Trails for Two

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:So, what's been going on since I dropped off the face of the Earth?

A lot, and not much.

Alita is working from home now doing remote teaching with special ed students, which means our bedroom is also her office now. Alec is about to finish up his next-to-last semester at WSU. (He'll graduate in December.) And he's getting excited about FINALLY getting the chance to do the archaeology field school in Peru this summer. Woot!

My work is busy and interesting, with a new crop of reporters coming along nicely and something coming up soon that will be very exciting for us and the newspaper industry as a whole. More on that when it's public.

I swear I was going to get things moving again by starting to walk to work this month, but the day I wanted to start was the day the weather switched from spring to winter and we got several inches of snow, followed by chilly, windy, rainy weather ever since. We're on our second week of it. Now, if I was running, it wouldn't be a big deal. But getting to work damp and chilly and then sitting there for eight hours? Not so much.

Still, I've got a new backpack where I can stash my work laptop, lunch and whatever clothes I need to tote depending on the conditions. I will do this. I just hope the weather starts to cooperate. I mean, we need the rain, but geez.

Wow...seems like Alec just started at WSU and he's graduating soon.    Glad he's finally going to be able to do the field work in Peru.  Hope he enjoys it.

Is Alita's remote work a permanent arrangement or will she go back into the classroom in the future?  Her working from home removes your opportunity to walk her to work.

I get your complaints about the weather.  It's been tough to get out there and run...and also tough to get our farm work done...but we need the snow and rain so we'll keep our complaints to a minimum.  Your part of the world is one of the few areas that has average or above moisture/snowpack this year.  Things are looking slightly better here but it's going to take some time to dig our way out of this drought.  This is compounded by the fact that the Deschutes Basin is primarily spring fed rather than runoff fed so the snow shows up in the reservoirs and rivers a year or two after it falls.

Stay warm and dry.

I didn't realize that your snow-fed water came through springs and not runoff. I guess in one way there's a benefit to knowing more or less ahead of time what your water situation will be, but it'd be disheartening to have a huge snow year and know that you won't reap the benefits for a year or two. Not like we've had many huge snow years lately.

It looks like Alita's job will extend into next school year (we think/hope). She really enjoys this work and hopes it can continue. The walk to work is pretty short, to be sure, but once I start walking, she can meet me on my way home, and during the summer (if we ever get one), she can walk ME to work. Parity!

Yup, we get a benefit from rain that falls where we farm in the year that it falls but very little snow melts and runs directly into the river.  The snow melts and then hangs around underground for at least a year.  I'm sure you've been to the head of the Metolius River.  That's how our basin works.  Things are looking up for next year.

Hope Alita's job is extended and glad you're looking at opportunities to walk together.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:So, what's been going on since I dropped off the face of the Earth?

A lot, and not much.

Alita is working from home now doing remote teaching with special ed students, which means our bedroom is also her office now. Alec is about to finish up his next-to-last semester at WSU. (He'll graduate in December.) And he's getting excited about FINALLY getting the chance to do the archaeology field school in Peru this summer. Woot!

My work is busy and interesting, with a new crop of reporters coming along nicely and something coming up soon that will be very exciting for us and the newspaper industry as a whole. More on that when it's public.

I swear I was going to get things moving again by starting to walk to work this month, but the day I wanted to start was the day the weather switched from spring to winter and we got several inches of snow, followed by chilly, windy, rainy weather ever since. We're on our second week of it. Now, if I was running, it wouldn't be a big deal. But getting to work damp and chilly and then sitting there for eight hours? Not so much.

Still, I've got a new backpack where I can stash my work laptop, lunch and whatever clothes I need to tote depending on the conditions. I will do this. I just hope the weather starts to cooperate. I mean, we need the rain, but geez.

Wow...seems like Alec just started at WSU and he's graduating soon.    Glad he's finally going to be able to do the field work in Peru.  Hope he enjoys it.

Is Alita's remote work a permanent arrangement or will she go back into the classroom in the future?  Her working from home removes your opportunity to walk her to work.

I get your complaints about the weather.  It's been tough to get out there and run...and also tough to get our farm work done...but we need the snow and rain so we'll keep our complaints to a minimum.  Your part of the world is one of the few areas that has average or above moisture/snowpack this year.  Things are looking slightly better here but it's going to take some time to dig our way out of this drought.  This is compounded by the fact that the Deschutes Basin is primarily spring fed rather than runoff fed so the snow shows up in the reservoirs and rivers a year or two after it falls.

Stay warm and dry.

I didn't realize that your snow-fed water came through springs and not runoff. I guess in one way there's a benefit to knowing more or less ahead of time what your water situation will be, but it'd be disheartening to have a huge snow year and know that you won't reap the benefits for a year or two. Not like we've had many huge snow years lately.

It looks like Alita's job will extend into next school year (we think/hope). She really enjoys this work and hopes it can continue. The walk to work is pretty short, to be sure, but once I start walking, she can meet me on my way home, and during the summer (if we ever get one), she can walk ME to work. Parity!

Yup, we get a benefit from rain that falls where we farm in the year that it falls but very little snow melts and runs directly into the river.  The snow melts and then hangs around underground for at least a year.  I'm sure you've been to the head of the Metolius River.  That's how our basin works.  Things are looking up for next year.

Hope Alita's job is extended and glad you're looking at opportunities to walk together.

Alita's job DID extend, so

We've walked a little, but our Apruary weather continues, keeping me from walking to work. Glad it's helping the snowpack, though!

Okay, this is it. Today's the day!

We had the wettest April in more than 20 years, and May isn't looking much better, but it's sunny and nice today, so I'm at least going to get out and walk to work today. It's supposed to be raining again tomorrow, so it's not the beginning of a streak or anything, but at this point, I'll take whatever I can to get moving.

Mark B wrote:Okay, this is it. Today's the day!

We had the wettest April in more than 20 years, and May isn't looking much better, but it's sunny and nice today, so I'm at least going to get out and walk to work today. It's supposed to be raining again tomorrow, so it's not the beginning of a streak or anything, but at this point, I'll take whatever I can to get moving.

Update, since I forgot to do it sooner.

I walked 1.8 miles to work, then 1.8 miles back. Alita met me on the way back and we finished up together.

The walk felt weird. My legs felt a little discombobulated, and I'm not sure the shoes I wore are the right ones anymore. I shouldn't have been surprised that I felt fatigued afterward, but I did.

Even so, it was a start, even though it dumped rain the following two days.

Update: We had two decent weather days this week, and I took advantage of them.

So that's 3.6 miles round trip on two successive days. It felt a lot better than the first day, maybe partly because I switched from running shoes to the Vivobarefoot shoes I wear in the office. It helps to be able to feel the ground under my feet and it improves my form.

Now, the muscles in my feet are a little sore this morning, but that's OK. We have rain coming in, so I'll be driving today.

Also, we have fetched our offspring from the wilds of Eastern Washington. Hard to believe he only has one semester left.

Update: I did back-to-back walking commutes Monday and Tuesday, while we had good weather, and I plan to walk again on Friday.

One twist at this point: I'm wearing my Vivobarefoot work shoes when I walk. They are about as unstructured as you can get, with only a couple of millimeters of sole between my foot and the ground. My body greatly prefers those mechanics over cushy running shoes, but 3.8 miles a day definitely adds up after so much inactivity. I can feel the muscles in my feet and lower legs responding (including a pretty nasty foot cramp last night), but as long as I work my way into it, I think it'll work out well.

Mark B wrote:Update: We had two decent weather days this week, and I took advantage of them.

So that's 3.6 miles round trip on two successive days. It felt a lot better than the first day, maybe partly because I switched from running shoes to the Vivobarefoot shoes I wear in the office. It helps to be able to feel the ground under my feet and it improves my form.

Now, the muscles in my feet are a little sore this morning, but that's OK. We have rain coming in, so I'll be driving today.

Also, we have fetched our offspring from the wilds of Eastern Washington. Hard to believe he only has one semester left.

Mark B wrote:Update: I did back-to-back walking commutes Monday and Tuesday, while we had good weather, and I plan to walk again on Friday.

One twist at this point: I'm wearing my Vivobarefoot work shoes when I walk. They are about as unstructured as you can get, with only a couple of millimeters of sole between my foot and the ground. My body greatly prefers those mechanics over cushy running shoes, but 3.8 miles a day definitely adds up after so much inactivity. I can feel the muscles in my feet and lower legs responding (including a pretty nasty foot cramp last night), but as long as I work my way into it, I think it'll work out well.

Boy has this been the year for huge swings in the weather.  Seems like the last couple weeks we've had nice weather...on Wednesdays.  Wind the rest of the week.

Good to see you getting out there.  I'm not surprised to year you're in your minimal shoes...and yes, I think you'll do fine as long as you don't get to carried away.  The weather will help temper your enthusiasm 

I can't believe that Alec only has one semester left.  Didn't he just graduate from HS??  Is he heading off to South America this summer?

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Update: We had two decent weather days this week, and I took advantage of them.

So that's 3.6 miles round trip on two successive days. It felt a lot better than the first day, maybe partly because I switched from running shoes to the Vivobarefoot shoes I wear in the office. It helps to be able to feel the ground under my feet and it improves my form.

Now, the muscles in my feet are a little sore this morning, but that's OK. We have rain coming in, so I'll be driving today.

Also, we have fetched our offspring from the wilds of Eastern Washington. Hard to believe he only has one semester left.

Mark B wrote:Update: I did back-to-back walking commutes Monday and Tuesday, while we had good weather, and I plan to walk again on Friday.

One twist at this point: I'm wearing my Vivobarefoot work shoes when I walk. They are about as unstructured as you can get, with only a couple of millimeters of sole between my foot and the ground. My body greatly prefers those mechanics over cushy running shoes, but 3.8 miles a day definitely adds up after so much inactivity. I can feel the muscles in my feet and lower legs responding (including a pretty nasty foot cramp last night), but as long as I work my way into it, I think it'll work out well.

Boy has this been the year for huge swings in the weather.  Seems like the last couple weeks we've had nice weather...on Wednesdays.  Wind the rest of the week.

Good to see you getting out there.  I'm not surprised to year you're in your minimal shoes...and yes, I think you'll do fine as long as you don't get to carried away.  The weather will help temper your enthusiasm 

I can't believe that Alec only has one semester left.  Didn't he just graduate from HS??  Is he heading off to South America this summer?

Alec graduated from high school back in the "before times," so it simultaneously feels like yesterday and a million years ago. He will wrap up his undergraduate work in three and a half years, one semester early, thanks in large part to a large number of Advanced Placement classes/tests he did back in high school. Woot!

Yes, Alec is going to Peru this summer! We just got back from REI's anniversary sale, where we dropped a chunk of change to get him the gear he'll need to rough it at high altitude in Peru's Ancash region (about 9,000 feet elevation). Luckily, he'll be able to use the stuff we got him for years if he wants to do backpacking. (He's going to use the travel pack I took to Asia when I was in Peace Corps back in the day, which is cool.)

My two days off midweek made my walk on Friday feel quite nice, going both ways. I can feel the strength starting to return. The cardio will take longer, but it'll get there, as long as I keep with it.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Update: We had two decent weather days this week, and I took advantage of them.

So that's 3.6 miles round trip on two successive days. It felt a lot better than the first day, maybe partly because I switched from running shoes to the Vivobarefoot shoes I wear in the office. It helps to be able to feel the ground under my feet and it improves my form.

Now, the muscles in my feet are a little sore this morning, but that's OK. We have rain coming in, so I'll be driving today.

Also, we have fetched our offspring from the wilds of Eastern Washington. Hard to believe he only has one semester left.

Mark B wrote:Update: I did back-to-back walking commutes Monday and Tuesday, while we had good weather, and I plan to walk again on Friday.

One twist at this point: I'm wearing my Vivobarefoot work shoes when I walk. They are about as unstructured as you can get, with only a couple of millimeters of sole between my foot and the ground. My body greatly prefers those mechanics over cushy running shoes, but 3.8 miles a day definitely adds up after so much inactivity. I can feel the muscles in my feet and lower legs responding (including a pretty nasty foot cramp last night), but as long as I work my way into it, I think it'll work out well.

Boy has this been the year for huge swings in the weather.  Seems like the last couple weeks we've had nice weather...on Wednesdays.  Wind the rest of the week.

Good to see you getting out there.  I'm not surprised to year you're in your minimal shoes...and yes, I think you'll do fine as long as you don't get to carried away.  The weather will help temper your enthusiasm 

I can't believe that Alec only has one semester left.  Didn't he just graduate from HS??  Is he heading off to South America this summer?

Alec graduated from high school back in the "before times," so it simultaneously feels like yesterday and a million years ago. He will wrap up his undergraduate work in three and a half years, one semester early, thanks in large part to a large number of Advanced Placement classes/tests he did back in high school. Woot!

Yes, Alec is going to Peru this summer! We just got back from REI's anniversary sale, where we dropped a chunk of change to get him the gear he'll need to rough it at high altitude in Peru's Ancash region (about 9,000 feet elevation). Luckily, he'll be able to use the stuff we got him for years if he wants to do backpacking. (He's going to use the travel pack I took to Asia when I was in Peace Corps back in the day, which is cool.)

My two days off midweek made my walk on Friday feel quite nice, going both ways. I can feel the strength starting to return. The cardio will take longer, but it'll get there, as long as I keep with it.

Yeah...COVID did mess up our memories/times didn't it.  Impressive that Alec was able to graduate early.  Even more impressive that you still have your travel pack AND that Alec is willing to use it!!  Hope he has a good experience in Peru.  We visited in 2013 but didn't get to that area.  We were definitely tourists but try to get off the beaten track as much as possible.  One of our favorite memories was our driver taking us to eat Cuy.  At our request, he took us to the local market and we dined with the locals on a Sunday afternoon.

Legs, feet, and cardio will adapt with time.  Easing your way in is a good plan.

Enjoy the nice days and use your rest days to stay dry.

I'm pretty sure he'll end up eating cuy at some point. And where they're staying seems pretty significantly off the beaten track - and at an altitude of about 10,400 feet, so that'll be interesting for him. We plan to spent a few days up on Mount Hood once Alita's school is out to traipse around at a slightly higher altitude than our current 30 feet above sea level to at least get him aware of what it might feel like.

I managed to get in three commuting round trips last week, for about 11.4 miles total. I plan to do another three days this week, and we're planning to head out later today once someone crawls out of bed for a short jaunt in the woods. So that should push my weekly total higher.

Once the weather settles down a bit, I'll ramp it up to 4-5 days per week. Alita's looking forward to whens he gets sprung from school, because she'll be able to walk with me both in the morning and in the evening.

Weekly miles: 13.83 

With our hike on Monday and three days of good enough weather for a walking commute, I moved to four days of walking, so close to 14 miles that the pointed-headed part of me wants to walk laps around the parking lot today to get an even number. 

It's going well. My legs are starting to remember how to move, and I can feel the strength slowly returning. It feels good. 

I'm using my Vivobarefoot shoes for all this, so my supporting muscles in my lower legs are still waking up, but I think my slow rollout is helping keep the niggles at bay. Woot!

I almost walked today, but he weather is dicey and it's probably better to not go all-in too fast. 

So far, so good!

Mark B wrote:I'm pretty sure he'll end up eating cuy at some point. And where they're staying seems pretty significantly off the beaten track - and at an altitude of about 10,400 feet, so that'll be interesting for him. We plan to spent a few days up on Mount Hood once Alita's school is out to traipse around at a slightly higher altitude than our current 30 feet above sea level to at least get him aware of what it might feel like.

I managed to get in three commuting round trips last week, for about 11.4 miles total. I plan to do another three days this week, and we're planning to head out later today once someone crawls out of bed for a short jaunt in the woods. So that should push my weekly total higher.

Once the weather settles down a bit, I'll ramp it up to 4-5 days per week. Alita's looking forward to whens he gets sprung from school, because she'll be able to walk with me both in the morning and in the evening.

The altitude will require some adjustment.  The guides were quick to teach us Pole Pole when we were trekking Kilimanjaro.  It came in handy no matter what continent we were trekking on.  We quickly learned that you don't make a quick trip to the outhouse...or anywhere for that matter.

Mark B wrote:Weekly miles: 13.83 

With our hike on Monday and three days of good enough weather for a walking commute, I moved to four days of walking, so close to 14 miles that the pointed-headed part of me wants to walk laps around the parking lot today to get an even number. 

It's going well. My legs are starting to remember how to move, and I can feel the strength slowly returning. It feels good. 

I'm using my Vivobarefoot shoes for all this, so my supporting muscles in my lower legs are still waking up, but I think my slow rollout is helping keep the niggles at bay. Woot!

I almost walked today, but he weather is dicey and it's probably better to not go all-in too fast. 

So far, so good!

I am surprised you didn't figure out a way to get to an even number.  I end every run on an even number if all all possible.  It's just a thing.

Sounds like your plan to work your way in slowly is going well.  You should have a couple nice walking weather days this week before the weekend rain returns.  

Enjoy your walks with Alita and your time with Alec before he heads south.

Quick update: I got a walk in last Monday, but we had workers in our place on Tuesday and an atmospheric river rolled in shortly thereafter, so that scrapped any hope of walking.

Wow. So much rain, too. Crazy. Hope it made it over the mountains into Central Oregon!

Things keep getting in the way of walking this week, too, but we plan to head up Mount Hood this weekend to get Alec accustomed to at least slightly higher altitudes and just get away. The weather isn't supposed to be great, but that's the way things are going here this year. Welcome to Juneuary!

Mark B wrote:Quick update: I got a walk in last Monday, but we had workers in our place on Tuesday and an atmospheric river rolled in shortly thereafter, so that scrapped any hope of walking.

Wow. So much rain, too. Crazy. Hope it made it over the mountains into Central Oregon!

Things keep getting in the way of walking this week, too, but we plan to head up Mount Hood this weekend to get Alec accustomed to at least slightly higher altitudes and just get away. The weather isn't supposed to be great, but that's the way things are going here this year. Welcome to Juneuary!

Yes, the rain did make it over the mountain.  Just .6 but for us that's a good summer rain.  Still no hay cut/baled.

Enjoying following your jaunts on Strava. 

Weather here is looking wet for the weekend...actually mostly on Friday so maybe at least part of your time on the mountain will be dry.  Better than Montana that's for sure!

Have fun acclimating.

Dry? On the mountain? Last weekend? 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahaa!

No, not dry. In fact, we were in a cloud nearly the entire time, with constant light rain and drizzle. We spent a lot more time in the hotel than we thought we would. Not exactly a summer getaway.

That said, we took a chance on Saturday and headed to the other side of the pass, to a slightly lower elevation, and got in a beautiful and surprisingly long hike in the Mount Hood Wilderness. Alita and I were sure we were only going to get in a short hike, assuming we'd quickly get soaked in 40-degree weather (hypothermia is not your friend) since we didn't have proper rain gear for all of us. But we got lucky and we ended up below the clouds, so the drizzle machine turned off. In fact, we even saw a few small sunbreaks!

That meant we had no excuse not to keep going, and Alec was thrilled. So our original plan for about 4.2 miles extended - we thought to about 6, but it turned out to be 8 to 8.4 miles, depending on whose Strava you believe. That distance sounds short from a running standpoint, but it still took us about four and a half hours, because several miles of the trail were covered in snow, which slowed us down a lot and left our lower legs pretty sore afterward. Nobody fell, though, which is good!

Oh, and the rain? It moved in with about a mile left. We didn't get terribly wet, but we're glad we went out early like we did. It rained the rest of the time we were there.

Here are some photos from the hike:


Partway in, happy that it's not raining!



Upper Twin Lake.



The ridge between Upper and Lower Twin Lakes.



Lower Twin Lake. Mt. Hood is there ... somewhere in the clouds.


What our trail looked like for much of the middle third of our hike. That got old fast.

--

This week, I walked to work four times, and Alita joined me on most of them. I logged about 15 miles total, the most in quite some time. (Woot!) I also am dealing with some odd numbness on the top of one of my feet -- I think the laces my shoes are irritating the tendons and nerves on the top of my feet. I'm taking a few days off and will use a different pair of shoes for walking and see if that helps.

Nice photos.  I'm impressed that Alec is interested in hanging out with his folks.  You and Alita must have done something right.  Hope you enjoy a few more fun family outings before he heads south.

So much for the rain...98 here yesterday.  86 for the start of my easy 4 miles yesterday and 90 at the finish.  Pleased it cooled off for my interval run today but it looks like there is a potential for rain over the weekend.  Guess that's what happens on weekends...

Have you and Alita made any plans or set any goals...related to future events...yet?

Good to see all of you out moving again.

nkrichards wrote:Nice photos.  I'm impressed that Alec is interested in hanging out with his folks.  You and Alita must have done something right.  Hope you enjoy a few more fun family outings before he heads south.

So much for the rain...98 here yesterday.  86 for the start of my easy 4 miles yesterday and 90 at the finish.  Pleased it cooled off for my interval run today but it looks like there is a potential for rain over the weekend.  Guess that's what happens on weekends...

Have you and Alita made any plans or set any goals...related to future events...yet?

Good to see all of you out moving again.

No plans beyond the vaguely aspirational at this point. Stuff keeps coming up.

The latest was this numb patch on the top of my foot. I took a few days off to see if it got better, then a few more. I finally walked to work again yesterday, using different shoes than the ones I have been using. I noticed that the numbness, which had been getting better, seems a little worse this morning, which now makes me think the thing that started it might not have been my Vivobarefoot shoes but my Topo trail runners. I don't remember having any issues until after the trek in the mountains - and a pair of Topo running shoes had previously irritated the top of my foot. Hm...

Correlation or causality? I wish I knew. 

So we're going to head over to a shoe store we like this weekend in Portland and see if I can find something that would work better.

To be fair, it wasn't just the weird foot issue that kept me from walking. (I could find the nerve in question - it was so prominent that I could twang it like a guitar string, which felt really weird.) It was also the logistics and surprises of getting Alec off to his bioarchaeological field school in Peru.

The surprises came fast and furious, thanks to a few things that cropped up in his first few days. We got them resolved, we think, but it was stress-out time there for a while. He's now up on a mountainside (elevation ~11,500 feet) digging through old tombs dating from a pre-Inca civilization from 200 BC to AD 800. He seems to be enjoying it quite a lot, which is fun. And since he's on a mountainside overlooking the town and cell phone tower, he's got great reception! Which is weird, but nice.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Nice photos.  I'm impressed that Alec is interested in hanging out with his folks.  You and Alita must have done something right.  Hope you enjoy a few more fun family outings before he heads south.

So much for the rain...98 here yesterday.  86 for the start of my easy 4 miles yesterday and 90 at the finish.  Pleased it cooled off for my interval run today but it looks like there is a potential for rain over the weekend.  Guess that's what happens on weekends...

Have you and Alita made any plans or set any goals...related to future events...yet?

Good to see all of you out moving again.

No plans beyond the vaguely aspirational at this point. Stuff keeps coming up.

The latest was this numb patch on the top of my foot. I took a few days off to see if it got better, then a few more. I finally walked to work again yesterday, using different shoes than the ones I have been using. I noticed that the numbness, which had been getting better, seems a little worse this morning, which now makes me think the thing that started it might not have been my Vivobarefoot shoes but my Topo trail runners. I don't remember having any issues until after the trek in the mountains - and a pair of Topo running shoes had previously irritated the top of my foot. Hm...

Correlation or causality? I wish I knew. 

So we're going to head over to a shoe store we like this weekend in Portland and see if I can find something that would work better.

To be fair, it wasn't just the weird foot issue that kept me from walking. (I could find the nerve in question - it was so prominent that I could twang it like a guitar string, which felt really weird.) It was also the logistics and surprises of getting Alec off to his bioarchaeological field school in Peru.

The surprises came fast and furious, thanks to a few things that cropped up in his first few days. We got them resolved, we think, but it was stress-out time there for a while. He's now up on a mountainside (elevation ~11,500 feet) digging through old tombs dating from a pre-Inca civilization from 200 BC to AD 800. He seems to be enjoying it quite a lot, which is fun. And since he's on a mountainside overlooking the town and cell phone tower, he's got great reception! Which is weird, but nice.

I've seen you out and about a bit on Strava...hope the foot issue/new shoes are working out.

Isn't it funny the places that you have cell service...and the places you don't.  It will be nice to know you can contact each other easily.  Sounds like you resolved all the surprises...hope he's settling in now.  What an experience!  My year as an exchange student changed my life and it seems like this is just such an opportunity for Alec.

Hope this finds you all well and staying cool.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Nice photos.  I'm impressed that Alec is interested in hanging out with his folks.  You and Alita must have done something right.  Hope you enjoy a few more fun family outings before he heads south.

So much for the rain...98 here yesterday.  86 for the start of my easy 4 miles yesterday and 90 at the finish.  Pleased it cooled off for my interval run today but it looks like there is a potential for rain over the weekend.  Guess that's what happens on weekends...

Have you and Alita made any plans or set any goals...related to future events...yet?

Good to see all of you out moving again.

No plans beyond the vaguely aspirational at this point. Stuff keeps coming up.

The latest was this numb patch on the top of my foot. I took a few days off to see if it got better, then a few more. I finally walked to work again yesterday, using different shoes than the ones I have been using. I noticed that the numbness, which had been getting better, seems a little worse this morning, which now makes me think the thing that started it might not have been my Vivobarefoot shoes but my Topo trail runners. I don't remember having any issues until after the trek in the mountains - and a pair of Topo running shoes had previously irritated the top of my foot. Hm...

Correlation or causality? I wish I knew. 

So we're going to head over to a shoe store we like this weekend in Portland and see if I can find something that would work better.

To be fair, it wasn't just the weird foot issue that kept me from walking. (I could find the nerve in question - it was so prominent that I could twang it like a guitar string, which felt really weird.) It was also the logistics and surprises of getting Alec off to his bioarchaeological field school in Peru.

The surprises came fast and furious, thanks to a few things that cropped up in his first few days. We got them resolved, we think, but it was stress-out time there for a while. He's now up on a mountainside (elevation ~11,500 feet) digging through old tombs dating from a pre-Inca civilization from 200 BC to AD 800. He seems to be enjoying it quite a lot, which is fun. And since he's on a mountainside overlooking the town and cell phone tower, he's got great reception! Which is weird, but nice.

I've seen you out and about a bit on Strava...hope the foot issue/new shoes are working out.

Isn't it funny the places that you have cell service...and the places you don't.  It will be nice to know you can contact each other easily.  Sounds like you resolved all the surprises...hope he's settling in now.  What an experience!  My year as an exchange student changed my life and it seems like this is just such an opportunity for Alec.

Hope this finds you all well and staying cool.

We're doing well. I just started two weeks' of vacation, so that's definitely nice! Alec is in Peru for another week, then we have him for a few days before we haul him back to Pullman, RA training and his final (!) semester at WSU. 

New shoes didn't solve the problem, so I've started the process of trying to get to see a podiatrist who looked at my freaky feet before. The numbness is still there, and there's some off-and-on pain depending on how I put weight on my foot. I think it's doubtful that I have a stress reaction, but since it's not getting better on its own, it seems like time to get it checked out. 

And as far as reception goes, you're totally right. There are places in the Gorge with ZERO cell phone coverage, and our kid is more than 4,700 miles away, high altitude camping on a mountainside in rural Peru, and he can call us and we can hear him clear as a bell. Crazy!

So, my desire to see a podiatrist to figure out the whole numbness issue in my foot meant I had to see a primary care doctor (gotta love insurance rules) before I could go. He agreed to a referral, thinking it might be a neuroma, and he ordered X-rays at the request of the podiatry people.

I hadn't heard back from podiatry when the radiologist report came back.

FINDINGS/IMPRESSION: There is mild osteoarthrosis at the first MTP joint.  The findings suggest small spurs originating from the head of the first metatarsal.  Minimal narrowing of the first MTP joint space.  There is more severe arthrosis in the midfoot.  There is quite severe arthrosis in the second tarsometatarsal joint and third tarsometatarsal joint.  More mild arthrosis in the fourth tarsometatarsal joint.  The lateral view shows loss of the plantar arch. No acute finding. The osseous structures remain intact.
 
IMPRESSION: Osteoarthrosis is quite severe in the midfoot where there is loss of the plantar arch*.


Well, OK then.  


It's probably not a surprise, then, that podiatry called me very quickly to set up an appointment. It's still just a video visit, and it's not until next month, but it's a start


I'm holding out hope that the radiologist didn't realize how screwed up my feet are to begin with and assumed at least part of what she saw was due to midfoot arthritis and not a birth defect. Of course, screwed up feet are probably more susceptible to arthritis over time, so... ?

First, though, a visual explanation:



The "first MTP joint" is the big toe joint with the first metatarsal (they count starting from the piggy that went to market). A little bone spur there but no cartilage damage, so that's good. 

What's not good - at least from the radiologist's point of view - are two of the "tarsometatarsal" joints, where the metatarsal bones meet up with the various cuneiform bones that make the 1, 2, 3, and 4 that you see on the diagram. Numbers 2 and 3 are very bad, 4 not good but not as bad. Note again that my foot looks very little like this diagram. For comparison purposes, here's a an old X-ray of my left foot, which shows the general shape of my foot but doesn't do a great job showing the midfoot joints. 




Note that huge indent in the side of my foot where the first metatarsal comes in. That ain't normal, folks. All the midfoot bones are crammed in on one side of that connection. They're not standard shaped. It's the sort of foot that causes podiatrists to do a triple take. More than one has briefly considered whether they could "fix" it, but then thought better of it.

So, what does this mean? I don't know yet. I've done a bit of research on midfoot arthritis, and they talk about supportive shoes, orthotics, cortisone shots, PT and possible surgery to fuse the midfoot bones if all else fails. They're not big on "high impact' sports and are inconsistent on walking.

But that's all premature at this point, as far as I'm concerned. OK, yes, I'm not surprised that the stresses put on my feet would eventually cause issues down the line. But I'm not entirely sure that's the problem here, though swelling and numbness can be caused by this sort of issue. First, I need to talk to the podiatrist and convince him to let me see him in person. Then we can maybe do more tests and see where we really are.

I'm midway through a two-week vacation and wearing shoes as little as I can, to reduce the top of foot irritation. I've had some pain in my midfoot, but only after wearing shoes for a while. Usually, it's fine. It's the numbness that is making me crazy.

What I really want at this point, other than a better understanding, is to be able to wear shoes again without part of my forefoot going numb. It's kind of annoying. After that, we'll see what happens next.


*-Skeletally, there's no such thing as a "plantar arch." There are medial and lateral longitudinal arches that run up either side of the foot and a transverse arch under the ball of the foot. Anatomically, the "plantar arch" refers to a series of blood vessels that run through the ball of the foot. So either the radiologist used the wrong term (which makes their other observations suspect) or there's something wacky with my blood flow, which I don't know they'd be able to determine using an X-ray. So... 

Mark B wrote:So, my desire to see a podiatrist to figure out the whole numbness issue in my foot meant I had to see a primary care doctor (gotta love insurance rules) before I could go. He agreed to a referral, thinking it might be a neuroma, and he ordered X-rays at the request of the podiatry people.

I hadn't heard back from podiatry when the radiologist report came back.

FINDINGS/IMPRESSION: There is mild osteoarthrosis at the first MTP joint.  The findings suggest small spurs originating from the head of the first metatarsal.  Minimal narrowing of the first MTP joint space.  There is more severe arthrosis in the midfoot.  There is quite severe arthrosis in the second tarsometatarsal joint and third tarsometatarsal joint.  More mild arthrosis in the fourth tarsometatarsal joint.  The lateral view shows loss of the plantar arch. No acute finding. The osseous structures remain intact.
 
IMPRESSION: Osteoarthrosis is quite severe in the midfoot where there is loss of the plantar arch*.


Well, OK then.  


It's probably not a surprise, then, that podiatry called me very quickly to set up an appointment. It's still just a video visit, and it's not until next month, but it's a start


I'm holding out hope that the radiologist didn't realize how screwed up my feet are to begin with and assumed at least part of what she saw was due to midfoot arthritis and not a birth defect. Of course, screwed up feet are probably more susceptible to arthritis over time, so... ?

First, though, a visual explanation:



The "first MTP joint" is the big toe joint with the first metatarsal (they count starting from the piggy that went to market). A little bone spur there but no cartilage damage, so that's good. 

What's not good - at least from the radiologist's point of view - are two of the "tarsometatarsal" joints, where the metatarsal bones meet up with the various cuneiform bones that make the 1, 2, 3, and 4 that you see on the diagram. Numbers 2 and 3 are very bad, 4 not good but not as bad. Note again that my foot looks very little like this diagram. For comparison purposes, here's a an old X-ray of my left foot, which shows the general shape of my foot but doesn't do a great job showing the midfoot joints. 




Note that huge indent in the side of my foot where the first metatarsal comes in. That ain't normal, folks. All the midfoot bones are crammed in on one side of that connection. They're not standard shaped. It's the sort of foot that causes podiatrists to do a triple take. More than one has briefly considered whether they could "fix" it, but then thought better of it.

So, what does this mean? I don't know yet. I've done a bit of research on midfoot arthritis, and they talk about supportive shoes, orthotics, cortisone shots, PT and possible surgery to fuse the midfoot bones if all else fails. They're not big on "high impact' sports and are inconsistent on walking.

But that's all premature at this point, as far as I'm concerned. OK, yes, I'm not surprised that the stresses put on my feet would eventually cause issues down the line. But I'm not entirely sure that's the problem here, though swelling and numbness can be caused by this sort of issue. First, I need to talk to the podiatrist and convince him to let me see him in person. Then we can maybe do more tests and see where we really are.

I'm midway through a two-week vacation and wearing shoes as little as I can, to reduce the top of foot irritation. I've had some pain in my midfoot, but only after wearing shoes for a while. Usually, it's fine. It's the numbness that is making me crazy.

What I really want at this point, other than a better understanding, is to be able to wear shoes again without part of my forefoot going numb. It's kind of annoying. After that, we'll see what happens next.


*-Skeletally, there's no such thing as a "plantar arch." There are medial and lateral longitudinal arches that run up either side of the foot and a transverse arch under the ball of the foot. Anatomically, the "plantar arch" refers to a series of blood vessels that run through the ball of the foot. So either the radiologist used the wrong term (which makes their other observations suspect) or there's something wacky with my blood flow, which I don't know they'd be able to determine using an X-ray. So... 

Interesting.

My friend Janice was experiencing severe foot pain after running.  She is very flat footed and has been wearing orthotics for years.  She finally went to a podiatrist.  He said her feet had totally collapsed and he would need to completely rebuild them.  Each surgery would require 3 months recovery with no weight on her foot.  She scheduled the surgery after getting a second opinion with the thought that would allow her to return to running.  (She plans to set the world record in the 100 meter dash in the >100 age group so needs to stay active.)  Shortly before the surgery she ran into the local PT and he asked if he could take a look at the x-ray and her feet.  He prescribed a few simple exercises and within weeks she was back to running.  She cut her mileage a bit but is running pain free.  

I hope you get answers and that they are the answers you want...  Keep us posted.

***

Enjoy your vacation and some time with Alec before he heads back to school.  I'm sure he'll have some interesting stories to share.

Update: Alternatively titled "Mark's Freaky Feet, Part 1,236,782"

I had a good conversation with the podiatrist, who confirmed my hunch that the numbness was caused by irritation to the deep peroneal nerve (aka the deep fibular nerve), which enervates parts of the first two toes and the skin between then. It's a sensory nerve, not a motor nerve, so that's good news. The nerve issue won't affect how that part of my foot operates, just how it feels.

What I didn't know but wasn't surprised to hear was that the point of irritation was where the nerve glides over the top of a bone spur coming out from the "joint" between my second metatarsal and second cuneiform bone. 


(For your reference.)

Yup! A bone spur in EXACTLY the wrong spot. Pressure from shoes compresses the nerve between the tongue of the shoe and the spur, causing inflammation and irritation downstream, in the form of numbness, burning and sometimes even some pain. Not ideal, to say the least.

Here are two looks at the offending spur. I circled it to make it easier to see. It's probably bigger than it seems in the X-ray, but the view they used doesn't do it justice. 





There are options for dealing with this. I am going to try using moleskin on the tongue of my shoes to remove the pressure placed directly on the spur area. That might be enough to let everything settle down. Some creams may help, as would adjusting the lacing on my shoes to eliminate pressure on that spot. Failing that, we can try a cortisone shot, and then finally minor surgery in which the podiatrist would go in, remove the spur, sew it back up and send me on my way. I could bear weight on it immediately, though I'd need to wear a post-op sandal shoe until the incision healed in about 12 days.

So annoying but not catastrophic.

However...

That whole "quite severe arthrosis" observation by the radiologist was not incorrect. Let's refer to the X-ray...



As the podiatrist pointed out, see that gap between the fourth toe and the fourth cuneiform bone? That's what it's supposed to look like, more or less, though you can see the gap isn't even all the way across. That's the cartilage, which cushions the bones and prevents them from grinding into each other and causing problems. Now, see where the second metatarsal comes in? Yeah. No gap whatsoever. It's bone-on-bone, and the bones appear to be fusing together. 

For some people, that can be excruciatingly painful and requires surgical joint fusion. It hasn't bothered me at all. It could be because that joint is so jacked up anyway it isn't capable of moving and doing much grinding. Maybe.

Which brings us to why that joint is so jacked up.

This is a diagram of a standard issue human foot. Notice how you can draw a (more or less) straight line through the heel, midfoot, metatarsals and toes. That's a pretty efficient system.



Now, here's what those various orientations look like in a recent X-ray of my left foot:



Just a bit of a difference, eh?. It's called a variety of things. Skewfoot, Z foot, serpentine foot and a bunch of other more technical terms. The podiatrist seemed impressed with how my body adapted to this deformity. That's nice to hear. 

I've wondered how things might have been different for me as a runner if my foot was standard issue, but at the same time, what if those metatarsals hadn't swung back inward like they did? I'd have been really messed up then. I can at least pretend to have "normal" feet now.

(Oh, and for those of you keeping score at home, my right foot is even weirder looking.)



At least you can see the spaces between the midfoot joints in this one. For now, at least.

Anyway, that's my report. The podiatrist said I might eventually need surgical joint fusion if it gives me too much trouble, but that's way off in the future and may not be needed if the joint fuses on its own. I guess time will tell.

Well that's interesting!  Hope you're able to get the pain/numbness under control enough to return to running or at least walking on a regular basis.  It is pretty amazing that you've been able to accomplish as much as you have as a runner knowing the cards you were dealt.  

Enjoy the slight drop in temperatures...the heat is ramping up again early next week but not quite as bad.

nkrichards wrote:Well that's interesting!  Hope you're able to get the pain/numbness under control enough to return to running or at least walking on a regular basis.  It is pretty amazing that you've been able to accomplish as much as you have as a runner knowing the cards you were dealt.  

Enjoy the slight drop in temperatures...the heat is ramping up again early next week but not quite as bad.

There's a reason I had a blog called "Flight of the Bumblebee," Nancy! Still, as much as I wonder what I might have been able to accomplish with straighter feet, I'm pretty pleased with what I've been able to do and curious to see where they'll take me next. 

I was laying off walking until I heard from the podiatrist. What he told me was encouraging, knowing that my feet aren't about to disintegrate or something. I'm hoping to at least get back to walking soon, provided its not super hot like its been. Walking to work in the morning is easy, but I tend to leave work at the hottest time of the day. (Doug, this is a weird thing about Pacific NW weather. Unlike other places, the heat here builds slowly and peaks between 5 and 6 o'clock. It always seemed normal to me, but Midwest friends have said it's nuts.)

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:Well that's interesting!  Hope you're able to get the pain/numbness under control enough to return to running or at least walking on a regular basis.  It is pretty amazing that you've been able to accomplish as much as you have as a runner knowing the cards you were dealt.  

Enjoy the slight drop in temperatures...the heat is ramping up again early next week but not quite as bad.

There's a reason I had a blog called "Flight of the Bumblebee," Nancy! Still, as much as I wonder what I might have been able to accomplish with straighter feet, I'm pretty pleased with what I've been able to do and curious to see where they'll take me next. 

I was laying off walking until I heard from the podiatrist. What he told me was encouraging, knowing that my feet aren't about to disintegrate or something. I'm hoping to at least get back to walking soon, provided its not super hot like its been. Walking to work in the morning is easy, but I tend to leave work at the hottest time of the day. (Doug, this is a weird thing about Pacific NW weather. Unlike other places, the heat here builds slowly and peaks between 5 and 6 o'clock. It always seemed normal to me, but Midwest friends have said it's nuts.)

I remember you Bumblebee blog...I guess I just didn't realize how interesting your feet were.  And yes, what you've done is pretty impressive.  Hope you're able to add to your list of accomplishments.  Or at least enjoy walking/running again.

We had a couple cooler days (actually normal temps for this time of year) but it's warming up again tomorrow.  It's not supposed to get quite as warm and then it's predicted to cool slightly and we've got normal summer temps in the prediction.

Stay cool.