My Journey With Health And Fitness – It’s Orthotic Day

I came up from training the other day and my husband looked at me and says wow, you look like you worked hard (I had to remind him I always do). I said I had done a hard workout but sometimes it takes a lot to talk myself through it. Ok, it is pretty much every time. It seems that each time I get to the end of the first interval I start bargaining with myself that if I get to the 1/2 way point I can ease up. Then I get to the 1/2 way point and I don’t feel too bad. About interval number 8 it is tough but by then I am almost at the end so what the hell, I might as well keep going.

Today is orthotic day. That means that I was fitted for my brand new (very expensive) orthotics. I admit I really didn’t know what to expect not just about the process but how they would feel. It started out with me just standing on the orthotics to see how they felt and if there were any pressure points. When that went ok they were trimmed to fit my shoes. Next we took the insole linings out of the shoes and I had to do some walking so that the tech could check my gait. Again, I had to watch for any pressure points. She asked me how they felt and I admitted they feel a bit weird especially with the new arch supports. Apparently that is ok.

So now what? Well, it is time to slowly break them in. For the next 2 – 3 weeks I need to wear them in my shoes as much as possible which also means wearing my shoes as much as possible (note I tend to only wear shoes when I am working out or leaving the house). However, I am not to wear them when running or training, only when I am walking. Each day I am to try and wear them a little longer than the previous day and watch for any soreness or pressure points. If they don’t feel comfortable by the end of 3 weeks then they will need to be adjusted. I walked the 2 km’s home from the fitting and they didn’t feel too bad.

I am going to have to control myself and not try rushing into running with the orthotics though I know that will be hard for me. I am actually anxious to see how they improve my gait and in particular the joint pain I sometimes feel. Maybe, just maybe, they will even help me with my speed.