Archive for May, 2009

2 Things again today.

1.  Plantar Fasciitis -

Doing my exercises and discovering how to waylay the pain!

Ever hear of Superfeet Green inserts?  If you have either Plantar Fasciitis or fallen arches, try a pair of these.  They are so great.  As would be imagined, they will need to go into a shoe with proper support, but once I put these in the shoes I was wearing (right outside the store I bought them in) I was able to walk without limping for the first time in 3 weeks.  I like them so much!

I missed both of my initial competitions this Spring due to that condition!  The South Suburban Parks and Recreation District Highline Canal Fun Run 10K and the Colorado-Colfax Half-Marathon!  I was so bummed, but health and fitness first!

2.  Biking!

My GIANT mountain bike is freshly tuned up and I am riding it!  Went on my first ride today and  completed 8.63 miles in 40:53.

The ride today.

My friend, Tom, started his run, so I caught up to him.  I rode about basically following his run path while making it interesting for me.  For instance, did you know that it is easier to ride a bike counter clockwise around the Harvard Gulch park rather than clockwise?  Don’t know why that is, but my legs realized that fairly early in the ride.

As you can tell, it was just a neighborhood ride to cover ground and get used to the bike!

OK. I went to the Doctor. I like my Doctor. I just don’t like to go and see him. Does that make sense?

Things went well (I think).

He diagnosed me with Plantar Fasciitis. He also changed my blood pressure medicine to see if it is the old medicine that was causing the cough that I have.

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Plantar Fasciitis

Charlie? What exactly is Plantar Fasciitis?

“Plantar fasciitis is a common cause of heel pain in adults. The pain is usually caused by collagen degeneration (which is sometimes misnamed “chronic inflammation”) at the origin of the plantar fascia at the medial tubercle of the calcaneus. This degeneration is similar to the chronic necrosis of tendonosis, which features loss of collagen continuity, increases in ground substance (matrix of connective tissue) and vascularity, and the presence of fibroblasts rather than the inflammatory cells usually seen with the acute inflammation of tendonitis.1 The cause of the degeneration is repetitive microtears of the plantar fascia that overcome the body’s ability to repair itself.”

Thanks to the good people at http://www.aafp.org/afp/20010201/467.html for that quote.

Now…  That is a long, tedious, technical explanation of what Plantar Fasciitis means.  What does it mean to me?  My heel hurts!  It hurts most after a period of rest, I get up and get a lot of pain focused directly under my right heel.  It feels like a bone bruise.  The pain tends to ebb as I walk.  It hurts a little during a run and a lot more afterward.  It never does go completely away, though.

We talked about shoes and the arch of the foot.   Of course, the shoes I wore to the Doctor’s office had no arch what-so-ever.  He made mention of that. He also gave me an instructional sheet and showed me how to do the stretches and exercises.  If you’d like to know what they are, you can go to the same link mentioned above.

As I suffer from high blood pressure. he told me not to take anti-inflammatories such as aspirin.  He suggested that I use ice instead (even to the point of placing my heel on an ice pad as I do my stationary foot exercises.  I will also tape the arch when I wear shoes.  I did wear my running shoes (newest pair) to work to insure I have some arch support.

I was scheduled to run a 10K last weekend and a half-marathon this weekend.  I will go down and get my runner’s goodie bag but won’t wear the shirt this year!  Bummer!

The really bad news?  I was instructed not to run.  He suggested that I bicycle, instead.  Well, the bike is ready!

I’ll keep you posted on it.

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The Cough

I have had a cough for a period of time now.  It came on me seemingly quickly.  One day I did not have a cough and the next day I did.  There weren’t any other symptoms.  Just a nagging, dry cough.

I mentioned it to the Doctor at my last visit.  The decision then was to wait and see what happens with it.  He suspected that it was caused by the Blood Pressure medicine that I was taking.  He switched me over to anther medicine for a while.  I should notice a change in a week (or so).  I’ll monitor my blood pressure twice a day during this trial period.

Again…  I’ll keep you posted!

1. I head for the Doctor tomorrow. The appointment is at 10:30 AM. It is primarily about my right heel. It is a bone bruise or something similar. I’ll mention the continuing cough problem also.
Yes, I know. I have been gaining some weight. He is going to mention it!

2. DirectTV is charging me a lot of money. It keeps going up. $68.99 ($73.99 – $5.00 Qwest bundling offer) 3 months ago it was $55.99. two months ago it was $65.99. This month, it became $68.99. That is just too expensive for a convenience.
I talked to them today. They’re just too expensive and each package is planned to be expensive. They were willing to tell me goodbye. My account is a 5 digit number. The representative was willing to turn me off today. I AM NOT impressed with DirectTV!
I told them I would check other services and the operator told me that I didn’t have to. DirectTV was competitive. FAIL…
Checked out Comcast (cable). It is barely any different. I would have to use their VOIP service, internet and cable TV to even approach affordability. I’d have to drop my current phone and internet service provider.
I called Dish Network. Hmmm… Much better. Everything I have now for 13 dollars less a month. I do think that I’ll make a change! We’ll see!

Question. What do you use for TV in your house? Are you satisfied with them?

Tom’s 10K Race -

Tom is my best friend. We’ve know each other since we were kids. He ran a 10k race today that he trained for over several months.

Nervous is what he was in that last week prior to the race.  He was ready, but he wasn’t sure.  A lot of you know that feeling!

He determined his last few runs prior to the run, then ran them.  He knew had to taper (and was uncomfortable with it) but he did it.

Friday night, I took him out to Noodles & Company.  He had a nice penne pasta dish with their Parmesan Crusted Chicken.  A nice green mixed salad on the side.  Water to drink. 

He was up early.  He fussed over what to wear.  He checked the weather on the internet at least a few times.  He got some oatmeal ready and ate it.  He was dressed and ready.  We headed out to Julia DeKoevend Park to check the registration and pick up the swag bag.

All to soon, it was time.  The 10K runners were called to the Start line.  There was a count down and a whistle!  The race was on!

Tom’s 10K Race - A Youtube video!

Tom ran the race in 58:00.  A pretty good time/pace that exceeded his expectations!

Congratulations, Tom!

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My Running -

2009 Running Statistics

Since my injury in Moab, I have run very minimally.  I need to check it out with my Doctor, but I’m a guy and guys don’t do that kind of thing…  But it is getting bad and I do need to address it.

Thats it for now!

I am looking at life and communication with my friends again!

When you get used to a blog and suddenly you don’t have it, life changes.

So…  Here we go again!

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Running…

I have damaged myself.  I recently went to Moab, Utah.  I was running on the Hell’s Revenge trail and when done, found that my right ankle was hurting.

A couple of days off should fix it, I thought to myself.  Wasn’t to be, though.  When I ran again on the Fins & Things trail, I ran fine, but the pain returned.

I’ve been running every other day, but the pain continues.

It feels like a dull bone bruise immediately under my right heel. I will have to see my Doctor next week.

Worst part?  I will be missing my 10K tomorrow and the half-marathon the week after.  I’ll be there at the 10 K to watch as my friend, Tom, runs it in under an hour!  Best wishes, Tom!  Your training will make it work!

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PETS and Life…

Molly, My Australian Shepard, is gone from me…

In case you didn’t know it, I lost my Special friend, Molly recently.  Molly was my Australian Shepard.  She went quickly.  A carcinoma on her heart burst filling the cavity around her heart with fluid.  The prognosis was bad. She was in critical condition within a few, short hours.  I made the decision to end her suffering.  She died with her head in my lap surrounded by her ‘pack.’  I miss her very much.

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SAMI! A new addition…

AND…  Life moves on.  My house has a brand new addition.  Her name is Sami.  She is a yellow labrador retriever.

Small (currently), eager, and cute as the dickens, she is slowly working her way into my heart.  This girl is not too smart, though…

Right now, she has 2 modes – Super on and super off!

I am sure that she will be an active companion.  I look forward to running with her in the future.

She will be a Jeep rider, also.