Four weeks ago today my right big toe was amputated. Last week I was back to attending my regular exercise classes at ADAPT Training (www.adapttraining.com). I can pretty much do everything I was doing before with some slight modifications. Last Saturday I went for my first real run since my accident: three miles on Leif Erickson Road. My stamina was off a little bit, but my foot felt fine! What a relief.
When I say my foot feels "fine" I don't mean "pain-free". There is a dull ache a lot of the time, but it's not enough to even bother with anti-inflammatories. Maybe I'll start soaking my foot in ice water after work. There is some phantom pain, too. So far it has been easy to deal with; I flex and extend the foot and the phantom pain goes away. None of my discomfort has been debilitating while I'm exercising, though. It's just sort of in the background. Of course, I haven't really tested my endurance yet, and a two-hour run might not be in the cards for awhile. There's only one way to find out.
Now I know for a fact what I have believed ever since this happened: not only can I get back in shape like I was before, but I can get in BETTER shape. I can get faster, stronger, and leaner. There are a number of 5K to 10K trail races coming up in my area through late summer and fall. They're affordable ($20-$40 per event) so there are definitely some races in my near future.
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