What happened to me - I disappeared!

So you are all probably thinking I have fallen off the face of the earth. And to an extent I have, although I have been fighting to keep this running thing going.

Three weeks ago yesterday I developed a lot of pain in my legs after running. I thought they were shin splints and took a full week off to give my legs time to heal. I went out two more times without any issues, but the third time I went out after 8 minutes of running I had to stop - the pain was too bad.

I walked home and took another 5 days off. By this time, I was starting to get antsy. The big 5k race day was two and a half weeks away and I had not run MUCH in the last two weeks, AND I couldn't seem to shake this pain. I ran Thursday and Saturday, both days doing a VERY slow run and still experiencing pain.

Sunday was the worst. The pain had settled in my legs and my feet, and my arches were incredibly sore. On Monday I went to the doctor. She thought I might have plantar fasciitis, and definitely an issue with my leg, so she sent me to physiotherapy.

I started physio yesterday with a great lady. She spent 90 minutes with me, assessing where I was having pain and the type of pain I was having. Then she told me that the sore legs and feet are not the issue. They are the resulting symptoms but not the issue. The issue was sometime else, likely a back issue. So she spent some time assessing my running shoes and if they were doing their job (which she felt they were), and then took me to the gym and put me on the treadmill to assess my gait.

Bingo- she quickly found the problem. Apparently Wanda can't walk correctly. Or run, for that matter. My left stride is shorter than my right stride, my right side (including my arm) swing more than my left, and as a result I have a weird pelvic twist that requires my left calf to overcompensate and is likely the reason for the significant pain in my left leg and foot.

I blame my years marching in a pipe band, pushing a drum with my left leg while swinging my right arm. Who would have thought??? And I might never have known that I walk weird, if I hadn't started running.

That was the easy part. Then she taught me some exercises to do to work on balancing out my body and my pelvis. And she taught me how to walk better, and not twist my pelvis in this funny way.

So between now and Monday I am to do these exercises and practice walking correctly. If I get comfortable with the correct walk posture then I can advance to a faster walk, and only if I'm good can I move to a slow run.

My legs still hurt too much to run anyway. She did electrical therapy of some sort and that REALLY helped my arches, they feel much better. My legs are still quite sore though.

Now that I am home and able to practice this correct walking form, I am having trouble remembering what I am supposed to do, because let's face it, it feels really awkward to me. So last night I was googling walking form to figure out what I am supposed to do. I found some articles on Chi Walking and Chi Running and they seem to refer to the pelvis and what it is supposed to be doing, so I think I will use that site to help me figure this out.

So what about the big race? (not to be last....)

Well, it is ten days from today. I have yet to run 5k - the closest I have achieved is 4.25 km.  I am not allowed to run till I perfect this form.  And I have run only 4 times in the past three weeks. My goal to not be last is seeming harder and harder to achieve.

I have added pressure because I convinced my best friend to take up running and do this with me. Imagine if we arrive in Toronto and while she takes off at the starting line with her best run, I walk. She might kill me.

A lady I work with ran the Boston Marathon in 2010, and told me not to worry about it. She was not able to run or train for the entire month before Boston due to an injury. And yet she was able to run the marathon without any trouble, her body remembering what it was supposed to do.

That is encouraging - but to be frank she is in much better physical condition than me...obviously since she qualified for Boston and I am just trying to run my first 5k.

What's my plan? I am going to go with the flow. It's my usual approach anyway.