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While this has been an exceptional year for the team, it has been a tough year of training for me. I broke my left little toe on Memorial Day weekend walking on the beach. Once my toe recovered, the fascia in my left foot ripped during hip-hop class.
Together, these injuries kept me off the road for 10 weeks. On-road training resumed a month ago. My last long training walk – the one before my elevator epiphany -- has just been completed.
It took me almost seven hours to complete the 23 miles. I started when my children went to school, and I finished back at the house 15 minutes before they returned. At mile 12, my left foot began to hurt. Walking through the pain led me to contemplate what it must be like for those, like my sister, who walk through pain every day due to arthritis. I thought about stopping, but I decided to walk on. My gait changed as I tried to compensate, my stride shortened and I began to hitch a bit.
I made it through the 23 miles. Two days later my foot still hurts, but the icing, ibuprofen and rest are helping.
The reason this is important and relevant? There are 46 million Americans with arthritis, and it is the nation's leading cause of disability, affecting one in five adults and nearly 300,000 children. There are more than100 types of arthritis and three out of five people with arthritis are under the age of 65. Arthritis affects individuals and their quality of life, and it costs America more than $128 billion annually.
What have I learned so far through this experience? That every day I wake up -- and can walk -- is indeed a good day. |