Q:

Hello,

I'm training for a half marathon and I got lazy for 5 days and missed the workouts, but once I got going again I started where I should have been on my training schedule which was 10 miles. After I ran it I felt pain on the top of my foot and it was swollen. Now 6 days later it's worse :( My question is, what should I do?

 

A:

As a general rule, my advice in a situation like this would be to temporarily switch to a form of training that doesn't hurt.  For instance, instead of running, use an exercise bicycle, elliptical trainer, etc.  Swimming is not a very good surrogate for running, but that is also a possible alternative.

When forced to suspend training for several days (or when one gets "lazy") one should reinstitute training at a lower load than was being pursued at the time of the interruption, and advance back to the level of pre-interruption gradually over 1-2 weeks, or longer if the lay-off is longer.

In terms of the specific problem you are having with your foot, "The Doc" cannot make diagnoses from information given or exchanged in this forum, and you would be best advised to consult your health care provider for specific evaluation and advice.

~The Doc