About this blog

First, a little explanation as to the URL of this blog, “Turtle In Peanut Butter”.

This blog was inspired by a photo I saw on Facebook. “I run slower than a herd of turtles stampeding through peanut butter….but I run!”  Now, I have never been a runner. Wanted to be? Yes. Actually took the time to get proper shoes, wake up, stretch, and get my butt on the track? Not even for a stack of Blueberry pancakes (which I love). My bed is just too comfortable in the mornings.

Until recently, I had a good reason not to run: a podiatrist told me to abstain from running for at least a year because I was aggravating my Achilles tendonitis, which brings me to the title of this blog. “My Achilles Heel” For those of you rusty in your mythology, a quick refresher course: Achilles was a demigod whose only weakness was a small spot on his heel. The term “Achilles Heel” has come to mean a weakness of some sort, and “Achilles” is the name of the tendon that runs down the back of your ankle and across the bottom of your heel. For me, my Achilles tendon is also my “Achilles heel”– my weakness. Due to years of toewalking, my tendon is only 75% of its intended length and had developed Achilles Tendonitis. It screwed up the muscles in my calves, rubbed the bone of my heel into the very early stages of heel spurs, and began the onset of arthritis in my ankles. A dull, constant pain took up residence in my legs, ankles, and feet and never left. And this was all before I even reached 21.

Last week, my podiatrist gave me the green light to start running, as long as I wore shoes with proper support and stretched REALLY WELL before and after the run.

So I may be as slow as a turtle in peanut butter, but I will run, and my “Achilles Heel” will be a weakness no longer.

This is the start of my battle with Achilles tendonitis, and my love/hate relationship with the shoes that will make me strong enough to win.