Grand Adventure

It all started with a conversation at happy hour. A couple of glasses of wine, a little dreaming and before I knew it, I was researching a Rim to Rim hike of the Grand Canyon.

Yep, you read that right, THE GRAND CANYON.

Given my foot issues, the very prospect of this was daunting. Four hiking days; decending and ascending over 7200 feet; a 30lb pack on my back with everything I need to live for those precious, life altering, unwashed days and no way out if anything went wrong. EEK! I was scared. Soon though, the fear began to fade and an odd excitement took its place.

This was my chance. If I could make it through this, I could declare my foot, healed. A broken tendon does not withstand this sort of abuse without being, dare I say, somewhat fixed.

We booked the trip and started "training". Weekend hikes, endurance rides and some running. We even tried to slim down a little. Nothing could have prepared us for what we encountered and I could not have hoped for a more glorious ending.

As August rolled around, I started feeling antsy. Only 30 days until "THE" day. The day we'll don our packs and head out. I could feel my stomach do a couple of loops at the prospect. We were smart. We hired the Cadillac of adventure companies, Just Roughin It. So the logistics, equipment and food were covered. Now it was not just a matter of physical fitness.

The better half and I put the pedal to the metal for all of August and really upped the ante on our fitness program. Interval training, long rides in the blazing sun and weight specific training had us feeling good. We also did some test hikes with full packs to get a feel for how we'd do from a weight and balance perspective. In addition, I used the techniques in the foot book like a religion. Stretching, icing, stretching, massaging. Anything to make sure the flexibility of my tendons remained intact.

August 30. Our flight leaves for Phoenix. We are in the air for four plus hours and cross a couple of time zones. By the time we get to our hotel, it's 11p our time. We are tired but oddly hungry so we head out for a little food followed by some much needed rest.

August 31. We meet our driver in the lobby of the hotel at 4:30a! We didn't sleep well the night before for obvious reasons. We take our duffle bags and head for the van. We are excited, tired and a little nervous. Or at least I am.

We arrive at the trail four hours later. We'll begin our hike in the heat of the day. All of us are nervous. The group consists of my friend Laura, my better half's brother, the better half and me. We pick up a singleton, a lovely woman from Vancouver, BC named Lenora. She hasn't seen 90 degrees for most of her life. We sit in silence at the prospect of hiking in what might be 115 degrees!

We pick up our guide, The Steve. An awesome guy with a wicked sense of humor and superhuman strength (he carried all of his gear and all of our meals).  We are ready.

The hike begins with a descent into the Canyon. We will have descended just about 4000 feet when we reach the first camp site. It is hot when we start. The trail is narrow and treacherous.

 

 

By the time we reach the camp site, my feet feel numb. I am very anxious. I am not sure that I can go on and am almost certain that my feet will not be able to take this abuse and last. I put on my flip flops and try to move slowly around the camp site. I flex my feet and stretch them gently. I long for ice. I know the river is 50 degrees but it's dark and I can't find the river now without a significant effort. I eat my delicious dinner, massage my feet and head for the tent. REST. RECOVERY. Tomorrow is another day.

 

The next hiking day is a bit of a blur but somewhere outside of Phantom Ranch I felt my feet connect to the Earth. I have the sensation that after this hike, my feet will be healed. I feel an internal peace. I smile. I have this inherent knowledge that this is the type of immersion therapy my feet need and that I needed on so many levels. I let go and let it happen. I feel content and pick up the pace.

 

At Phantom Ranch my wishes come true! I find a wonderful little sliver of the Colorado River where I can "ice" my tired feet, a glass of wine (OK two) and the chance to splash into river in my shorts for a quick whole body cool down. I love it. I am in the moment.

 

The next hiking day is a blur. We arrive at Indian Gardens and camp. I realize that the next day will be the last and I feel sad. We hike to Plateau Point and see the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. I am entranced.

 

As we crest the South Rim on the very last day, I check my feet. Covered in moleskins for blisters but they are still structurally whole. They have survived and so have I. I did it! I feel tears rush to my eyes. 100 yards to go. When I get there, I will have done something that only 1% of the people who have visited this great, massive canyon will have ever done. I feel a sense of pride like I've never felt before in my life. I feel myself coming back into that bad ass body that I knew so many years before. The one that got me through four half iron races and three 6:34 miles off the bike in my first triathlon. That body. Those feet. They are back. I am grateful. I am thankful. I am ready for the next adventure.

 

I stare out at the Canyon for a long time before I bid it farewell. I will likely be back but the first dance is always special. Learning each other, supporting each other and allowing for the experience of both. It was the most amazing experience of my life. A healing transcendence to the next, most amazing me that I can be.

 

 

 

The Recipe

In 2004, I started teaching myself to cook. Tired of eating turkey sandwiches and tortilla chips and in an attempt to fuel what was then a very steep ramp up to multiple distance triathlons and running races, I tried some new recipes. It's funny about recipes, even though they are exact in many cases, how you combine the ingredients and at what time is very pivotal to the texture and taste of the dish. Putting in spice too early or too late can make a dish bitter or bland. Not sifting the dry ingredients before combining them can mean grainy, odd tasting muffins. The same rules apply to recovering from an injury. The ingredients for healing don't necessarily combine for optimum success. It takes some experimentation. 

For the past couple of months, I have been in active recovery and rebuild mode. The boot has long since been stored on a shelf in the closet (where it will hopefully remain forever). I have been taking it easy. Dipping a toe into running, going very, very slowly and adding in some hiking to mix things up. I am not sure yet how this recipe will turn out but it seems like I have the right ingredients to get the dish right and get back on the path (literally) to healthy, pain free running. 

First and foremost was the diagnosis and then prognosis. While the former seemed dire, the latter seemed somewhat positive. Posterior tibial tendonitis is tricky. Mechanical deficiencies in the core, glutes and vastus medialis (that small quad muscle inside the knee) make it difficult to fix if you don't address the underlying problems. The prognosis, "wear your orthotics and you'll be able to run just fine." seemed somewhat encouraging until I actually tried it and felt that same nagging pain. So I've decided that a multi-faceted approach is best and this is how I've laid it out:

Strengthening the feet: The only shoes that do not bring nagging pain or discomfort seem to be the New Balance Minimus shoes that I bought just before my injury. I run on the treadmill absolutely barefoot for about 7 minutes and then put them on. I then finish up my run in those shoes. My feet are sometimes sore but in that "good sore" way that means progress and not break down. I've run in my orthotics several times and each time I felt that old familiar sensitivity and eventually pain that wasn't severe but enough to make me stop. I am a firm believer in building up and not making "lazy" when it comes to any muscle so I guess this is just proof positive that these inserts aren't coming to the rescue like I thought they might. 

So I've been experimenting with shoes. Running in my hiking boots - no pain. Running in a "higher heel profile" not bad but heavy and my feet aren't as nimble. Combining those shoes with the orthotics - painful! It's again, finding the right combination of ingredients. 

I stretch my feet, do sideways "crab" walks and do what I call the "ballerina" workout - flexing my feet, rolling up on my toes and standing on the balls of my feet for 10-15 seconds at a time. I will also do some plyometrics (jumping up on a small block) if I haven't done that in personal training sometime during the week. 

Personal training for flexibility and strength: Two times per week. I work with a personal trainer to strengthen my glutes, legs and core. We also do some plyometrics and stretching and he keeps close tabs on what works and doesn't in terms of my foot pain.

Sport specific training: Indoor trainer workout: High and low intensity. I do one very high intensity workout at the bike store that focuses on building leg strength and endurance. Then I do an easier, long workout on the weekends where I focus on really building my hip flexors and using an efficient pedal stroke. Strong hip flexors take the pounding off the feet and allow me to "lift" my leg up and put it down during the run stride instead of just "dropping" it and pounding. 

New to the recipe - Crossfit: Having heard so many testimonials about the benefits of Crossfit, I decided to join the Foundations class and see what it was all about. After the first couple of "real" workouts, I was hooked. If ever there was a class that focuses on your core and building a strong set of glutes and legs, this class is it. Plus, the intensity keeps your heart rate high and helps burn fat so for me a double dip! 

The Hike/Run: I took up hiking to realize a "bucket" list item of mine - hiking the Grand Canyon Rim to Rim to Rim. This is an arduous undertaking even for someone as fit as I am. With a foot that is not really dependable, "practicing" hiking is essential.My tri coach says, "Nothing builds run fitness like running." I am applying that same theory to hiking.  From a cardiovascular perspective, I don't foresee any issues. I do foresee getting my body used to making steep ascents and keeping my back loose. I've been combining these strenuous hikes with very SLOW running. I don't run faster than 5.8 mph at this point. 

The result? Well, the soup is still simmering on the running front but I am more fit than I've been in many years (and a couple pounds lighter). I am stronger, I have actual muscles now and am able to work parts of my legs and glutes that I've neglected for years. My foot tends to be sore on some occasions after a run and not on others. I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly what causes the soreness apart from my experimental footwear. It seems rather random. But there is no swelling and the tendon is not "hot". 

I ice and stretch more than I've done before. I also RECOVER more. If I am exhausted, I rest. This is new for me. I am used to pushing myself on no matter what. My foot will not tolerate that now so I have to be more mindful of when I need to rest. 

Perhaps my "recipe" all along has had too much of one ingredient and I've somehow made that strength a weakness (like too much pepper in the chili). I have not run more than 45 minutes in months and though I miss those long contemplative runs, I do not miss "training". In fact, I am not racing at all this year - on purpose. I have not signed up for a race and I don't intend to. I intend to have fun and see where having fun and trying a new recipe takes me. 

Will I ever be back to those two hour runs? I don't know. I hope so. But I hope to take them in a new direction like trail running. Like the hike/run. Maybe I'll just hike instead of run, who knows. But what is becoming clear to me is that this new recipe has more flavor, depth and complexity than it ever has before and the joy that is going into making it has a special flavor all its own. It makes me happy to be alive and grateful that I can give it all I have and do it again the next week.

Until my second round with this tendon injury, I took for granted how important having a completely healthy body really is. For those with chronic pain, knee, back or other debilitating injuries, I now know your pain in some small sense. You never know what you will get. I have good "foot" days and not so good foot days but I am thankful that I can still do 90% of the activities I love. Everything is a blessing if you are willing to see it that way.

So for now, the soup simmers and the jury is still out but the recipe already has a delicious aroma that is equal parts variety, complexity and sheer joy.