Never say Never Again

The story goes back to two years ago when my foot first started hurting. Ignore it I did. Oh, it will go away. My running had become sporadic though and my weight had started its increase, not that I was ever thin after my children were born. I went to the running store when my cousin was visiting from India, talked to the sales person about my pain. She said it sounded like the beginnings of plantar fasciitis - I had no clue and had to look it up. But gave me a few options. I settled for the Strasbourg sock which I wore pretty regularly for about a month until I left for Hongkong first, and then India, at which point I hardly used it. I couldn't bear the thought of wearing a sock and sleeping in that heat. I still continued running off and on, thinking, oh, if I give it a rest for one or two days, it seems fine thereafter. Came back only to find that I couldn't stand for as long as I was used to and needed to in order to perform my job the way that I thought was effective. At one point, two of my co-workers (out of concern for my feet, not otherwise), said I should just forget it, that my running days are over and that I should just stop because they would see me limping and hobbling down the hallway. Oh, well, stubborn as I was, I wasn't going to take no for an answer. Finally, after two stretches where I hadn't run for three weeks but still had throbbing pain the day I did some activity, not even running, I decided that I had to see the doctor. By this time it had been six months at least. How very foolish - but I didn't know that. Anyway, I went through wearing a boot, went through this ultrasound treatment - electrodes that penetrate deep into your tissue and it hurts like crazy - three minutes seem like a lifetime. When I asked the intern about whether they have had people screaming, she responded in the affirmative and also stated that invariably, it is the men who do so. Talk of pain tolerance of the stronger sex! Anyway, nothing seemed to work. I had tried swimming, bought this contraption that keeps you afloat and helps you run in the water. I could do the elliptical. However, none of them appealed to me. After all, running is something I have enjoyed since I was ten years old. That feeling cannot be replaced by some other activity (for the past two months, I have been doing zumba and much as I enjoy it, it is no replacement for running in my mind). However, why didn't it work? They said at the doctor's office that it would take at least three months after the ultrasound treatment. So I decided to wait despite the bumps. By now, all thought of running had vanished. If I could walk well I would be happy. If I didn't have to sit down so often during the day, that would be great. However, that didn't do it either. I had worn only running shoes all the time at work, outside, everywhere, with the recommended insoles. Then one of my closest college friends recommended something called "flit flops". I looked it up - they were only available at a specific department store. When I went there, the salesman was very nice, asked me why, what the problem was, etc and then recommended these clogs made by "Dansko". I bought them hesitantly. They were as expensive as my running shoes, seemed kind of oddly fitting. But I took his advice and am I glad I did. That was the turning point in terms of how my feet felt. I wore only those shoes thereafter and my feet started feeling better only after that. Well, but I didn't start running yet. And boy, was I scared that the same thing would happen. One day, this good friend of mine who is an ultramarathoner saw some update from me and called me. That 3 minute conversation gave me the pep I needed and I dedicated today's run to him. He suggested a few places and said - just get out there - even if you walk a mile, or around the block. I decided to try it out thereafter. Still not regularly, nor with a routine, but oh, well, it was a start. I was starting a new job, it was exciting and there was so much I wanted to do. That plus the Master's program I had started in winter took precedence and everything else took a back seat. I still didn't think I had found the capacity to run the distance I would like to. By December 2012, I was disgusted with myself. I had never weighed so much, never felt so bloated or weird, felt horribly out of shape and decided I had to do something about it. I first started with a change in my food habits. That worked initially and I lost a few pounds. I was still scared to run because I thought this weight would cause more foot problems. Then came the big changer. The same month, my husband bought me a Nike+Fuel Belt. I am never one to wear contraptions when I run - I want to enjoy the fresh air, the sounds, the smells, the nature around. But when he had asked me for about the fifth time if I had set up the Fuel Belt, I decided I had to. That was another turning point. Once I had set it up, I had to get to a certain minimum level. On my son's birthday on Jan 3rd, the kids bought this "Just Dance 4" on the Wii. I have never considered myself to be a dancer and dance I don't but I do try and keep up with the moves. So I realized I was pushing my body beyond its comfort zone. That also helped me get lots of points on the Fuel Belt. Pretty soon, it became an obsession and anytime I had a few minutes, I would do a song. That meant activity instead of just putting my feet up. And I kept pushing myself further and further. In the past six months I have lost 22 pounds. The other thing I was determined to do - run at least one mile everyday. It didn't matter to me if I ran just a mile. I just had to do it. So I went all out to achieve that mile, even if it meant squishing it in between making lunches and showering to leave for work in the morning. If it meant a walk run, but I should have run at least a mile, that was fine. So, I started doing between 1.5 - 3 miles every day, 3 miles being more of an exception. During the process, one of my coworkers had inspired me to run the local 8K race. I figured I hadn't run 8K in my runs but it was doable with all my other activity. So in March, I ran my first race in almost two years. The problem was that the gym had fallen off my radar with my class schedule. Getting up at 3 was becoming harder. 4 was happening but that didn't give me enough time to work and then get over an hour at the gym, in order to be back home by 6. So in April, I made the decision to join a gym that wasn't open before 5 but is like around the corner from our house, where I have added my children. So that way I take my son, so he also gets to exercise and I got to try out all these zumba classes. All of which got me excellent upper body workout and helped with my stamina, while also helping me lose weight. The net result with all these changes - I was feeling so much better and even fitter than when I was running regularly. I also brought about a change in my shoes. I had decided to buy these Vibrams on a whim last year but hadn't used them a whole lot. In April, I started using them more regularly, started really liking them, and, in fact, when I used my regular Mizunos, they seemed bulky and weird. Also, I tend to really push my limits. So I really pushed my limits as far attaining the fuel goal was concerned. That really seems to be paying off. With all of these changes, I ran my first half marathon today in two years. That account is in the next entry.