Three Months to Go

Three months from today, plans are to walk the final 20 miles of my three day, 60-mile walk for Susan G. Komen in the fight against breast cancer. If the walk were today, I would not be able to do it - my foot is still too sore from this persistent plantar fasciitis that I've now had for two months. I've had two weeks - six treatments - of the active release therepy, each quite painful. I wear the night splint every night - it is the most uncomfortable thing! I do the foot and Achilles stretches 4-6 times a day. I roll my foot on my foot log twice a day, and on a frozen water bottle a time or two. The net result so far is that I think - and it might be wishful thinking - that my foot does not hurt quite as much with each step.

I am still not walking for effect. I do average about 10,000 steps a day of what I would call incidental walking. I have shortened my stride and slowed down more, because it causes less pain on the heel strike. Every now and then, someone will even pass me on the street, which is annoying, the male competitor in me must say!

Yesterday, the doctor added me spelling the alphabet with my foot, using exaggerated motions to flex my foot towards and away from my shin. He also added me picking up marbles - indoor flower landscaping stones actually - with my toes to improve foot strength. I can't curl my toes well, so it is difficult. But I did it slowly and I could see sticking with it and getting better at it.

I cannot imagine not doing this walk after raising all this money and telling my sister months ago that I would be doing it. She is gone now. I can't tell her I changed my mind because of some pain. So I need to get this healed as soon as I can and start walking again. The Komen 3-Day coaches are switching my training schedule from the 24 week calendar to 16 week calendar, which given that I have 13 weeks left, is a better fit for someone coming off an injury.

Oh, I have four friends doing an ironman triathlon this Sunday in Idaho - how cool is that?