Medically Cleared
On the nightstand: This Love Is Not For Cowards: Salvation and Soccer in Ciudad Juárez by Robert Andrew Powell. So much more than a soccer book!!!Coming through the speakers: Alabama Shakes. Sound and Color. Wow.
“You’re medically cleared.”After 14 months of nothing--no running, no hiking, no walking, no museums, no soccer, nothing--I was set free. My podiatrist declared an end to my battle with plantar fasciitis.The worst part about plantar fasciitis is you can’t do anything to fix it. Just rest. And swim. A lot of swimming.I first felt the “pebble in my shoe” on one of my last runs in Austin back in January 2014. A fine parting gift that left me with a dull heel pain. I took a few weeks off. The dull pain never really went away. Maybe it still hasn’t.Over the past year, I tested it a few times. A few runs around my birthday. A soccer game here or there. Some hiking. It never seemed to get better.And now? Now I’m medically cleared.There’s still something that doesn’t feel right though. I’m not sure how much to attribute that to plantar fasciitis versus old age. With my thoughts on the latter, I’ve come to realize that I’ll never feel as good as 16 year old Chad once felt. This is as good as my body will feel from here on out.At least I’m medically cleared.As for running, yeah, there’s been a bit. I’ve tried to build up my mileage slowly, but that doesn’t really fit with the voice inside of me that encourages “push go go push.” I can feel my muscles dare me. “Think you still got it?” they tease. I feel how smooth and controlled my strides are. I’ll occasionally tap the gas, just to find out what’s under the hood.It feels good. The sun. The sweat. The freedom. The challenge. The exhaustion.Everything has improved with these feet once again hitting the pavement. My demeanor. My engagement with others. My health. My smile.There are goals again. There’s passion. It’s good. “You’re medically cleared.” It’s good.