"How is Your Foot?"

"How is your foot?" I think I've heard that question more than "How are you?" in the past 5 weeks and to be honest, I'm not going to answer it with a "Ya it's fine" because I care more about my foot than how my day is. And I assume you do too? So, if you ask me how my foot is, I'm going to tell you. So don't expect an "it's fine" response like you would get when you ask me how my day is. Be prepared for more than a two word reply.

Let's step back a day. How is your foot? I would have responded, "It's feeling great. I'm going to be smart about it though and simply go to the pool and get lapped by old women again. But, I'm ok with that because I am improving. Yes, I can now officially swim 3 laps without stopping! Improvement is what keeps me going, no matter what I am doing. And even though 3 laps is still only 75m it's enough to keep me hungry to go back for more. I'm going to go home and kudo everyone's amazing runs and outdoor bike rides (in November, nonetheless) and it's not going to make me remotely want to join them. In fact, I'm going to feel happy that I finally have an excuse to NOT feel guilty about NOT going running. I could get used to this!!!"

That was yesterday.

Today, if you asked me, "How is your foot?? I would have responded with "TERRIBLE! In fact, I'll probably never run again."

Today it is bad because I climbed a flight of stairs too fast, and painted my stepdaughter's bedroom, and shopped, and cooked lasagna (yes, I know - great diet food while I'm unable to run) and did I mention I didn't sit down until now? So my foot hates me because five weeks later simply standing on it all day STILL HURTS! Ya, you can probably guess, today was a bad day. Add a beautiful "winter" day to the mix and a strava CR being ripped from beneath my feet (no pun intended) and there is nothing I can do about it. The fact that it was from Seattle is besides the point right now!

Injuries are a funny thing and they F* with your head. To be perfectly honest, I'm dealing with it better than I ever imagined. But I still have those days that if you ask me how my foot is, I'm going to tell you!

The ironic thing is is that seeing people run and bike is still inspiring me more than it's not and makes me hungry to get back out there. So keep it up, please. If I curse your name take it as a compliment. On my inspiration list is obviously Trevor Hofbauer with his amazing achievement recently, and my sister Christine who has taken up running again and who is so naturally talented it's quite sickening ;)

Last week I found out that Canadian Half Marathon Championships are actually going to be held in Calgary for a few more years to come and they have kept the sub elite program at 1:27; so, I have officially qualified with my BMO Okanagan half marathon and sending in my application ASAP. It's also giving me incentive to behave by staying off my bike because I have bigger plans for my running future than my basement biking career that is setting back my healing schedule. Don't get me wrong...I still plan to race bikes next season but I first must run my heart out at Canadian Nationals.

So, how is my foot? Well, it's better than it was five weeks ago. That's something!