Back?

I went to a podiatrist three weeks ago who declared "seisamoiditis" after talking with me and looking over x-rays. That was a good thing because it means none of the bones are fractured, but he still suggested a foot brace/walking caste thing--even though he said it wouldn't help my foot heal any more quickly. I opted out of that and went my merry way, getting out my bike again to try to keep in shape for the 4-6 weeks he suggested I rest.

The bike's been good to me: I quickly remembered how much I love riding (I used to ride everywhere and do MS150s every fall), but I was still antsy to get back to my morning runs. Last week, after more than two weeks, my foot was feeling fine, so I tried out running on a treadmill. The first day, I only did one mile, and while my foot didn't bother me too much, I was disappointed at how winded I felt. I'd been exercising almost every day, but the biking, swimming, and other activities just didn't get my heart going the way running does. The next day, I did two miles and felt good, but I quit when my foot started bothering me and decided to take a few days off.

The pain didn't last past the second I stepped off the treadmill, so today, after three more days without running, I took off with Shelby for a 2.5 miler. She was ecstatic, almost knocking me down the stairs when I left her out of her crate after putting Meeso into hers. We took a well-worn path to a nearby park, and Shelby--and my foot--did great. Again, though, the breathing got me: Shelby wanted to go the same speed we had been going a month ago, and I kept having to tug on her leash to get her to slow down so I could gulp enough air to keep going.

I'm a little disappointed at how quickly I lost the pace I worked for months to gain, but the joy of being out again more than makes up for it. I know I can get it back; I just have to make sure I don't push too hard or too much in the process . . .