For those of you who have been following, you read that I've been dealing with some pain in my left foot in the arch. At first I thought it was just a fluke, but it continued all week - even after a day off from running. I made a point to mention it to the parents of the family I babysit for on the Upper East Side. (The father owns a high end gym/health facility). He was more than happy to see me at the gym for an appointment this morning to try and figure out the problem. I was sooo relieved!!
So, bright and early - and freezing cold! - I ventured to the Upper West Side for this "foot evaluation." After a brief warmup, Mr. M (used to protect his identity) met me and had me do some exercises so he could observe the motion of my foot. When the symptoms weren't typical of "plantar faciitis" (which is what we were thinking) - he asked me to start jogging so he could watch my stride.
Next - a miracle happened.
It's my stride! I was running completely wrong. Well, not completely - but I was doing things that over time and long distance runs would be very detrimental to my body... hence the foot problem. So he worked with me for a bit, helped me find the correct runner's posture, and had me practice it until I found it myself. Then he showed me several new exercises to help strengthen my hips, spine, back, and core. I've got the whole workout down on paper and I can't WAIT to try it out!
Best part - I was able to run on the treadmill for a 2-mile run before I left - and it felt GREAT! No foot problems, and 2 miles went by like it was nothing. In fact, I normally run at 5.8 mph - and today? 6.2 mph!! Honestly, it felt even easier than the 5.8 - all because Mr. M showed me how not to stress myself while running. I can't WAIT to see what my body is going to be able to do now!
Until next time....
Your newly-energized, faster-paced marathon runner,
Kelly
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