This was supposed to be the update from week #4 of our lifestyle changes.  There has been a bit of a wrinkle in my plans. First, Dan is doing really well, he is now down 10 lb in just over 4 weeks of simple changes! For me, things aren’t going quite as planned.  As I mentioned in my post about Ironman, I have been dealing with a stubborn metatarsal injury of my big toe on the right foot for over two years.  On Monday of last week, I visited yet another health practitioner, this time a Sports Medicine MD at the Levy-Elliot Sports Medicine Clinic here in Burlington. I told him my story and he made an excellent suggestion.  Why not try an AirCast for 6 weeks?  Even though there isn’t necessarily evidence of a stress fracture on the x-rays, there are abnormalities showing.  We could do a bone scan, but the treatment would be the same.

I hesitated at first.  It seemed like the next logical step in the treatment plan, but I thought of all of the things I have coming up in the next six weeks and how the cast would affect them. The week, I am going to San Francisco for an amazing training called Go Diamond (more about this later this week) and I am arriving a day early to enjoy the city.  Second, I have many different speaking engagements and a seminar that I will be doing on March 4th.  Plus the fact that I teach 4 days a week as well (and we have a 2 week March Break starting March 15th). Then I realized that the sooner I began the treatment, the sooner we would see if it will work.

Now, when people ask me what happened (with that “oh no” expression) on their face, I tell them that this is a GOOD thing! First, my toe joint doesn’t hurt.  AT ALL for the first time in almost 2 years.  Yes, I just lived with it.  Been there, done that with my knees for 10 years – see Why Ironman post. I am so happy that I am not in pain, that the inconvenience of wearing the cast doesn’t bother me. Happily, I can take it off for driving, showering, sitting for long periods of time and sleeping (as long as I am not weight bearing).

A wrinkle in my workout plan, that’s for sure.  Right now, I have been biking at the gym and still working on push-ups and other ab exercises like WMM.  I am also allowed to swim, but haven’t been to the pool yet.  No volleyball or walking, although I can walk, it’s difficult to get up to a fast enough speed to work up a sweat.  I will continue to work on my goals for a healthier lifestyle, but right now, focus #1 is getting the toe BETTER.

My question of the day for you is have you ever broken a bone or had to wear a cast? Include your ideas and suggestion for getting around with a cast and any other physical activities that may work too!

Happy Monday everyone!