Running Hiatus

The foot issues that have plagued me for the last 18 months or so have gotten better since the worst period, but they're far from gone. I've been to a podiatrist several times, tried resting the foot, gotten new shoes and orthotics, and nothing has cured me. I don't have numbness and pain every time I run, but it occurs often enough that I know something isn't quite right.

So when my local running store advertised a free injury prevention clinic with a chiropractor, I decided to give it a try. I'd never tried chiropracty before but I know many people who have had good luck with it, so why not?

I went to the clinic last week and the first thing the doctor did was look at my shoes and shake his head. I should've known better than to walk in complaining about foot problems wearing shoes like these:

Despite the shoes (and more head shaking on his part), he seemed optimistic that he could help me. So I went to his office a couple days later for further consultation and discussion of a treatment plan. He's going to be trying something called Active Release Technique (or ART) to "free the nerves from entrapment" and he'll give me an insert for my non-running shoes to help re-develop the arch in my toes. (My foot arch is high and healthy. The toes have lost their arch as a result of wearing heels. I know, I know - this should be enough to conince me not to wear heels, but I can't give them up!)

I'm excited to envision a day when I won't have any pain in my toes/foot when I run, but I'm a little bummed that I have to take a break from running for 4-6 weeks. I can still work out at the gym - elliptical, bike, stair master, swimming - but no running. Of course, as soon as the doctor told me that, I've had the running ITCH like you wouldn't believe! But I'm getting back into biking and enjoying a different challenge.

Here's hoping the break will do me good...

Quick & Easy DIY

A couple months ago a friend sent me this beautiful thank you card:

I loved the paper it was made from and the flowered print was gorgeous. I especially loved the subtle gold accents. It also matches the color scheme of my spare room (fabric I used for a valance and accents below) so I decided to keep it for some then-unknown project.

With some time on my hands this weekend, I decided I would finally do something with the card. I discovered I had a small unpainted frame from IKEA and the card was the perfect fit! So I painted the frame with a magenta base coat:

(Side note - I didn't realize until after I took the photo that the headline in this newspaper/magazine - that I got at some travel trade show - had the headline "Creative Iceland." It seems oddly fitting!)

Once the pink dried, I put a watery gold wash on. (I just mixed gold acrylic paint with water.) After putting a thin coat of the gold, I wiped it down with an old towel. The result was a pink frame with just a hint of glad on top:

Once the paint was dry, I put the picture in the frame. (I had to trim the card slightly to fit. To be sure I got the correct size, I used the cardboard frame insert as my guide. I matched it up against the card and used my paper cutter to cut the excess.) I think it's perfect!

Here's what it looks like on the bookshelf:

I'm so pleased with how it turned out! It adds a little somthing to the book shelf, and every time I look at it I will think of my friend Annie who sent me the card. I also love that the project took me less than an hour!