Friday 6 July 2012

04.07.12 Time to reflect

Forgive me father for I have sinned...it has been 3 weeks since my last post.

Being injured absolutely sucks.  Not only do I miss putting on the Vibram's and going for a run but I miss feeling fit.  I have this strange sense of understanding my lack of fitness when I don't train, it is almost like you can feel your energy levels start to disappear then your motivation starts to go and before you know it you just can't be bothered anymore.  After 3 weeks of not being able to do  much with this stress fracture injury in my foot, add on top of that a cold with a razor blade sore throat and I am closely approaching the 'can't be bothered' zone.

In the last three weeks since the stress fracture in my left foot stopped my running in my tracks, literally, I have had time to reflect on what exactly has happened to cause my injury.  Was it the Vibram's or is it just coincidence?  The pain that I felt on the bottom of my foot when I took my shoe off after the Brookfield Bog Challenge was certainly like nothing I have felt before however stress fractures happen over time and based on the small amount of running that I have been doing in my Vibram's I very much doubt that they were the sole contributor.  I have been doing non stop training since November last year and my runs have really not ever been shorter than at least 1.5 hours.  I wanted to be super fit for the Adventure Race that was in April and was working pretty hard.  I finished that race with energy still in reserve so I achieved my goal but maybe I had pushed too hard.  After finishing the race I was straight into my barefoot running and it seems my body has decided enough is enough.

So how is the foot you ask.  Well, it is definitely getting better but it is frustrating the hell out of me during the process.  I can virtually walk like a normal person now rather than look like Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre-Dame as I half hop and half drag my sore foot as I walk.  Not the best look when you are in a suit and meeting clients...or your new boss!  Below is a photo (don't be grossed out by my unfortunate feet).  You might be able to see that the top of my left foot (on the right of the picture) between my middle toes is still swollen and raised compared to my other foot.
Pressure on this point is painful but most of all when I walk, it feels like I almost have to click my toe, like you would stretch out your hands and click your knuckles.  It is incredibly frustrating and an uncomfortable feeling to have to deal with.  I am hoping that this weekend I might be able to either get out for a short run or a ride on the road bike.  It has been a long week so we will have to see how the foot is feeling and how far into the 'can't be bothered' zone I am in.