I guess like many runners I had begun taking for granted that as long as certain very basic things were in place, I didn't have to worry about injuries! I buy the right shoes, had my pronation evaluated at a running store, on the machine, etc, increase my distance in small, widespread intervals, and focus on form when running: body upright, back straight with a very slight bend forward (but never far enough for knees over feet), regulate breathing, cadence, etc. My inconsistencies, however, are hydration and stretching...the worst of which being stretching!
About a month or so ago I wore out my Ravennas and thought I'd give the new Cadence a try, as I am a mostly neutral shoe wearer (or LIGHT support), and an avid BROOKS wearer. They felt pretty good, although certainly not the "running on marshmallow pads" feeling that the Ravenna gave me. A few times, after running my normal 5-6 miles, I had some discomfort in my arch, or in the morning, pain in the back of my heel, and a hard time walking for the first half hour or so. This continued for a few weeks, but I wrote it off to "occupational hazard" and didn't pay much attention. I also didn't stretch after running, really, at all.
A couple of weeks ago I went for a nice 8 mile run on the Suncoast Trail while visiting out of town, and had stiffness and pain in my calf along with some arch discomfort. The next morning, painful heel again. It was then that I decided the Cadence (two months later) was not really the shoe for me, and I bought 2 more pairs of Ravennas to rotate between, in order to get more wear out of them. From the first run, I was ecstatic to be back in "the perfect shoe"!
This week, after 6 miles in my new Ravennas, I woke with an inordinate amount of pain in my heel, which lasted longer than usual. When I started my run, I went about 3 feet and had to stop. At home, stretching and rolling my foot around, there was a lot of snapping and clicking. It was then that I realized, after some research, that I had ruptured my achilles! All that "running past the pain" and ignoring the initial symptoms finally caught up.
In hindsight, I cannot believe I wore my old Ravennas for several weeks after wearing out the insole, which was the catalyst of this injury, I'm sure. I also cannot believe I even TRIED the Cadence when I LOVE the Ravennas as much as I do; and that I kept running with them after almost immediately knowing they were truly not the shoe for me.
I had my stride re=evaluated at JRC and found out I DO overpronate a bit to the inside of my foot, although I land right in the middle. A completely neutral shoe, or one with MORE than very light support, does not work for my stride.
The REAL bummer is that I am off for 8 weeks for summer break and had a major running training regime scheduled for myself with my 2 new pairs of Ravennas. Instead, I cannot run AT ALL for at least (from what my professional running friends tell me) a couple of weeks. I CANNOT/WILL NOT, however, simply sit completely laid up, so I have begun eccentric calf stretches (15 reps 1-2 times per day), icing in the evening, and 60 minutes of jogging on the elliptical each day in order to keep my leg muscles in shape so that when I CAN finally return to what I love, it will NOT be like starting over.
Note to self, and my fellow runners: Once you have the perfect shoe, do NOT change for any reason; running shoes wear out in about THREE months, so replace right away, STRETCH well after every run, and do NOT ignore pain and discomfort!
