Kip's Enduance Training Blog

I have tried blogging in the past, and found it to be rather fun. But I think it is my ADD, I never am consistent with it. This blog is this years (2010) attempt at consistency. Call it my New Year’s resolution.

I want blog about what I feel passionate about, and that is triathlon. I don’t know what it is about it, I just love it. I joined Team in Training in San Diego (Hele hui!) in 2002 and did a total of five races that year, one of which was the San Diego Triathlon Challenge (SDTC). This is a Half-Ironman distance triathlon fundraiser for the Challenged Athletes Foundation, an awesome organization that helps people with physical disabilities pursue active lifestyles.

In 2003, I did two more triathlons, completing the SDTC again. But this time I injured my foot training and had to walk over half the half-marathon. I thought rest and recovery was all I needed, but my injury turned out to be more permanent. No matter how much time off, after 10-15 minutes, my ball of foot and toes would explode in pain.

I switched back to martial arts training and did that for about a year, but with hit a road block with that training due to work travel and then relocating to the Raleigh area in North Carolina. After that, well, I just got lazy. No excuses.

In the spring of 2009, I switched chiropractors and happened to mention that I had foot pain when running. He asked me to pop off my shoes and proceeded to massage my brick-like feet gently. Extreme plantar fasciitis. The muscles in my feet had gotten so weak that the fascia had stiffened to keep my foot tight. My transverse arch (across the metatarsals or toes) was collapsed and the bones were rubbing against a nerve.

So I spent the spring running short distances with metatarsal pads in my shoes, and going to get my plantar fascia massaged, and icing my feet every night. I didn’t believe I would really recover. That kept me from being consistent. But once I believed I could do it, I started to run longer. My doctor had me walking in the backyard every night for 15 minutes. Then for 30 minutes. By that time, I started to really really believe I could actually do triathlons again. To celebrate, I entered the Pinehurst International Triathlon. To go from lazy nothing to that was awesome!

Now I am running close to barefoot in Vibram Five Finger shoes. I love these shoes and the way they make my feet feel! Since I have started running with them, a dimple has appeared in ball of my feet and my arch is so much stronger!

So, that is where I am at as of January 2010. I have imported some posts from my previous blog for a little history, but hopefully I can stay consistent with this journey. Here we go!