Change of Plans

Well, I can’t say I have failed, because the year isn’t over yet, but I have yet to make any progress toward my 2010 New Year’s Resolution of a regular running routine.  The only place I have run recently is on my high school track in the midst of a pack of at least 100 jersey-wearing runners whizzing past me as I tried, fruitlessly, to pick my heavy bare feet up off the tar-like black surface under a misty sky…  And that dream was definitely bittersweet.

I had to cancel my first physical therapy appointment.  The night before my scheduled appointment I ended up in the ER thinking I was dying of a heart attack.  Turned out I was having a panic attack due to worrying about some increasingly frequent and uncomfortable heart palpitations.  It didn’t seem like the best thing to spend money on PT with ER bills on the way…  But, at least now I know, that as far as all tests can show, my heart is healthy.

So back to running? Yes, hopefully, but with a new approach:  Vibram Five Fingers. Recent doctor visits, medical center mishaps (I don’t know how many times my test results were “lost in the system”), and outrageous undecipherable bills have all shaped my decision to try VFFs before trying PT.  I just purchased my first pair, the Women’s Flow, a neoprene style that keeps feet warm in cooler temperatures (hopefully into the teens!).

I will need to start slow due to the fact that “barefoot” running changes you posture, your gait, and, consequently, the groups of leg muscles that are used.  But since I haven’t run in over six months, I will need to start slow anyway.  Who knows if I’ll even be able to complete my normal neighborhood loop without factoring in a walk.  I have been doing a bit of yoga and quite a few snow walks through the state recreational area near my home where the dog can run off-leash and I can get my heart rate up pain-free, but I doubt that has been enough.  Back to square one.

My first run will be either tonight or tomorrow morning.  Until then…

A Running Resolution

I never thought I would have to make running my New Year’s resolution.  That would typically consist of training to run an October half.  Not this year.  This year my goal is simply to get back into the act–safely, and for the long haul.  To do so, I need to get excited about meeting short-term goals–the first of which is to get my border collie happy again.  I can’t keep dreaming about the wet and winding tangled trails at my local preserve. The slushy streets of our declining neighborhood might not be much to zen out to, but if I can do it, I will need to see that as tremendous progress.

The Runner’s World ITBS Support Group forum has been a wealth of information, encouragement, and empathy throughout my research and planning stage.  It has helped me play detective, get to the root of my issues, and identify a few action items I hope will jump-start my recovery process.  This involves dealing with a leg-length discrepancy, known to cause ITB and piriformis syndrome, making sure I am absolutely in the correct shoe, and a daily yoga routine I hope will help keep my hips and surrounding muscles loose.  Who knew that little piriformis muscle could come out of hiding and wreak so much havoc!

I’m a bit nervous as to how my plan will pan out.  I’ve already been through quite the ordeal– rolling around on the living room floor atop a tube of  styrofoam, doing an excercise that resembles a chicken dance, and practicing, what I call, dead frog pose…  Staying positive will be key.  I am kicking-off my journey with a New Year’s Day yoga session and a January 5th appointment with a sports PT.  The news there will, hopefully, shed some uncertainty.