(G): The recovery process is proving to potentially be my greatest teacher and my undoing all at once. I am impatient. I do not like to wait, typically. It’s one of the reasons that I like ultra running because it requires patience. It teaches me to relax and let the distance unfold.

That sounds all nice and zen, doesn’t it?
Training and running a race, however, are an active sort of patience. I am moving and a participant in the patience, if you will.

But waiting to train makes me want to smack myself or anyone else within arm’s reach. It’s been a constant dance of two steps forward and, at times, three steps back. As I keep repeating: my foot is better. And it is but it’s not better enough to do whatever I want. It’s not better enough to throw caution to the wind. Every training and cross training decision I make right now has to be really thought out.

I started back to walking last Wednesday and I have never pondered how far I could walk before I had pain nor had that ever really mattered. I can handle pain. I can deal with pain. Trying to avoid pain and having that be my indicator to stop, well that’s new.

Right now, pain is a sign that I am agitating the fascia in my foot, therefore, the healing is being halted. My pants not being able to button is a sign that I am systematically putting on weight as fast as they load luggage onto a Southwest flight. F-A-S-T!! I am currently loading a muffin top and chubby cheeks.

Letting go and going with the flow are not my strong points. I am a push through, muscle it out kind of person. But instead, here I am stretching my toes, contemplating my belly button, and learning to shorten my stride. It is tedious and it makes me grouchy. I need to run or walk very, very far. I need to be in a full blown, miserable sweat. I need to suffer in the physical sense. All this mental torture, well, I have had enough of it.

I have, in my weakened mental condition, found something somewhat hateful to do. Walk on gravel. Yep and it’s a totally sanctioned healing activity.
It seems that walking on coarse gravel either barefoot or with socks helps to keep the fascia in your foot mobile and it’s recommended you walk like this for 10 minutes a day. It’s rough but strangely when I am done my foot feels really good! Weird, right?

I think this weekly installment is going to become a list of what new, crazy thing I am willing to try and I have done quite a lot of silly things. The truth of it all is that the tissue is mad at me and I have to let it heal. There isn’t a magic pill for that. It’s a waiting game and until then I will learn to play the piano with my toes, walk on hot coals, and ride the bike until my butt is numb.

(L): This week has been full and exhausting and I did not do a single traditional workout.  We have been in Nashville for the last week doing home-improvement projects.  We have painted two rooms, stained a barn door and hung it, laid a wood floor, but on the wall, and so many other little things that I can’t even get my brain to recall at the moment.

Okay, I actually didn’t lay a finger on a wood plank.  I did spend quite a bit of time oohing and awwing appropriately about how nice it looked and was happy to leave that project to the engineers.

My “home improvement workout” did include a step machine in the form of a ladder.  After a while it’s better than squats.  I also spent quite a bit of time working on my Karate Kid movements while painting and staining.  My upper body was screaming by Saturday night.

We are headed home as you read this and while my body feels like I did an ultra marathon or participated in a karate exhibition this weekend, sadly I did not.

Here are a few photos of our projects though.