Plantar Fasciitis – Page 2 – Disney Employee Engagement Speaker

Guest Blogger Nicholas Sparks?

Nicholas Sparks is today’s Guest Blogger? Well, sort of – via video clip.

Nicholas Sparks was a track star at Notre Dame.

Who knew?

And it was plantar fasciitis that ended one career and promoted another. Sounds a bit familiar, only different.

Nicholas Sparks wrote his first novel at 19. Around the same time, (1985), he and three other half-milers set the Notre Dame two-mile relay school record (7:20.11), which still stands today.

How do I know this? Facebook led me to this video interview with Nicholas Sparks and he’s standing next to the Notre Dame track & Field record book.

Wonder if he still runs?

Much Too Young To Feel

To Live Without My Music Would Be Impossible To Do

We all love music don’t we. And tonight, New Year’s Eve, we’ll most likely be listening to great music. What a joyous occasion New Year’s Eve is for so many people.

One of my favorite songs from legendary Country singer, Garth Brooks is “Much Too Young To Feel This Damn Old“. It reminds me of all the resolutions people make to get in shape, lose weight, quit smoking, etc.

Last week, I was reminded of this and had to laugh. The morning that I was heading to the Podiatrist for long-term foot pain, was the same morning an email came from the USATF, United States Track and Field.

The email announced the deadline was fast approaching for the 2010 Master’s Track & Field Indoor World Championships, in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Good thing I have a sense of humor, and a box of tissues.

Pain In The

Have you ever had something really important or “big” in your life, a long-time dream perhaps, where you where getting close to the end of your journey?

And you were so close you could see the glorious end in sight, but then the unthinkable happened.

How did you deal with it? Did it work out for you?

Where you forced to compromise? Or maybe (gasp), quit?

Pain in the as foot.

Pain in my left foot. Still.

It plagued me during the August Master’s Track & Field World Championships. In fact, it has bothered me all year.

In the Spring, it seemed to be a dominant topic at Lane 8.

By June however, I pretty much had stopped writing about the pain, but not because it went away.

Eventually, I had to suck it up and do what needed to be done to make it happen.

In Finland, it didn’t turn out the way I had dreamed, but that’s the beautiful lesson – nothing turns out the way we dream.

It’s either better or worse, but never the same.

Still In Pain?

Injuries and pain can make exercising a challenge. No brainer, right?

Well, I’ve been dealing with injuries for five years now. Guess you could say, “It’s the cost of doing business”.

I hate to complain, because complaining is fairly unproductive. There is one instance that I’ve discovered where complaining actually is effective.

If it causes you to do something positive about it. This is a tough one. Misery loves company. Another no brainer, right?

So, saying that to ask you this, “How many times have you exercised this past week”? Carpe diem!

Pain Update

Pain update. Short and sweet.

Yes, the pain is still nagging me, slowing things down, tempting me to become very discouraged.

Tempting me, and I shudder to think about it, to quit.

Quit?

Yes. Quit.

This has been going on for years. YEARS!

Being 50 years old and achieving and sustaining a world class fitness level is not easy.

Why work so hard, so long, so quietly? You know there are many, many people who know me well and have no idea I went to Finland for the 2009 WMA Master’s Track and Field World Championships? So yes, quietly.

So why then, all this work?

Remember my big goal? To see our son graduate from High School in ten years. No man on my Dad’s side has made it past 60.

What’s your “excuse”?