It's 84 degrees outside right now and I'm hydrating to make sure that when Melissa and I go outside I don't shrivel up. We're running 7 miles today as part of the half marathon training and we were too tired to head out really early today to beat the heat.

I'm thrilled that the new shoes, inserts and the rest I took were enough for my left foot to feel better. I was able to run 4.5 miles on Tuesday, 3 on Wednesday and 4.5 on Thursday per the half training plan and it was all pain free. The 7 miles today is a big test and I am a little nervous it is going to be too much so the heat is an unwelcome complication!

Well, it seems like the new shoes and inserts might have done the trick! I ran 3 miles on Sunday morning and I still feel good. I didn't have any pain during the run or after it, despite a 3 hour trek around local neighborhoods looking for our first house. I'm running 3 tomorrow to see how it holds up again and if all is well, I'll do my 3 mile loop on Thursday in Rockville, Maryland where I'm attending a conference.

Yesterday I bit the bullet and bought my new Nike Air Structure Triax 10 running shoes and some other bits and pieces. The running shoes are now in yellow and black, an upgrade from the red and black accents in the last pair. Super Feet have also released gender specific orthotic inserts so I bought a new pair of those too. This is all driven by my latest injury created from running a marathon on a cambered highway in a pair of shoes with too many miles on them.

I also got a new Nike+ sensor since the last one was running low on battery power after a year of running. Melissa pointed out that Nike now has a new armband for the iPod Nano Sport Kit setup so you can finally see your display through a panel in the band. Prior to this you had to shuffle down the neoprene material to get any feedback about the buttons you were pushing. Melissa bought one and I guess I'll have to wait til next week. My last purchase was a new pair of Balego comfortable socks.

So I have all my new stuff and I'm going to go for a 3 mile run, even though a part of me is nervous that it might be too far still for my recovering foot. At least we're running the 3 mile loop from our house which means at about 2 miles I have the option of cutting across the grass to get home. Some of my previous runs since the marathon I've been stuck 1 mile out from home when I realized that the pain was back and I have to walk that last mile, not helping my condition. Hopefully this won't be too much and I'll be home in three miles looking at this and feeling smug. I'm hoping the new shoes and inserts will be enough cushioning to save me limping home.

I've been experiencing a sharp pain on the outside of my left foot along the bone since the marathon and I just looked today to find a potential name for my problem. Ten google searches later I found a good forum post where a runner described the same symptoms. A forum visitor responded to explain that she experienced a similar pain running on an inclined surface, similar to the highway in San Diego and from the pictures she provides and the description, I think it's what I am experiencing. "Peronial insertional tendonitis". I've been taking Advil like a good little patient but I haven't stopped running. I can go about 3 miles without pain but mile 4 is just too much.

Regular reader Joe was asking about the revelations from my physical therapy.

I walk fine but as I get faster my foot lands flat or towards the front of my foot. Missing the heel like this means much of my running is done on my toes. The next part is a chicken and egg problem - I have really stiff ankles which could either cause the running on my toes or be caused by it. It seems likely that the running on my toes has lead to over developed calf muscles and, because I rarely stretched after training, they limited the range of motion in my ankles.

The next issue she noticed was that in addition to not landing on my heel, I also push off on my big toe alone instead of all 5 toes at the same time which rolls my ankle inwards and could have been a major contributor to the strain on the inside of my ankle as my foot collapsed inwards. It certainly would be responsible for the plantar fascitis I have in my left foot which you feel first thing the morning. She recommended a set of green super feet inserts (http://www.superfeet.com/) to offer more stability. Since I have worn these the pain in the morning has subsided and I have noticed that as I am running I feel a more even push off.

I signed up yesterday for the Team in Training group here in Chicago to train for the San Diego marathon. Now I'll need the help of all my good friends to raise the $4000 required to keep me in the race.

I just read on ipodnn that Nike accidentally leaked a product onto their European website and then pulled it back again. The device called the Nike Speed+ eliminates the need for an iPod Nano, or any iPod at all, by displaying the feedback from the Nike+ sensor on a watch device capable of showing pace and calorie information. This appears to be distinct from the unreleased Amp+ which is supposed to act as a remote for the iPod Nano as well as displaying the sensor information.

As for my own announcements, I've just signed up for the Chicago Distance Classic (half marathon) in August and the Chicago Marathon in October. Tonight I'm attending a Team in Training meeting to take part in the San Diego marathon in June. Two and a half marathons!

My training has been picking back up again after my physical therapy to address the tendonitis I was experiencing on the inside of my ankle. The physical therapist had a few revelations about my running style and my arch support in my shoes.

I woke up this morning and felt that tell-tale ache on the inside of my ankle again. I felt it a little while I was on the ghetto treadmill in our building. One of the things I notice about the treadmill is that although it faces a mirror with a hole cut out for a TV, the alignment of the treadmill is angled to point more directly at the TV. I'm curious if the reason I felt the pain was that I was subconsciously trying to correct my run so that I was running towards the mirror. Either way, it was foolish not to stop and either turn the treadmill or just stop. Prior to this I had run on a mirror-less treadmill at the gym and even done 3 miles outside without an issue. Hopefully two days rest will help.

I'm delighted to report that WalkJogRun was featured on Fox News two days ago! I figure that if I can't run thru this tendonitis, I can do some marketing for the site. If anyone knows of other "Cool Websites" shows on local news stations, and would like to support the site, please pass on the link and let me know if they are going to feature it. For each TV spot I can give away a free WJR t-shirt for the person who tipped off the reporter! Here is the Fox News segment:

I'm sat staring at the prescription from Doctor Gleason for physical therapy sessions trying to work out specifically which type of tendonitis I have in my ankle. I have to schedule my first appointment to fix the pain. Doctor Gleason said I have a form of Ankle Tendonitis and gave me some Celebrex as an NSAID to help reduce the swelling in my ankle. The MRI came back with very little besides some fluid in the joint and signs of inflammation of the tendon running along the inside of my ankle. I know it's not my Achilles tendon but it does mean I have to stop training for Atlanta at least in the short term. Grrr.

I'm grumpy because I'm still awaiting the final word about my ankle. I went to a great orthopedist at the Illinois Bone and Joint institute, Doctor Gleason who spent a lot of time discussing my injury and it was far more professional than the last time I went to a different place downtown. The last place was basically a tiny office with 3 members of staff and an x-ray machine in the corridor. The Bone and Joint Institute was far more professional with a digital imaging system allowing us to review my ankle on a computer screen with panning and zoom controls. He didn't find any obvious broken bones but sent me for an MRI just to be certain that it was just a soft tissue injury. My appointment is on Tuesday and I hope to find out that I can resume training again with ankle support. At least this time off my feet means I can get some hours in on WalkJogRun...