Cheris

Met with Steve today, along with Michelle and Eric. It was great to talk to Steve and get some of our never-ending questions answered. After warming up we did one minute of 5K pace, followed by 2 minutes of marathon pace. We repeated this 7 times. It totally made our marathon pace seem like a relaxed pace!

So my calves are doing much, much better. NOW, the issue is a bruise on the top of my foot that I got who knows where. But it hurts to run! I am trying to baby it, and hopefully it will get better soon.

Medium-effort day today. We met the running group, and ran around the high school. We averaged around marathon pace, and Michelle and I did a couple of fast pick-ups on the track.

Wow! I tried to go running this morning, and I lasted 1 minute and 11 seconds. My foot hurt so much I just turned around and called through all the podiatrists in the yellow pages until I found someone who could see me. I saw Dr. Kenney, and what a huge relief! I was starting to think I had a stress fracture. However, he reassured me (without even looking at my X-ray), that no, I didn't have a stress fracture, I just had WAY messed up bone structure. I have always had total problems with my feet, I have seen THREE different podiatrists before this guy, and no answers. However, he totally explained the weird tumor-like bone growths on my heel, and pointed out new bone growths on top of my feet that I hadn't even noticed. Those are actually the probem--they had started to encapsulate my nerves, which was causing all the pain.

So he taped my feet to see how my knees/hips would adjust to "proper" feet whatever, and next week he will fit me for orthotics that will help me land better (I actually pronate AND supanate). And he said it will actually make me FASTER!!! So I totally love the man. He even told me that my feet land so weird that that is the reason I have callouses over the tips of my toes--because I am trying to get traction, and my feet never can lock into place to push off effectively.

So, after I got home from seeing him and running som errands, I finally went running at about 2:30. I got to watch the lightning, and I actually felt great. I did have to cut some of the tape off (Dr. Kenney gave me approval to do this), and then the tape wasn't quite so constrictive.

Yay! I hope this helps me get over all my feet issues!

I met Michelle, Peggy and Mike for a warm-up of about 2.5 miles. When everyone else came, we started off on a marathon pace run up 9800 S. and back. The first four uphill miles made me tired, but we did pretty well keeping on pace. Then the four miles downhill felt a little better. We started out slow with the group, so our first mile was slow, but overall we averaged 8:08. Then I did a little to cool down.

And Michelle wore her blue skirt, that I love! And we had fun talking to Lynette and Amy--everyone has such interesting stories, it's cool to get to know some of them!

AND MY FEET FELT SO MUCH BETTER! Even with the tape, and that I forgot to put a new padding thing in my shoes (my Dr. put one in my other shoes, I forgot that I rotate and would need another!). So I am stoked about getting my feet better once and for all! Until whatever my next injury will be!

Lunch was really fun today for Peggy's birthday--it's always awesome to get together with everyone when we don't have to run!

What a fun day--only four miles, since I don't want to do too many miles this week. And with a 22 tomorrow, it means short today! I went and got some New Balance shoes with roller bars, like my podiatrist recommended. It felt great to run in them, I had been worried that they would be heavier, etc. Afterward my knee hurt, but that could be because my feet are still taped up. I need to leave the tape on through my long run tomorrow, because today I tried to cut off a little more where he said I could, and it took the skin with it! Ouch!

Michelle, Jody and I did our usual loop, about 8:50 pace. It actually felt great! My foot started hurting a little in the middle, and by the end it was done, but at least I made it, and when I get my inserts this week it should correct the foot issue. I just worry about starting to wear inserts so close to the marathon!