All summer I had been training for a half marathon plus walking in anticipation of the Camino. Then it happened…a nagging pain became an overwhelming pain. Every time I stood up to begin walking the heel of my left foot was filled with pain…in the mornings when getting out of bed it felt like it had been beaten with a cane the night before. Diagnosis-plantar fasciitis. Bummer…I was advised to cease and desist any further aerobic training to give my foot time to heal. And so I did, but 2 weeks into my new sedentary lifestyle my right foot developed an acute case of fasciitis too! This came out of no where, and was much more painful that the left foot. So winter became a true period of dormancy for me.
A parishioner recommended a local store shoe specializing in foot problems. Listen up now, this is important…the first thing they did was take my current shoe and grabbing it by the toe and heel, they twisted it - that is NOT what you want in a shoe. Then they picked up a Keen shoe and had me try to twist it - it didn't budge - that IS what you want in a shoe. If the shoe is not stable then your foot is trying to stabilize your body…you want the shoe to do that. They offered one more extremely helpful thing, they encouraged me to put Birkenstock inserts into the Keens. I did, and it has made all the difference in the world. Those are my everyday shoes (less Sunday morning) and will be my shoes of choice to walk the 450 mile Camino!
I started walking again about a month ago, and am back up to five miles at a stretch. Here’s to hope and prayer that the rest and and exercises I did over the last six months and the new footwear have prepared me physically for the demands of 15 miles a day for the next 33 days!
Ultreya!