Taking What I Can Get

My foot is elevated at my desk tonight because I think I really effed up my arch by running in really old shoes. My hip isn't in a terrible amount of pain but that leg hurts on the whole more than the leg with the effed up foot. Why didn't I wear my inserts? Oh that's right, they hurt and cause huge blisters. Then again, I should try normal running with dry socks instead of when my socks are wet from the swimming part of my triathlon training. Maybe that's why I get blisters on my arches... Hmmm.

When I badly sprained my ankle a few years back I found out my arches were bad. But I had no idea HOW bad. Apparently I have the flattest feet my podiatrist has ever seen. And he's not a new podiatrist. He actually raised his eyebrows when he took a fancy foot picture of my arches. When a doctor raises eyebrows I get concerned. For some reason, I don't take pride in my incredibly freakish feet. If my feet were Roman aqueducts entire civilizations would have died.

My dad always said he has totally flat feet. I have no clue how he got in the military with such offensive anatomy but whatever, he got in. I never felt the need to check into his claim. Why would he lie about that? It's not like it scored him any chicks. Well, I never really understood when he said flat, or should I say how literal he was being, until I saw the "elevation" picture of my feet when I first went to the podiatrist. Where there should be arches there was nothing. Looking at something that appears to be a map of the barely varying depths of the ocean floor is instead my lack of correct physiology. Total bummer.

What terrifies me the most is not the fact that my arches ached two miles into the race- it's that the arches affect the way I hold my feet- which affects the way I walk- which affects my back. And all the bones and joints in between. Spraining my ankle appeared to be a good thing when I learned to walk less pronated and use my inserts. But now all I worry about is an impending hip replacement. And ironically, my high rate of activity isn't going to improve my chances. But I guess I'll take a new hip because I used it to much (albeit incorrectly) than from just being old and fat.