The mess in the middle

[ksmith]

Jogging/running/whichever continues. 3.25 miles/40 minutes both Wednesday and tonight, bracketed by warm-up, cool-down and 15 minutes of incline walking. 70 minutes total. The 40 minutes includes 25 minutes @ 5mph, which is the longest time I have ever been able to keep that pace. OK, it's poky, but six months ago my feet were so screwed up that I thought they were riddled with stress fractures and/or arthritis. Not only that, but they were knocking my entire body out of whack. I would catch myself walking with a starboard list, and I actually had to concentrate on straightening my spine. If I didn't pay attention, I would just tilt to the right again. Everything was buckling because my very high arches were not getting the needed support.

It isn't an exaggeration to say that these orthotics have changed my life. My feet are a little stiff in the morning, but nothing like what they were. I'm walking straight again. My knees ::knock wood:: get a little twingey, but that goes away. It's not soreness.

That being said, the middle 20 minutes of a run are like the middle of a book. Misery. Too far into the mire to turn back, but yet with so far to go. Sometimes the only thing that keeps me going is the prospect of a shower and dinner when I'm done. And yoga butt. The prospect of someday developing a yoga butt, in as much as I can at my age.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I got custom orthotics many years ago, and was very pleased with how much they helped my planar fasciitis. They gave me some pain when I stood, but not nearly as much as they cured. Unfortunately, my back pain continued to escalate until it got crippling. Now I'm wearing barefoot shoes: www.vibramfivefingers.com. For the first time in years my feet don't hurt at all. Yes they are sometimes stiff in the morning, but no pain on sitting, standing, or walking. But best of all, my shoes aren't torquing my back out anymore. My back pain is *way* down.

I envy you your 3 mile runs. I'd love to be strong enough to go that far every day. Maybe this summer I'll get there.

A - hampered by snow

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Running is the simplest way I've found to take the weight off. I have a treadmill in the living room, and I clap on the iPod and bull on through. Walking kept my muscles in decent shape, but I wasn't losing weight. I actually gained weight. Maybe I wasn't watching my diet closely enough, but one of the main reasons I want to keep running is so I don't have to. I love eating good, healthy food, but I can't give up cookies and chocolate. They're food groups all by themselves.

[(Anonymous)]

LOL! I so wish I could eat cookies and chocolate. I lose weight when I give up the potato chip/corn chip habit. For now I'll have to content myself with walking up steep hills. I've got a long way to go before I'm back in any kind of shape at all.

Question: What are you writing these days? I need another KSmith fix.

A

[kristine-smith.livejournal.com]

Question: What are you writing these days? I need another KSmith fix.

No more Jani stuff. I'm afraid. I think that ship has sailed, at least for the foreseeable future.

I may be contributing a tale to an upcoming anthology, but I don't know when that will be released.

[(Anonymous)]

Much as I love Jani, she's solved most of the problems she faced. I hope you find a new novel to write soon.

A