Blogger’s Block

It has been pretty quiet around here.  I’ve been fighting Blogger’s Block.  Typically I get a flash of an idea for something to blabber about, but recently the idea flow has been all dried up.  I’m pretty sure I know why this is the case.  I’ve been dealing with a new pain in my foot and it has been really quite depressing.  When contemplating giving another update I just didn’t feel the energy.  Tiring to write about.  I can only imagine how long-in-the-tooth it becomes for the reader.

The results of the ASTYM treatments earlier in the Summer were just phenomenal.  I was up to running 3 mi every other day.  The Pose Method techniques just feel fantastic.  While the rhythmic beat of running has always had an appeal and satisfaction for me, Pose makes it that more enjoyable.  It feels great. 

I went on a backpacking trip in August (which was a blast) and it must have messed up my foot.  Following the trip I couldn’t even come close to running the amount I was prior to the trip.  Fortunately it does not seem to be the PF.  The doc thought I bruised my heel bone.  I took oral steroids to calm down the inflammation.  Unfortunately that didn’t do much.  Then I did some iontophoresis to help get the inflammation down.  That didn’t do much either.  The problem is that any reasonable amount of activity (just walking) causes a fairly significant amount of pain.  It appears something is injured and just not healing.  I decided to take my own advice and use my orthotics to give my feet a chance to rest and heal.  So I’m back to wearing them on a daily basis with my old motion control shoes – just to give them some help.  So far so good – they’ve greatly reduced the pain.  My plan is to give the feet a chance to rest and heal and then gradually get out of them.  The PT has gotten me doing even more hip stuff.  There are still moderate strength issues.  I’m still struggling with a basic issue:  When I balance on one leg the bad-foot side just goes crazy – twitching and such.  On the good side it’s as solid as a rock and calm.

On another front my wife’s efforts to start running are going really well.  She is slowly increasing her running time and, while she had a very brief bout of shin splints at the very beginning, she has no issues now.  She is even reporting she is enjoying it more and more – and she is keeping at it.  I’m also getting some indicators this disease (running) may be spreading to the rest of the family.  Maybe I started something here.  It only took 15 years of going out in the sun and rain and wind and snow and…….. 

Jim