D@#$ near broke it off!

I visited the podiatrist today, very friendly practice, to have a closer look at the foot pain and swelling. This was my first time seeing a podiatrist, so I wasn't sure what to expect. In the visit went well, the Dr. asked about the pain, pressed in a few spots to see how my pain was, and used a tuning fork to vibrate individual bones (ankles and metatarsals) to check for pain. There wasn't any pain with the tuning fork, which he said would be all but conclusive evidence of a stress fracture, but he wanted x-rays just in case. He figured that the symptoms in the left foot were from me favoring the right foot so we only took images of the right foot and ankle.

The assistant stepped me through the x-ray routine and took me back to the examination room. A few minutes later the Dr. was back. He pulled up the images on the computer and we looked at them together. The Ankles were fine, but when he increased adjusted the noise reduction on the film we could see a slight, very slight line across the second metatarsal. Yup, a stress fraction, but a very minor one. It was kind of weird when he announced this to me, he almost looked at me accusingly, like I had sinned or something. Anyway, no need for a boot, just be nice to it for a few more weeks (looking back at when the pain began I must be in week 2 now) and it will heal.

This really sucks, but it is a good lesson for me, I should still have time for the 5k I'm signed up for and it has helped me realize that I need to take it easier. I have Marathoning for Mortals on hold at the library (it is due back today) so I have vowed to read it and stick to the training schedule as suggested and if my feet start telling me that I'm going too hard, I'll back off even more.

Still nursing the balloons

I know it is been a while, but that is because it has been a while since I've ran. My feet are still swollen and there is some pain just under the outside ankle bones, so I have an appointment with the Podiatrist tomorrow.

In the meantime, I'm working on constructing my huaraches. They arrived on the Monday the 1st and I have them cut out and the lace holes marked, but need to pick up the awls to get them finished--hopefully tonight.

(pics of huaraches here)

Their like balloons, okay not that bad

Taking the day off. Last night I noticed that my feet, mainly my right foot, were swollen. This concerned me. At first I thought it was in reaction to the abrasion on my toe from this morning (infection would not be good), so I put a new band aid on with some triple antibacterial creme. The toe feels fine, so I don't think it is infected. So why the swelling? I did a little research and found others that have had swelling after running (shod or unshod, doesn't make a difference), so kicked them up and got some rest.

Today they are still swollen, feel tight in my shoes. I'll do some more reading, soak and ice them tonight. 

We'll see, I want to get out for a good run in the morning so here's to hoping. I'll update this post if I find out more about swelling.

Okay, after reviewing my day yesterday I remembered that I took Zyrtec for my allergies for the first time. A little searching and there it is, one of the rare side effects of Zyrtec are swollen feet and lower legs. Well, time to ditch the Zyrtec and take it easy as the swelling subsides.

Caught red toed

Distance: 2 mi
Time: 28
Intervals run/Walk: 3/1

It is a good thing I wasn't fleeing the scene of a crime, because I left an obvious and painful trail all the way to my door stop. I stepped out this morning ready to meet the pavement and implement the wisdom imparted by my time with the stroller yesterday. Well, I can't say that I felt it as I did on the one miler, but it was better. I'm starting to think that I either need more sleep or morning runs are just not for me or maybe I'm just being a baby. Anyway, having learned my lesson I returned to my tried and true 2 mi track. I continued using the run/walk method, but with the adjustments to my times: 3 min run followed by a 1 min walk. This made the run take a significantly longer time, but I was able to keep my heart rate under control a lot more effeciently and for a longer distance.

I must have been sloppier than I had hoped, because the 4th toe on my right foot (see may 23, 2009 for pics) was throbbing again by mile marker 1.5 and my big toe on my left foot had a large blister protruting to the inside of my foot ouch. Of course the pain didn't really settle in utnil I was home trying too cool down on the driveway. It was during this cool down that I noticed that each time my right foot touched the ground and lifted up there would be a nice wet and red circle left to mark the spot, I took a look at my toe and found that where the heald (so I thought) blister had been there was a little wound pooling with blood. I quickly turned around and walked back tracked my path and found the same little circle at regular intervals all the way down the path and off into the sunrise. Now, I just wonder how many of those friendly faces that I met out on the trail and gave me confused looks as they noticed my unshod feet became even more confused or concerned as they noticed the little trail I was leaving for the hounds to follow :).

I've mentioned to my wife that I fear that I'm quickly becoming the neighborhood loon, she said that it was better than being the town drunk ;).

Oh and here is a pic:

I'm finally going to be a runner

Okay, Here it goes.

I started trying to become a runner about 4 years ago. I haven't been one to exercise too intensely throughout my life, so this was going to be a life changing event that would propel me into a new era of who I am. I was 26 years old, overweight and overworked. I'm going to skip a little here and fast forward through the next few years by saying that I wasn't successful ( you can skip the details and see the solution by going directly to the last 2 paragraphs).

I started out slow my first year, I strapped on my new high tech running shoes and hit the pavement at a very slow jog for distances that ranged from 1.5 - 4 miles over the summer. It was painful at first, I have flat feet, so the insides of my knees would hurt with each step and by the end of the run my arch would start to blister as it rubbed on the super high tech support built into the soles of my injury preventing, reflective, gel filled runners. I chalked it up to my inexperience and kept at it. My heart rate monitor was my guide, it told me when I could speed up and when I needed to slow down or even stop along the beaten path. As I said, this didn't end well, a few months past and I had developed runners knee, the experienced trainer at my local running store told me that my quads were weaker than my hamstring so my knee was suffering, he sold me some really expensive pills, 2 knee bands, and sent me on my way. I spent the rest of the year in recovery. 

Here is another fast forward, a few more years of the same (can skip to the last 2 paragraphs). Summer would come I would start running, each step hurt and each summer ended with knee issues. Last year was the last straw. I was bound and determined to be ready for the summer so that my knees and feet could enjoy running as much as the rest of me did. So in December 2007 I started a total body make over. I jumped on the P90X wave, changed my eating habits, and worked my tail off. By summer I was 20 pounds lighter, had lost 30 pounds of fat, and felt better than I had ever felt in my life! I was convinced that this was it, I would top off my physical achievements by starting down the road to becoming a successful runner. Ha, that was my knees, not me, they had the last laugh. I trained for a the fourth of July 5K, though my feet and knees still hurt with each step, it wasn't the same I felt stronger and healthier--I could bare the pain. I was able to build up my mileage to 8 miles on my long runs. I ran the 5k and continued my training after. Around the beginning of August is when it happened. I started to feel a sharp pain on the side of my knees, a new sensation that wasn't good at all! The days after my runs were agony especially walking down stairs. I decided to do a little research and found that I had IT Band issues and that I needed to fix it now!!! 

So that is how last year ended, the same as each and every year before, my physical fitness had no affect on my ability to run injury free. I was really upset at this point and hated to come to the conclusion that, though everyone else I knew was, I wasn't made for running. 

WRONG!!!!

This brings us up to date. I had a very busy year and have gained back some of the lbs lost and my heart isn't as strong has it had been. So I jumped back on my work out and diet regimen a few weeks ago and am feeling great, though sluggish still. As I looked to this summer I had a nagging to get running again, though I knew it would hurt and end in failure, I figured that I would give it a try in a few weeks after giving my body time to get stronger and more agile. During these first few weeks before I started running again, I started thinking a bit about my technique and form. These thoughts lead me to do some research online and I came across a lot of good information that I looked forward to implementing (stretches, training schedules, etc). One of my friends is a chiropractor who has recently become certified in building custom orthopedics, so I figured I'd give him a call and get some built to help support my arches (kind of a funny thought when you consider the implications of supporting a structure used for its effectiveness as a supporting structure). The real answer came one morning when I was listening to the radio on my way to work, a local radio show was going to interview an author of a new book called Born To Run and the quick description spoke about these Indians in Mexico that run with sandals, wait, they don't just run in sandals they run over 100 miles in sandals and well into their 50s. I was hooked, I didn't have time to listen to the podcast for a few days, so I researched the author and related information and came across this revolutionary idea, we aren't meant to run comfortably in high tech shoes (maybe I am normal after all), we were built to run barefoot. This information was incredible and simply made sense to me, I have a few kids and love to wear flip flops, well, each time I have to run after one of the kids I have to slip off the thongs and take off barefoot and it has always felt good to do so. 

So, this blog exists to give me a place to log my journey to becoming a runner for the first time. And, in the end, I hope it gives good empirical evidence for the benefits of running barefoot, not as a converted experienced runner, but as a beginner.