Back on Track

Farmer John's friend in the photo is how I've starting feeling in the last couple of weeks.

It started a few weeks ago when I tried to increase my walking regimen to about 7 miles every other day. I must have pushed my right foot too hard after doing 26 miles in one week and it got very painful to the touch and to walk on. Self diagnosing tendinitis, I've not been walking faithfully like I'd been doing before the injury and have not been as rigid in my eating.

The result? I feel like a porker having regained 5 of the 95 pounds I've lost and have been very frustrated after reinjuring the foot by trying to get back to walking too soon, etc.

Mentally and emotionally, it's been a refreshing awakening to find my emotions and state of mind so closely tied to my work and accomplishments in creating the "new" me. Since changing my eating habits and power walking, I've felt great...successful!

But, the lethargy I've felt in the last weeks not walking for fear of having to extend my healing/inactivity still longer has been frustrating. Though staying active (but not aggressively) my energy level decreased and my motivation to keep working hard seemed to lag.

Enough is enough...I've come too far to retreat though I'm the first to know I have a lot more to accomplish. I've GOT to test the foot. So, I got in 4.71 miles tonight and the foot feels fine. But the real test will be when I walk 5 miles on Wednesday. I think I will get on the exercycle tomorrow and try to go 26.2 miles and see how the foot responds. I NEED to be able to walk 7-10 miles every other day. In my mind, I want to be able to walk 10 miles EVERY day!

And the battle continues.