Week in Review

55 miles
90 mins. elliptical
7 days in Charlotte
5 AFDs

Well, that got a bit out of hand. I have a feeling Jordan is going to be slightly put out when he sees that number (which serves him right after all the times he's snuck above the 100 mile mark and then left me to find out upon reading his blog). But, honestly, how could you blame me for ramping up the mileage? My foot feels good, the weather is delightful, I've actually been home for the entire week and Jordan isn't around to monitor me. With that said, I do plan to be a wee bit smarter and dial things back a notch next week, which shouldn't be too difficult considering I will be in Ft. Lauderdale for work Wednesday through Saturday.

The good thing is my foot feels absolutely, positively, 100% normal. And, as I've said before, the absolute best part about being so out of shape is that I literally gain fitness from every run. So although I still feel terrible, I feel about 10 times better than I did this time last week, and I know I'll feel even better a week from now. It helps that I'm able to pass most of my runs alongside Jordan, Caitlin, Tanya and other friends; no matter how bad I'm feeling, it's easy enough to get lost in conversation and forget about the miles ahead.

The other thing that has helped tremendously is the care and attention I've received from everyone at Greenapple Sports & Wellness. I swear, I would probably be crippled without those guys. Right now Dr. Greenapple and I are discussing the possibility of custom made orthotics. Allow me to say up front that I've never really bought into the whole orthotic concept and have never worn any before. I can't tell you how many times customers brought them into the running store after spending hundreds of dollars on them when they didn't really need them. However, Dr. G thinks that I might be a special case. The issue is twofold: 1. Bunions (thanks, Mom) on both feet, which make toeing off properly through the first metatarsal a herculean task; 2. Bowed legs (appreciate it, Dad), which means that my tibial angle is all jacked up. When you add these two charming attributes together and multiply it by about 300 miles a month, you have a recipe for potential injury. Specifically, Dr. G thinks that my "special" condition means I'm unable to bear enough weight on the first metatarsal and the navicular bone and instead jettison the majority of it over toward the middle part of my foot. This makes logical sense given the manifestation of my recent foot injury. Orthotics come in because they can be designed in a way that simultaneously supports the navicular and also shifts my toe-off medially. To be honest, I'm not opposed to the idea. There's no guarantee it will work, but then again what is there to lose at this point? An issue related to my form or footstrike could be corrected to a certain extent, but unfortunately my inherent deformities cannot. So, from my perspective, it's worth a shot.

In other running news, lots of solid performances at Chicago today. I'll link to Jordan's blog as he somehow managed to post results in between sake bombs. It is definitely motivating to see my friends competing at these fall marathons, and I can't wait to be back on the starting line feeling fit and healthy again. Until then, I'm taking things one week at a time.