AM: (7 miles, 63:12). Ran one of my many 7 mile loops ... beautifully crisp morning ~40F ... shorts weather with gloves. I had to get out a little early because Dean had an appointment with the podiatrist in Phoenix (and then we both had an appointment with John the ART/our fix-it guy). PM: (2 miles, ~20 mins). Practice run with my orthotics.
Interesting, John did some pretty cool experiments with my legs and my orthotics. He was seeing if they "fit" and were doing what he wanted them to do, so first he measured the top and bottom of my tibia without my orthotic - while I was standing - and then he had me stand on my orthotic, he fit my foot on it, and then measured again. Basically what he was measuring was the "line" from the very lower point of the bone to the very top of the bone -- it was completely horizontal with my orthotic and it was displaced almost 2 inches (on my right side) when I wasn't standing on my orthotic, it was so pronounced that even I could see it looking down ... Dean laughed and said, "oh man, how were ever able to run?" with his anterior view. Then I had to do some lunges wearing my running shoes with the orthotics in and with them out. It was remarkable how unstable my entire leg was without them. I expected him to say they needed adjusting (because they seem so severe to me) -- but he really thinks they are doing their job. So, over the next 2 weeks to a month I will slowly incorporate them on my runs a little bit at a time. Apparently, my initial approach of "wearing them some of the time but not all of the time" isn't really going to work. Or at least that is what John said ... I trust him, so I will listen to him, for now ;-). All and all a pretty interesting visit. Felt like a weekend, but it is not! Have a wonderful rest of the Veteran's Day bloggers!
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