June Runfessions
Guess what time it is? It’s time for Marcia to open her “runfessional!” That means it’s almost the end of June… time is flying by. Let’s start this one off with the ever-popular “Left Foot Update.” Let’s see… not much has changed since the last update. My foot still hurts but not usually while I’m running. I’m super happy I’ve been able to continue with my Sunday long runs and weekly speed work- two things that made it flare up painfully in the past. So, it’s better than it was. BUT… It’s still hard to step down first thing in the morning, and anytime I sit for any length of time. At this point I feel like I might have plantar fasciitis (and my extra-special deluxe “lateral column syndrome”) for the rest of my life. I runfess that I’ve been thinking about an article Wendy sent me a while back. A study was done that shows promise for a new plantar fasciitis treatment. “We take a small amount of fat from an area of excess — like the belly, inner thigh or love handles — and then inject the fat into the bottom of the foot near where the fascia inserts into the heel bone,” explained study co-author Dr. Jeffrey Gusenoff. REALLY??? They would take fat from my BELLY and inject it into my heel, which would then relieve the PF pain? It’s a win-win! Unfortunately, since my insurance didn’t pay for shockwave treatments, I’m sure it wouldn’t pay for this. Especially since this treatment is brand-new, and the article mentioned that more studies need to be done. I volunteer! Take all the fat out of my belly you need. Take extra, just in case. Moving on! I’ve declared this the “Summer of Strength.” I used to refer to myself as the “reluctant strength trainer” but now I’m all in. I’ll never love it like I love running, but I completely understand the necessity of getting strong, and I’ve finally found a collection of Peloton classes that work for me. But, I’ll runfess (strength-fess?) that I had yet another core class fiasco. THIS time, I wrenched my neck and caused a muscle spasm down into my shoulder. I can’t even explain how it happened- I didn’t have my hands behind my head. I was doing supported v-ups on alternating sides, and somehow I just twisted the wrong way. ARRRRG! This is the third issue I’ve had- the first being the terrible DOMS in my throat where I thought I was going to need a feeding tube, and the second being the skin rubbed raw around my tailbone which made sitting uncomfortable for days. It’s one thing after another, and yet I continue to do core classes. Why? Well… I’m pretty sure if my core were stronger I wouldn’t have these constant mishaps. I was mentioning this to my co-worker (who was noticing that I couldn’t turn my head to the side, sigh) and she said when she does a core class, she substitutes a different move when there’s one that gives her trouble. Hmmm! There’s a concept. From now on I’m going to do that, rather than barrel through the workout, doing every move the instructor does no matter what. I think I’ve proven that doesn’t work for me. Really… I’m having a great summer. The muscle spasm in my neck will go away (eventually) and looking on the bright side, if I still have plantar fasciitis in a couple years maybe I can use it as an excuse to have the fat sucked out of my stomach. That’s something to look forward to! How is your summer going? Do you have anything to runfess?