At some point, I think all triathletes end up dealing with some pains and niggling injuries.  We put our bodies through a lot, and sometimes we push a little too far.

I have been dealing one such issue during, and after my last few runs.  I have a case of mild extensor tendonitis in my left foot.  The pain hasn’t been bad. I can run without changing my form. I could keep going, but it’s time to nip this issue in the bud.

Early in my endurance career, I would get similar pains and minor injuries.  I would always try to push through them and tough it out.  To be fair, sometimes this approach worked, but more often than not, things just got progressively worse.  Things would get so bad, that I often ended up sidelined for weeks on end.

These days, I typically try a few workouts to see if things get better, but if they don’t, I try to make a more significant effort to fix things before they get bad.  This foot injury is one I need to take care of.

Fortunately, timing is in my favor.  This week is a recovery week for me, with a lot less workouts.  Yesterday, I chose not to do my short recovery run and that means I have four consecutive days with no running.  This is perfect to try and get over this minor injury.

So I have been making appointments with some of my favorite ‘maintenance tools’.  I have been using the foam roller to massage my calves and ‘Spike’ (my spiked massage ball) to massage my plantar fascia.  This, together with regular icing, is already helping.

So please heed my advice ..  a small amount of preventative maintenance, will usually prevent a whole lot missed workouts!!