Building A Better Bumblebee

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:So did the doc try to line up her pinky with the metatarsal, so it might could start re-attaching or is it just in the visually normal location?

Nope. The doctor didn't do a single thing to it. All she did was put on a splint and tell us the fracture clinic would be in touch. That's where they do that sort of thing. Which means we wait until a week from today (Thursday) before an orthopedist even looks at it. That's a concern for us, but they keep telling us that it's no big deal, that the orthopedic people looked at the X-rays and if we really needed to come in sooner, it would have happened. Trust us!  

Apparently, this is the time of year for fractures, and medical facilities can't hire on seasonal staff like they do in retail.

On the upside, we went to the ENT today, and she says it appears the operation was successful. The hearing is already better in Alita's ear than before, and it's supposed to get progressively better over the next month or two. I already got poked in the ribs for snoring the other night, so I'm guessing she's well on her way.

The only other side effect is a loss of taste (they have to move a nerve to access that part of the ear), but that's coming back, too, if slowly. Alita has discovered the benefit of Sriracha sauce, which helps make things taste less like wax.

As for me, my ankle's still not fully healed. I tried a very short barefoot run while getting the mail the other day, and I was notably sore afterward. Bah.

I tend to believe their rationale for putting y'all off, having been exposed to different levels of "Oh, shit!" events.  For example, blood work.  If you hear nothing, everything falls within the parameters of the test.  Patience, you patients!

Mixed bag on her ear, good for her, but bad for you.  Sleep studies may be in your future.  Having had a BiPap machine for 16 years, then a CPAP machine for the last 4, it's a wonderful machine for sleep apnea. 

So you really did a number on your ankle, seem it would.  Good thing the doc wasn't going to figure out what it was because you may be still waiting to see a podiatrist.  Now refer to the 4th sentence in the first paragraph.  I don't take insurance for consults.

ounce wrote:The swelling and damaged tissue might've been an issue, but money more than likely.  Just hope the doc doesn't have an emergency surgery and y'all get to be......RE-SCHEDULED!

I'm just a load of fun, tonight, ain't I??

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:The swelling and damaged tissue might've been an issue, but money more than likely.  Just hope the doc doesn't have an emergency surgery and y'all get to be......RE-SCHEDULED!

I'm just a load of fun, tonight, ain't I??

Yeah, that'd be annoying. To be (slightly) fair, they say they try to get everybody seen within two weeks. They also have to wait for swelling to subside before they can put it in a cast, and that takes some time. Still.

We're just hoping that she'll be able to move beyond the no-weight-bearing and get something she could at least clunk around in. She'd very much like to not have to scoootch herself up and down the stairs on her backside. (Great total body workout, though.) Our stairs are way to steep for crutches.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:The swelling and damaged tissue might've been an issue, but money more than likely.  Just hope the doc doesn't have an emergency surgery and y'all get to be......RE-SCHEDULED!

I'm just a load of fun, tonight, ain't I??

Yeah, that'd be annoying. To be (slightly) fair, they say they try to get everybody seen within two weeks. They also have to wait for swelling to subside before they can put it in a cast, and that takes some time. Still.

We're just hoping that she'll be able to move beyond the no-weight-bearing and get something she could at least clunk around in. She'd very much like to not have to scoootch herself up and down the stairs on her backside. (Great total body workout, though.) Our stairs are way to steep for crutches.

You had posted on FB a picture of Fluff laying on top of some cabinets.  

That, coupled with the latest fracture(s), made me think of the movie "The Ten Commandments" with Fluff playing Moses and you playing Pharoah to where Fluff says, "If you don't submit to me as the most high god, I shall cause a GREAT flood."  And the house flooded.  

Next Fluff says, "If you don't submit to me as the most high god, I shall cause a GREAT root to rise up and entangle your feet!"  And the root complied.  

Fluff says, "If you don't submit to me as the most high god, I shall cause a GREAT break upon your Queen's foot."  And the Queen's foot was broken.

How much longer will you not submit?!?!?!?!?  Aaaarrgh!!!! (in my best Howard Dean voice)


Alec must have already submitted.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:You guys must be cursed.  do not send the bad karma east - thank you.

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:You guys must be cursed.  do not send the bad karma east - thank you.

nkrichards wrote:

Michele \"1L" Keane wrote:You guys must be cursed.  do not send the bad karma east - thank you.

+1  Not even a little bit east please!

But I did enjoy Doug's performance...even if I did have to imagine some of it.

Hope the clinic visit went well.

nkrichards wrote:I'm sure if Alita is happy everyone is happy!  Great news.

Hope you both continue to heal quickly...

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:I'm sure if Alita is happy everyone is happy!  Great news.

Hope you both continue to heal quickly...

You're forgetting we have a teenager in the house!  

Even so, I'm happy! She's very much wanting to get back to work. They will have a bunch of new people, and new students, and she was feeling super guilty about possibly not being there to help out. She's like that.

I did a few laps around the break room during my dinner break, wearing my Lunas. No twinges or soreness afterward. Hoping that I've been idle long enough to finally heal up. I may give it a shot once the rest of my family is back in school.

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles 

Weather: Overcast, mild. Nice walking weather. Gear: Vivobarefoots

Out at lunch, cruising the Columbia River waterfront, hoping my ankle doesn't give me any grief. It's been long enough, it should be healed, right? Well... maybe it is. I felt a bit of discomfort as I was pushing it back up the hill to the office, but the walk was otherwise uneventful. I'm extremely conscious of my ankle, of course, but it wasn't complaining.

If all goes well, I'll try out a run this week.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles 

Weather: Overcast, mild. Nice walking weather. Gear: Vivobarefoots

Out at lunch, cruising the Columbia River waterfront, hoping my ankle doesn't give me any grief. It's been long enough, it should be healed, right? Well... maybe it is. I felt a bit of discomfort as I was pushing it back up the hill to the office, but the walk was otherwise uneventful. I'm extremely conscious of my ankle, of course, but it wasn't complaining.

If all goes well, I'll try out a run this week.

Glad to hear the ankle cooperated fairly well.  Your timing is perfect...you waited till the weather improved a bit.  We've got some cooler days in the forecast so I assume you do to.  Enjoy.

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles 

Weather: Overcast, mild. Nice walking weather. Gear: Vivobarefoots

Out at lunch, cruising the Columbia River waterfront, hoping my ankle doesn't give me any grief. It's been long enough, it should be healed, right? Well... maybe it is. I felt a bit of discomfort as I was pushing it back up the hill to the office, but the walk was otherwise uneventful. I'm extremely conscious of my ankle, of course, but it wasn't complaining.

If all goes well, I'll try out a run this week.

Glad to hear the ankle cooperated fairly well.  Your timing is perfect...you waited till the weather improved a bit.  We've got some cooler days in the forecast so I assume you do to.  Enjoy.

We have no cooler days, yet.  The 3rd week of September is when a 'cool' front comes through to break the heat for maybe a day or two.  That cool front also helps ward off any tropical systems that may be coming towards Galveston.

So, Mark, do your feet move more in no or near no shoes than a pair of shoes to where it's more of a workout?

Mark B wrote:Is it? Is it? Oh, yes it is!! A run! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

Barefoot Run: 2.07 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 65° Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T.

It's been just over seven weeks post-injury, and I'm ready to give running a try. I opted for barefoot, of course.

I started easy and found a pace that felt natural, though I was pretty stiff in the hips after nearly two months away. But the feet and ankle didn't bother me a bit. I stopped at two miles to be safe, though.

My HR was not low, but my pace wasn't slow, either. I hit 10:37 in the first mile and 9:57 in the second. I may have been enthused.

It felt good to move.

Average HR for entire run: 147

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Is it? Is it? Oh, yes it is!! A run! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!

Barefoot Run: 2.07 miles

Weather: Overcast, mild. 65° Gear: Bare feet, shorts, T.

It's been just over seven weeks post-injury, and I'm ready to give running a try. I opted for barefoot, of course.

I started easy and found a pace that felt natural, though I was pretty stiff in the hips after nearly two months away. But the feet and ankle didn't bother me a bit. I stopped at two miles to be safe, though.

My HR was not low, but my pace wasn't slow, either. I hit 10:37 in the first mile and 9:57 in the second. I may have been enthused.

It felt good to move.

Average HR for entire run: 147

Woohoo!  It's a run!!  There are going to be smiles at the dinner table tonight.

Good timing.  The wife and family are back at school.  The weather is slightly cooler.  What more could you ask for?

Nice...

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles 

Weather: Overcast, mild. Nice walking weather. Gear: Vivobarefoots

Out at lunch, cruising the Columbia River waterfront, hoping my ankle doesn't give me any grief. It's been long enough, it should be healed, right? Well... maybe it is. I felt a bit of discomfort as I was pushing it back up the hill to the office, but the walk was otherwise uneventful. I'm extremely conscious of my ankle, of course, but it wasn't complaining.

If all goes well, I'll try out a run this week.

Glad to hear the ankle cooperated fairly well.  Your timing is perfect...you waited till the weather improved a bit.  We've got some cooler days in the forecast so I assume you do to.  Enjoy.

We have no cooler days, yet.  The 3rd week of September is when a 'cool' front comes through to break the heat for maybe a day or two.  That cool front also helps ward off any tropical systems that may be coming towards Galveston.

So, Mark, do your feet move more in no or near no shoes than a pair of shoes to where it's more of a workout?

Sorry you live in such a torrid environment, Ounce. I understand why you need to stay there, but still. Yowza.

I'm not sure I entirely understand your question. Do you mean do my feet move around more in the shoes when the effort level is higher, or does my overall form break down (and thus my feet flip-a-flop all over the place)?  If that's what you mean, I'd say it's an inverse relationship. The faster I go, the better my form gets. If it didn't, I'd end up killing myself. I'm much more likely to kick my opposite ankle when I'm going slow, especially when fatigued.

Does that help? If that wasn't the question, let me know and I'l give it another try.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles 

Weather: Overcast, mild. Nice walking weather. Gear: Vivobarefoots

Out at lunch, cruising the Columbia River waterfront, hoping my ankle doesn't give me any grief. It's been long enough, it should be healed, right? Well... maybe it is. I felt a bit of discomfort as I was pushing it back up the hill to the office, but the walk was otherwise uneventful. I'm extremely conscious of my ankle, of course, but it wasn't complaining.

If all goes well, I'll try out a run this week.

Glad to hear the ankle cooperated fairly well.  Your timing is perfect...you waited till the weather improved a bit.  We've got some cooler days in the forecast so I assume you do to.  Enjoy.

We have no cooler days, yet.  The 3rd week of September is when a 'cool' front comes through to break the heat for maybe a day or two.  That cool front also helps ward off any tropical systems that may be coming towards Galveston.

So, Mark, do your feet move more in no or near no shoes than a pair of shoes to where it's more of a workout?

Sorry you live in such a torrid environment, Ounce. I understand why you need to stay there, but still. Yowza.

I'm not sure I entirely understand your question. Do you mean do my feet move around more in the shoes when the effort level is higher, or does my overall form break down (and thus my feet flip-a-flop all over the place)?  If that's what you mean, I'd say it's an inverse relationship. The faster I go, the better my form gets. If it didn't, I'd end up killing myself. I'm much more likely to kick my opposite ankle when I'm going slow, especially when fatigued.

Does that help? If that wasn't the question, let me know and I'l give it another try.

Your shoes provide a buffer between your feet and the pavement.  You can punish your shoes because they have no nerve endings.  So, do your bare or nearly bare feet make more adjustments for upcoming debris than when you're feet are in shoes?

Mark B wrote:Post run report, a couple of days after the fact.

My ankle, foot and lower leg didn't bother me a bit. Great news!

My hip flexors, on the other hand, are ridiculously tight. Guess I need to get back to that core work! 

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Walk: 3 miles 

Weather: Overcast, mild. Nice walking weather. Gear: Vivobarefoots

Out at lunch, cruising the Columbia River waterfront, hoping my ankle doesn't give me any grief. It's been long enough, it should be healed, right? Well... maybe it is. I felt a bit of discomfort as I was pushing it back up the hill to the office, but the walk was otherwise uneventful. I'm extremely conscious of my ankle, of course, but it wasn't complaining.

If all goes well, I'll try out a run this week.

Glad to hear the ankle cooperated fairly well.  Your timing is perfect...you waited till the weather improved a bit.  We've got some cooler days in the forecast so I assume you do to.  Enjoy.

We have no cooler days, yet.  The 3rd week of September is when a 'cool' front comes through to break the heat for maybe a day or two.  That cool front also helps ward off any tropical systems that may be coming towards Galveston.

So, Mark, do your feet move more in no or near no shoes than a pair of shoes to where it's more of a workout?

Sorry you live in such a torrid environment, Ounce. I understand why you need to stay there, but still. Yowza.

I'm not sure I entirely understand your question. Do you mean do my feet move around more in the shoes when the effort level is higher, or does my overall form break down (and thus my feet flip-a-flop all over the place)?  If that's what you mean, I'd say it's an inverse relationship. The faster I go, the better my form gets. If it didn't, I'd end up killing myself. I'm much more likely to kick my opposite ankle when I'm going slow, especially when fatigued.

Does that help? If that wasn't the question, let me know and I'l give it another try.

Your shoes provide a buffer between your feet and the pavement.  You can punish your shoes because they have no nerve endings.  So, do your bare or nearly bare feet make more adjustments for upcoming debris than when you're feet are in shoes?

Ah. Yes. Absolutely. 

In the first place, going barefoot makes you mindful of what's on the ground in front of you. You hit less debris because you purposefully avoid it. 

In the second place, the very presence of the aforementioned debris (or just rougher surfaces) causes the whole body to adjust. It teaches your body to seek a more gentle landing with each step. 

How? Well, your knees and hips flex more to absorb more impact and your foot actually relaxes to conform around whatever surface you're on. (Even on gravel*, or those annoying bumpy things they put to help blind people know where the street starts.)

Barefoot Ken Bob, the guru of bare footing, goes so far as to remind barefoot runners to concentrate on lifting their foot before it touches down. Don't worry, he says, you won't fly off into space, but it does help lighten the load on landing.

What I've found is that relaxing is the key - and frankly, the benefit -- of going barefoot. When you do it right, it's amazing. It feels like the most natural thing in the world. 

If you really want to read more about it, check out Barefoot Ken Bob's website. 


*-This is not meant to suggest that running on gravel is easy. It isn't, at least for me. But it's more possible than you think and is actually the best way to learn how to lighten your landing. Nothing like direct feedback!  

ounce wrote:I'll have to look into that lifting before it touches down flying thing.

Does toughening the feet, by walking or running barefoot, make a long, longer, or longest run easier to get through?  I know the last 10K of a marathon is when the feet really start to really gripe.  If that's true, then I'll work on some toughening on a track or something similar.  Might even work on the flying at the same time.

Thanks, Mark.