My Left Foot

Stayed home from taiji today. My foot is slowly getting better, but I've found that more than about twenty minutes of taiji makes it start complaining. Not right away, but it will start aching and giving me problems when I walk. Since class is three hours, and roughly two hours is spent on the feet, it seemed like a bad idea.

I still don't know for sure what caused the problem, or the exact nature of the problem, but I've at least deduced the progression:

Sunday - Left knee starts complaining; I realize I'm putting more weight on one side of my feet than the other, correct the problem, knee stops complaining. It is likely that my foot problem had already started, and I was unknowingly compensating by putting less weight on the complaining side.

Tuesday - Not teaching taiji this semester, but I'm helping Melissa. We did lots of leaving the weight on one leg and staying there that day. Mild twinging in my foot that night.

Wednesday - Foot complaining, a LOT. Decided not to wear snow boots on the theory that maybe it was a problem with my arch (and the boots don't have arch support). I have since concluded this was entirely the wrong approach, and that any shoes that compress the feet unevenly are best avoided for now, as my feet got steadily worse through Wednesday (the evening lecture involved me trying not to limp, and keeping most of the weight on my right foot).

Thursday - Much improvement in the morning. Noticed the foot was swollen in that really odd place (just past the heel and in about three quarters of an inch). No major problems. Helped out with taiji again, and my foot was a bit worse in the evening when I lectured.

Friday - Sore again, probably because of helping with the taiji class. Got gradually better. Found that elevating the foot seemed to help.

Today - Somewhat better, but based on the previous week, I've concluded that three hours of taiji will not be beneficial. Twenty minutes might, but not three hours.