Walk, Then Run
I learned how to run in my 20’s. No really.
Thanks to a funky foot and, thereby, a surgery in 2020, I have had the pleasure of relearning how to walk. And I do mean pleasure! I used to loathe running, it was an extremely painful and uncomfortable activity for me. I tried physical therapy, KT taping, rest then the opposite of rest by ‘pushing through’ and I just could not do it, both physically and mentally.
In the fall of 2019, a teammate was listening to my self-pity speech about my inability to run when she suggested I meet her father, an orthopedic surgeon. Flash forward to her house for dinner one night, her father did take a crude assessment of my foot. That was the first time I thought maybe there is a solution to my misery. In general, people are discouraged from taking drastic measures like surgery, especially as a young person, but I exhausted all other methods.
A few months later, I am under the knife.
For fear of sounding like a broken record, as I have written about my foot surgery before, I will skip the spiel. What I want to talk (write?) about instead is how amazing this summer has been for running. I have run more in the last 4 months than I have in the last 4 years, maybe the last 24 years! My legs are stronger, my stamina takes me farther, my heart is healthier.
I learned how to run in my 20’s!
So what inspired me to type this all out? I just got back from an hour long run where I thought about the other people I have met that have faced injury. Too many friends that have had stress fractures in their feet and shins. My mother had a spur surgically removed in her 50’s where she, too, had to relearn how to walk. My grandmother who fell and suffered a head injury in her 80’s where she, not only had to relearn how to walk, but to talk too! My point is, it is never too late for us to relearn our own bodies, to not take for granted the ability to walk, to run, to jump, ski, skip, dance!
Yes, I am fortunate to be able to run. I want to challenge you to think about the things in your life that you are able to do thanks to your feet.
browse the aisles at the grocery store
step into the shower
push the gas pedal
climb stairs and pretend you aren’t winded at the top
kick ice under the fridge
So what are the downsides to all this running? Well, with the serious uptick in mileage in the last few months, I ran through TWO pairs of shoes. And these aren’t just any shoes, they’re carbon plated shoes that are stupid expensive. Because of the two inch screws in my heel, I permanently lost the ability to roll my foot, therefore, I have to wear carbon plated shoes to manufacture said rocking motion to not cause further injury. All this to say, I do think being able to run is worth the cost! Photos attached showing the obvious signs these running shoes are done. I also knew they were done because my feet simply hurt.
Another downside is constant maintenance. My body needs a lot of TLC (tender, love, and care). One thing that has helped a ton is drinking collagen. Collagen is a protein that is found in the body, including in the connective tissue that insulates joints. The all knowing internet tells us that consuming collagen can help your body stimulate production and improve symptoms of joint pain. I tried it and it worked! I use the collagen from Bucked Up that dissolves in water, which also helps me stay hydrated; it’s a win-win. You can use my code 20ZOE at check out for a discount off your order and a percentage of sales comes directly to me to support my biathlon career <3
Now, I am not a doctor, I am not a physical therapist, and I am not trying to give any sort of medical advice here, I simply a girl with an experience and access to the internet trying to share a story in the hopes of spreading positivity around the set backs we, as humans, will face, have faced, or are facing.
BRB taking my nephews (plural) hiking with me!
Nephew in Alaska
Nephew in Wyoming
