my new Asics GT-2150 that I had my daughter give me for Christmas. I had been using Brooks Beasts, which are the running shoe with maximum support against pronation, for my running for the past two years, but I wanted to get something that did not get in the way of running. The new shoes are much lighter and fit my feet like gloves so I really enjoy using them. I will have to see how my feet and legs hold up under the renewed challenge of light running. I am not expecting to get back to what I was doing before my knee injury and surgery, but I want the option of jogging and running to supplement my yoga. It will also allow me to back off a bit and take my yoga with more ease and stamina.
On my trip to Miami in late November, a heel spur on my left foot became irritated and inflamed. In fact, I first notice the problem when I was doing savasana (in other words, lying flat on my back), and my legs rolled out and put pressure on my heels. I noticed a shot of pain on the heal and had to avoid putting weight on that spot. It did not bother me after class. But when I went to the airport for my flight to Miami, I wore my Brooks Beasts and those shoes irritated the heel spur even more. By the time I got into the hotel, I was limping from the constant pain. I started taking non-prescription anti-inflammatory drugs and putting ice on the heel and sole when I could. The other lucky break was that for the rest of the week I wore dress shoes that did not allow my heel to move around, and that allowed the inflammation to decline gradually. By the end of the week I no longer had to limp. When I got back to Washington, I decided to see a podiatrist since I could see the little knot on my heel and knew that it could be inflamed again. But the first available appointment was not until December 17 so by the time I got to see him, the worst symptoms had disappeared.
Since I knew that I wanted to get back to running, I asked the podiatrist multiple questions about my feet. First, the heel spur (a calcium deposit at the end of my plantar factia) is not something that will prevent me from running if I keep it from getting inflamed again. Second, I should not fear running because of my knee surgery. Third, my arches had not fallen as badly I thought. Getting fitted with a new pair of running shoes would get ahead of those three points, and he suggested JnR Sports in Rockville. I also learned that I was developing peripheral neuropathy in the sole of my feet. I had noticed some numbness as well as tingling sensations and pin pricks in my feet. This condition can be due to multiple causes -- I can immediately rule out some of the more obvious ones, such as diabetes and side effects from certain drugs. The doctor wanted to see how I respond to increased exercise so I'll be seeing him again this month.
At JnR Sports, I tried on Brook, Saucony and Asics shoes in multiple sizes and support levels, narrowing my choice down to the Asics GT2150. I got them in size 11, double E width, which is the first time that I've purchased a wider shoe. I got them in black because I am a bit tired of how most athletic shoes are decked out in swooshes, stripes and logos, in multiple colors and reflective surfaces. I also learned a couple of useful tricks to ensure that the shoes held my heels snugly, thus preventing any rubbing of my heel spur.
Kira Ryder, a West Coast yoga teacher, is one of the rising lights featured in the "21 Under 40" article in Yoga Journal's March 2008 issue. She was early to exploit the advantages of video to open a window into practice. She has 40 videos stashed at LuluBandhas's YouTube Channel. I especially liked her set of six videos on "Opening the Feet" -- yes, you heard me right. Six videos, between 4 and 10 minutes each, on loosening up rigid feet. Just what I need. She also has Lulu Vu, which is her online video outlet for full-length classes, home practice shorts, clips from her teacher training and workshops. She also has a ChannelYoga which highlight non-instructional videos (some links are broken). Kira's studio, Lulu bandha's is in Ojai, CA, near LA. She also has a blog
Labels: feet, videos, yoga_resource
My left big toe has recovered enough that it is no longer putting a cramp on my practice. The swelling has gone down substantially and range of movement has also improved. I can now incorporate jump-backs and jump-forwards into my vinyasa flow. It's now been six weeks since I came down full bore on the toe while doing a one-legged jump-back. It will probably taken another six weeks to heal the joint, which is still red and irritated. This week, I noticed that by the end of the day I was not dying to take off my shoes and put my feet in the air. I could fit into my running shows. I did not worry about my wife kicking my toe from her side of the bed in the middle of the night. Funny how a minor injury like this can throw you off.
It's ugly, but it's the biggest obstacle to my practice right now. Twenty-five days after I jammed my left big toe while doing a jump back, my injury has improved only marginally. It's no longer black and blue (I should have gotten a photo of it the day after). It's still swollen, sore and stiff. Touch the toe in the right place, and it's like needle throbs in a major nerve. As can be seen in the photo, the swelling is located from the first joint up. The cartilage around that joint is probably bent out of shape, and I may even have a hairline fracture. Some of the redness (even rawness of the skin) comes from my big toe rubbing against the second toe, even though I wear my loosest fitting shoes during the day and remain barefooted or in socks as much as possible. Range of movement is limited only when I try to curl my toe.
I've decided to treat the injury each day, rather than pretend that it doesn't bother me: I'll apply ice in the evening, take ibuprofen to hold down the swelling, and raise the foot as much as feasible.
Although my knee injury, operation and recovery have been primary concerns for my yoga practice, a more modest injury has been holding back my practice for the past two weeks. I jammed my left toe on a one-legged jump-back (my torn meniscus, by the way, is on my right side). When it happened, I barely noticed it. It made a sound like cracking your knuckles. In the evening, it start to swell up. The next morning it was black, blue and purple, and throbbing like mad. I made it to work, but saw my doctor the next day to make sure that nothing serious had happened. He said that at most there was a hairline fracture and there was not much that could be done: I should take some ibuprofen and raise it off the ground when seated, whenever possible. By the end of the week, the bruising had gone away (so it was no longer a source of conversation at yoga class), but it will take weeks to get back to normal.
Even though the injury is getting better, it is a major speed bump for my practice (not necessarily a bad thing). I now refrain from doing jump-backs and jump-forwards in vinyasas. When the toe jam happened, I was really feeling a rush in my practice, which may have caused me to be over-aggressive. I had gone to class four days in a row, and was starting to feel some momentum. Where the toe injury really hits me is with balance: the big toe plays a big role in keep the foot (and the rest of the body) level. It's probably better to rely more on the sole of the foot (the old "four corners" mantra) as the touch points of balance, but a jammed toe affects the foot all the way back into the ball of the foot and then up the leg.
