my morning with the dreamboat

Today was a long awaited day: My appointment with Dr. Dreamboat. It was almost everything I had hoped for, really. Except for the fact that he had two students shadowing him today and it was a bit awkward trying to have a Dreamboat date with two eighteen year olds looking on. Oh well. I made the best of it.

So, it turns out that I have a pinched nerve in my right foot. Who woulda thunk it? That's why I had that terrible pain in the top of my foot last month. It really hasn't been bothering me lately, but Dr. Dreamboat said that if it starts acting up again I can go in right away for a cortizone shot. It can be taken care of very easily and should have no impact on my running! The pinched nerve is probably caused by a combination of my gait (I tend to turn in a little on my right side, which I knew), my shoes (I should wear running shoes with a curved last), and the fact that I often run on roads as opposed to a track or sidewalks (roads are graded, so if you run facing traffic like you should, you're on a slanted surface with your right foot striking the ground higher than your left). Changing my shoes should help. I just bought a pair that I had already decided to return, so that's fine. Yesterday I also had an online shopping cart ready to go with two new pairs of my current running shoe, but at the last minute I decided to wait for Dr. Dreamboat's opinion. Good thing I did! He said my shoes were a pretty good choice (I need very flexible, unstructured shoes), but a curved last would be better. It really is amazing how using orthotics and the right shoes can change your running so significantly.

When I first met Dr. Dreamboat, he changed my life. I thought I would never run again without pain. I thought I'd never race again. Today's appointment wasn't all that groundbreaking, but it sure was great to hear that my foot problem is a minor one that can easily be fixed. So again, I ask: "Dr. Dreamboat, where have you been all my life?" Sigh...