Dear Foot - 37 days til uni games

Dear foot,

I am sorry for the amount of pushing, pressuring and hammering you receive to keep me on my feet and flying through the air. I try stretching you, massaging you, giving you heat therapy and strapping you but i must push you too hard as this is not working. Please accept my apology and accept my care i am trying to give you so i can run again, or else tell me what you need so you can get better and we can get back to doing what we were meant to do and love to do - RUN! we have some unfinished business to do and i would be forever so so grateful!

Please heal soon.

Love, the rest of Janelle's body.

Well it is only 37 days to go until university games and i am sad to say i am not in the shape i would like to be. It is hard with plantar fasciitis!! I was hoping it would be so much better now, on a positive i can walk the next day after running training but i am only running once a week, how will i go for 4 days straight of running competition and wearing spikes?? Will i even be fit enough to run 2x 800m, 2x1500m, 2x400m and 2 lots of relays? Will i have enough fitness to do OK in these events against the other runners around Australia? It is so hard to tell at the moment, i have been sticking to cross trainer, bikes, rowers and swimming but it is not enough. I have loved the once a week training at the Track with the JME group, they are inspiring training with them all and although so much faster than me in the sprints give me motivation to keep going. I would feel better if i was a little fitter at the moment but need to have a time trial of myself to better see where my fitness is at. I think its safe to say the 400m hurdles at Uni games is no longer a possibility unless a miracle happens but i will save that for the summer once i get this foot better!!!

I saw the podiatrist today and he re-strapped my foot, i may have some nerve entrapment so will be getting an ultrasound in Perth in the coming weeks to assess. He recommended altering my orthotics but because they need to be sent away i wont do that until after uni games and keep icing, stretching, massaging and strapping my foot and being careful. If need be i could get a corticosteroid injection for the week of uni games but i don't want to do that. I would like to try run at least twice a week from now on wards and see how it goes, fingers crossed!! I will try hard to get to uni games and be as fit as i can be and enjoy the trip, and will have my sights set on the coming summer athletics season to reach the goals i have always wanted to get once this foot is better...

My Revised goals for the coming 2012/2013 athletics season

1. Break 4.40 minutes for the 1500m and qualify for Nationals in April 2013 
2. Break 2.19min for the 800m
2. Break 59sec for the 400m
3. Learn the 400m Hurdles - compete in Strive competition and get under 1.10min 

ette I had a little session at the runners club today and was excited to wear my spikes and new inserts for the first time in a while! I was a little deflated at how much speed i have lost and wonder if it is possible to get enough back in 5 weeks. Hopefully my foot wont be too sore tomorrow but we will see. On a side note i saw a long time friend at the track who is excited to be making a comeback to athletics after a few years, it felt like old times with both of us at the track! Maybe it is a sign to keep going... it would be amazing to train together again over summer :)

My saying of the week - I chose to be strong and i choose to take control.