this is the story of my red right ankle

Cait apologizes for her absence. She does not have internet at her apartment - or an apartment, really - and consequently finds it more difficult to post. I, on the other hand, am ethernetting it up real hard in my new digs.

And what you need to know right now is: less than two weeks into my training, I have encountered a serious problem. Those of you who know anything about my feet are aware that my right one has a less-than-flattering bump. I've been rocking it for a while now. Earlier this summer, I went to the foot doctor and had it examined via X-ray and otherwise. It was concluded that I have a rather mild case of osteoarthritis and that it does not need to be dealt with unless it becomes a problem. This was good news at the time: it meant that I would not need imminent surgery and that I could potentially fulfill my dream of running the marathon in 2009. Surgery, on the other hand, would have knocked me off my feet for weeks if not months and I would be hesitant to put the kind of grueling pressure on it endured during extensive running.

And the bump has not been a problem. The most recent dilemma I had with it was after walking miles upon miles in Copenhagen. My muscles throbbed and the bump caused severe discomfort. My foot simply could not take it any more and I had to go home early. I felt fine the next morning. Again, that was the last problem I had with it, until tonight. Cait and I went out to dinner with Megan and Mary Ann, then hung out for a while waiting for our food to digest. Once we had reached a satisfactory level of digestion, the two of us embarked on a quick run to the State House and back. It was going wonderfully. We stretched in the Christian Science Center grass, after I got my groove on real hard to Radiohead's "Bodysnatchers." Then we made our way down Boylston Steet. Some time after passing 500 Boylston, my right foot delivered the bad news. Bones rubbing together. Too much. Too hard. Too little cushion. And it frustrated me immensely because I had just slipped into the right running pattern. The rest of my body felt awesome and I was good to go. After a minute or two of suffering, I informed Cait of my pain, asking her if it would be OK to cut the run short. We turned at the Public Garden, hoping to make our way back to Mass Ave via Commonwealth. But my foot was too much to handle and I was forced to call it a night.

Imagine the frustration. I wanted to rage. I wanted to cry. If my foot does not get back in gear, then I physically can not run this marathon. And I don't even want to think about that this early in the game. I'm too excited about accomplishing this. But I also don't want to cause irreparable damage to my body. Yes, weight loss is fine. Muslces are acceptable. Sleeping better at night is also fine by me. But bone damage and the inability to walk comfortably is not really my beat.

So I'm going to do something I should have done days ago, when my toenails began to turn purple. I'm going to buy some new shoes immediately. Tomorrow morning, rather. No, they can't cure my arthritis, but they can improve the overall situation and hopefully provide some more support for my limbs. Please let this work out for me.