Plantar Fasciitis

A couple of months ago, when I was on another health kick, I decided to start running again. I say again, because in the summer of 2013 I started the Couch-to-5K program and got about half way through it before remembering how much I HATE running. However, I know running has a ton of health benefits and so I ventured to try again. This time around I took a different approach and used the Running for Weight Loss app. I really enjoyed the first few times using the app, and running around Dallas, but after a week of running I started to feel the pain. Not the pain of used muscles, but a stabbing pain in my right foot. It was Plantar Fasciitis. I was aware of my condition, and used to this pain, but running seemed to exacerbate and inflame the area far more than I had expected. The recovery time between runs, with work just normal activity threw me off my schedule and the longer I continued to run, the worse the pain was. It got to the point where every step was a struggle, and on my last run I didn't make it 5 minutes walking before heading back home. I was disappointed in myself and I feel like I let the people who were following my progress down. But in the end, it was me who could feel the pain, not them. Couple that with my continued dislike for running and I decided to give it up altogether.

Image credit http://1.usa.gov/1S5DH8V

Living with Plantar Fasciitis isn't fun. My feet are in constant degrees of pain and depending on the day, and the days before activities, sometimes I can hardly walk. There's no cure, only remedies which help a bit but not completely. But the point of this blog post isn't to whine, or for sympathy. Rather, I just wanted to let everyone know that while I am a quitter, I have my reasons for doing so. Running is great, but it's just not worth the devastating effects to my body.

The good news is that I have another form of exercise which I absolutely LOVE and while it does inflame my heel, the adrenaline from playing masks all pain. I talk of course, of volleyball. I recently got back into it after a very strenuous summer and am now playing two nights a week, a women's league and a coed league. I'm hoping next season to play three nights a week. The further good news is that volleyball offers more remedies to manage the pain. I can wear compression socks and supportive shoes while playing and ice once I get home. It doesn't always suppress the pain completely, but at least I can get up without limping the next morning.

I know I have a tough road ahead of me, one riddled with pain and frustration. But knowing that I'll be able to exercise and have fun at the same time is worth a bit of pain. And with this new diet I should see weight loss results soon which will mean less weight on my feet, and therefore, less pain. I'm so excited to once again share my life with you all and to start this new chapter of my life. I don't need a beginning of a year, or some other major life event to make these changes. All I needed was some inspiration from a very dear friend of mine to see that the weight loss could indeed happen and that the only person stopping me was myself. I just hope that in the end, I can be the same source of inspiration for others.

Learn more about Plantar Fasciitis here.