So it's been a while since I last posted. No recent hikes have been taken and my training regime has dwindled to the occasional lap around a nearby park with my dog. Why? Two words. Plantar fasciitis. Ugh.
I've actually been anticipating this. My right foot has endured every injury a foot can get. 1988 - broken toe. 1994 - badly sprained ankle with torn ligaments. 2010 - badly sprained ankle. 2011 - Achilles tendon injury. 2012 - inflamed tendon. 2014 - double sprained ankle. 2015 - plantar fasciitis. Notice how the injuries have piled up since 2010? I turned 37 in 2010, clearly age and overuse are a factor. My poor right foot is just a mass of old scars and arthritis, so the plantar fasciitis is not a surprise. I'm actually amazed that I haven't developed it already.
Back in March, I set a goal for myself - to run and/or walk 50 miles in a single week. I got close, 46 miles and then during a hike, the bottom of my right foot went "sproing." Pain where my heel and my arch meet. So I gave walking/running a rest for two weeks. And then at work, while wearing a not very supportive pair of sandals, I turned suddenly on the ball of my right foot and, huge "sproing." Super painful sproing. Limping for weeks after that sproing.
So I did some research and bought a pair of heel cups designed for plantar fasciitis. They seem to be helping but the pain is still there. So I did some more research and found a brace to wear at night. The brace has been helping tremendously. But - I still can't walk more than 2 miles without my foot starting to hurt again. Clearly the best remedy is rest. Sigh.
My plans to hike the Tahoe Rim Trail are rapidly disappearing. I don't think there's any way I'll be able to backpack in a mere 6 weeks time. If I can't even walk around the park, there's no way I can carry a backpack and walk 16-18 miles a day. My cardio is also terrible right now. Six weeks of near inactivity has taken its toll.
So I've gone to Plan X - as in, I didn't have a Plan B so I made one up when reality set it. I'm still hoping to do some backpacking this year. So I'm pushing my trip back to August to allow time for my foot to heal and for me to regain my cardio. But pushing the trip to August means I probably won't be able to do the Tahoe Rim Trail. With this year's incredibly low snow pack (15% of normal!) I don't think there will be enough water by August. I could probably put a bunch of water caches out for myself but I don't like the idea of relying on them and they ruin the sense of wilderness that I look forward to with backpacking. So instead, I'm considering redoing the section of Oregon I did last year - Callahan's to Highway 138.
But in the meantime, I'm implementing Plan X. Plantar fasciitis sucks. My two favorite modes of exercise are out the window - running and walking. So I'm going back to my first love - bicycling. I used to ride my bike everywhere when I was in college. I really love the sense of speed and movement that a bike gives you. So I pulled out my old mountain bike (bought in 1997!) and got ready to ride it. Almost. It's in bad shape after being stored for too many years. It needs a thorough tune up and new tires. Sigh. And then I got to thinking. The last time I went for a bike ride, I found it to be an exhausting slog. Why? Because mountain bikes aren't the best form of street transportation. Back in my 20s, I just gutted it out - and got into great shape. But now that I'm older (and a lot heavier), I'd prefer something a bit more easy to ride. Something intended for street riding and commuting.
So yesterday, I went into Reno and bought a new bike, the first I've had in 18 years. I bought a Trek FX 7.3, which is their exercise/commuter bike. I love it. It rides like a dream and it's so fast! Even in the bigger gears, it cruises right along and I'm not huffing and puffing. Awesome! I'm a little weirded out by the skinny road tires, having ridden a mountain bike for years, but I'm sure that's why the bike is so fast and smooth.
So for now, that's the plan. Ride my bike for exercise and stay off my foot and maybe come August I'll be ready for a major backpacking trip.
