USA Fit - Vancouver

May 27, 2012 - Some of the Vancouver Fit coaches ready for the 21-mile benchmark.


I have mentioned this group before and I'm sure I will mention it many more times in the future! I have gained so much (physically, mentally & socially) from being a part of this organization.

If you want to get out there and walk or run but don't think you can, think again!  You can go from a complete couch potato to a marathoner in 27 weeks! Sounds unbelievable, doesn't it?! Sounds like a fad diet commercial, right?! It's not unreal and I - along with many others - are living proof that the program works!

I joined the USA Fit group three years ago to condition myself to be able to walk 60 miles in three days at the Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure event. I never dreamed I would be walking those 60 miles multiple times AND walking/jogging HALF and FULL MARATHONS!! To add to it, I was fortunate enough to became one of the Assistant Coaches for the walkers this year! Participation in this group has forever changed my life.

Get moving!

Find a group location near you at USA Fit.

For those of you near me, here are links to Vancouver Fit and Portland Fit. I hope to see more people I know out on the route next season!  ;)

IT CHANGED MY LIFE.  IT CAN CHANGE YOURS TOO!

My New Accessories!

Sooooo.... these accessories don't really match my marathon outfits (but do note the B-E-A-U-tiful colors!) and this "shoe" doesn't really let me move too quickly so I wont be setting any PR's for awhile! I have to wear this beautiful cast for the next SIX WEEKS, at least. I am oh so unhappy about it too. Damn. I am officially on the "injured" list. Bummer.

The one thing I am happy about... I finally went to the doctor's to find out what was wrong. I have suffered with heel pain since January (maybe even the end of December). That pain eventually lead to total foot pain, ankle pain AND calf pain! It really HURT. I braved it out as long as I could but got frustrated (and worried) enough to go have it looked at. Thank goodness.

Through physical examination, x-rays and ultrasounds, I have the following diagnoseS:

1) Achilles Tendinosos (tiny micro-tears in the tissues in and around the Achilles tendon that then created scar tissue, making the tendon thicker). This caused most of the heel pain located in the back of my heel and the calf pain. It also caused the lack of flexibility in my right foot that I mentioned in a previous post. I let it go on for too long thus creating the damage. Nice. It is also the main reason I was put into a cast.

2) Plantar Fasciitis. It caused all the pain under my foot.

3) A bone spur on my heel. 

4) Morton's Neuroma. It has something to do with the nerves leading to the third and fourth toes, causing me lots of pain on the underside and top side of my foot near those toes.

How could one foot have so much going on? Jeez. No wonder it HURT. I wasn't kidding. I kept a shoe on most of the time because it was definitely less painful than not wearing one.

Before getting this lovely cast, I received two cortisone shots - one on top of my foot near the toes (can you say "ouch"?) and one on the bottom of my foot in the area where the heel and arch meet (can you say "#$@&!!!! That hurts!!!") Wow... the pain made me sweat! 

Lesson learned: GO TO THE DOCTOR'S WHEN NOTHING MAKES THE PAIN GO AWAY. I should not have waited so long to go but it is what it is now. Part of me kept questioning whether or not I was feeling nerve pain in my foot from my back (which is still a possibility) so I didn't want to run to the doctor's over something I wasn't going to do anything about. However, when I could physically touch the painful areas and the swelling started, I knew it was something more than a back issue. 

At least now I can start to heal and get to the other side of this so I can continue doing what I love to do the most... WALKING. It will take some time (I've been warned!) but I will get back there!

Biggest challenge now: I was unable to drive myself home (right foot!!) and might not be able to drive at all. I will have to practice around the neighborhood. (Watch out, Ginger!!) For the time being, Matthew is going to get lots of driving practice. ;) [UPDATE: It is a challenge, but I can drive!]

Biggest disappointment: I will not be able to do the Vancouver Marathon on June 17th. It was the only full marathon I signed up for this year and now I can't participate. That really upsets me. Not to mention all the half marathons I signed up for and can't do either. 

Happiness: I will still be able to do the Komen 3-Day (60 miles) in September so at least I have that to look forward to! The beauty of that walk is that there are "sweepers" (vans) being driven along the route at all times, picking walkers up that just can't go any further (there are many survivors on route as well as those currently going through treatment). The sweeper can take you to the next pit-stop, lunch or even to camp. All is not lost!!  :)

As always... I WILL SURVIVE. As my good friend Nanette says: "This is just a little bump in the road!"

I guess I better go buy myself some Pom-Poms now because I have some great friends to cheer on at the many upcoming races! 

5-in-5 Challenge!

I have joined the 5-in-5 Speed Fundraising Challenge! All I need are FIVE online donations (big or small - doesn't matter) within FIVE days (today thru May 21st). That's easy enough, right?!

My name will go on the Speedy Fundraising Hall of Fame web page, I will receive a special badge for my personal fundraising page (I already have a couple of them on there!), I will receive unique 3-Day images for my Facebook page and this blog (!!), and I will get to WEAR special custom-made beads during the 3-Day walk! Beads are a BIG DEAL... trust me! And guess what?! I WANT IT ALL! ;)

MOST IMPORTANTLY, your donation goes to a great cause and you will be helping me get that much closer to my pledged amount of $2,300! Can you help me today?!

Use the following web address or click on the tab at the top of this page. Thank you!

www.the3day.org/goto/jsdelgado2012

Bummed

May 6, 2012 - Vancouver Fit - 18 mile walk.

Due to the ongoing, never-ending pain in my right foot, it took me nearly 5 hours to complete 18 miles! I enjoyed it mentally but phsically I suffered the majority of the walk. I made the choice to go ahead and go that morning because I had taken it easy all week and thought my heel/foot was on the mend. It probably wasn't the smartest choice but I did it anyway. In a moment of fun around mile 7 or 8, I RAN up the last part of a hill and it was all "downhill" [figuratively speaking!] from there. Something "caught" in my heel/ankle and it caused me to limp the rest of the way, sending little shocks up the inside of my ankle from time to time. I have not been out walking since that day in an effort to let my foot rest. It continues to hurt and at times, pretty badly. I went to my doctor to get a referral to podiatry and my doctor instantly said it was plantar fasciitis without even looking at my foot. I honestly don't believe that is all of it, if any part of it. I suffered with plantar fasciitis years ago when I was very overweight and this just doesn't feel the same. The pain is different and in a different location. I have my appointment with podiatry on May 22nd and I am actually looking forward to it. I want this resolved because I am definitely tired of the pain and honesty, I'm tired of limiting my walking! How am I supposed to reach my goal of walking 1500 miles in 2012 if I keep having to take time off for some annoying foot pain?!

This Sunday is Portland's first Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon ... which I am, of course, signed up for! I plan to casually walk it (absolutely NO running) with a couple of my friends but that's just a plan and not reality yet. I have said all along that I will wait until Saturday to make a final decision about whether or not I believe I can do it. I am going to go for a trial walk tomorrow and see how it goes. I probably should be smart about it this time.

Ugh. I am bummed.

To add insult to injury, my home computer has crashed - it is D.E.A.D. - and some things aren't easily done on this iPad and other things are absolutely impossible to do (such as previewing and spellchecking this blog entry!). Now what?!

Cha-Ching, Cha-Ching...

The pain continues...

All that improvement I mentioned in my last post regarding my heel... FORGET ABOUT IT. Ugh!

After walking 18 miles yesterday, which took me nearly five hours to complete, I am in pain today! In fact, I have been digging into my Vicodin reserve so you know it's bad because I don't like taking ANY pain medication. I limped off and on for the entire 18 miles and knew my problems were NOT solved. Not. At. All.

I finally made the decision to make a doctor's appointment (it is tomorrow morning) and see what other options are out there to try. I am worried I will have to cancel some of my upcoming events and that really, REALLY disappoints me.

Bummer.