One Week To Go

Key Words: Thamus, Boot, Wrap It Up
Word Count: 638

My foot felt OK come Sunday morning, so I went with the usual bike "Tour de Bayou" (a 45 minute trek around Buffalo Bayou) complete with a set of jumps on some speed hills (they are not speed bumps, much too big) just to give the legs a final challenge. Then, back and biceps workout at the apartment, and my prescribed day of cross training was complete.

On Monday morning I went to the apartment gym to ride the bike for a while; all was well. After work, I debated whether to run, but seeing as we had softball, I opted for another stint on the bike. Things went pretty foul at that point, as my left hammy (the leg with the foot problem) was not happy. Much stretching ensued, and off I went to softball.

It was a big night for the softball team. We lost a game last week (gasp!), and would had a chance to restate our normal dominance over the league. Unlike week one, I had a couple of Shiners before the game, and thus pretty much pitched lights out. I had three or four strikeouts (most against girls, but hey, better than last week), but unfortunately the shortstop from game two, Thamus (who names there kid that?), ripped three doubles in three at bats (the kid can run; most were singles he made into doubles). Our defense was stellar again, but the bats struggled. This week, unlike last week, my bat was amongst the dead; I went 1-3 with a walk. We won the first game 10-0, but in the second game I came to bat with the bases loaded twice, and went o-2, with one double play, one infield pop-out, but did at least manage to let a run score during a squirrelly play where the Ump's though the other team got a triple play. My team picked me up though, and batted in three runs in the final inning for a one run victory; 3-1 on the season.

My health after those games is simply put, pretty bad. My leg went all haywire, with all kinds of foot/hammy pain. Jon mentioned using a frozen water bottle on the foot so I've been administering ice to the sole of my foot since Monday night (including work; screw it, I gotta get healthy). I have a foot brace on order (should be here tomorrow) to help my plantar fascia stay limber while I sleep. Why the brace you ask? People sleep with their foot pointed down, thus allowing the Achilles and plantar fascia to tighten as they have no tension on them. In the morning, you walk on the tense fascia and they get very irritated (thus the traditional "morning pain" of plantar fasciitis). This is a problem not due to the pain, but since this irritation guarantees a daily irritation of the fascia, thus slowing/preventing healing. The boot is a commonly prescribed treatment for the problem, so hopefully I am being proactive in a positive way.

I'm not sure how much more running or cross training I will be doing before Chicago. Better to be healthy and untrained than trained and unhealthy; eight days of rest helped, but didn't alleviate the problem. After Chicago, I'm going to my doctor to make sure I don't have a heel spur on the foot, which would probably mean a more extended break from running.

Believe it or not it is almost time to wrap up this blog! I leave for Auburn then Chicago in a week! Over the next few posts I'll wrap things up, discuss what I've learned, and where we go from here.

Keep those fascia loose people!