I have, in my possession, several dozen acupuncture needles, as well as two butane lighters. Self medication it is, and so far, I have to say, it seems to be positive. I went to my Daniels Rd flat Patapsco trail head this morning and got in an easy 5 miles. With almost no pain.
Given that the power is now in my hands, I think I’ll probably skip the surgical thing. Doing nothing is not an alternative, but using alternative medicine to do something is.
I am planning on taking it slow. As is my custom, I’m breaking my training into phases. The first phase is at my as slow as possible pace (7:15 miles), 20-25 mpw for the next four weeks, with day days off per week. The days off will follow the nights where I treat the achilles’. The next block is similar, with pace recovering to a more acceptable 7:00, and mileage climbing to 30 mpw. Incidentally, I plan on taking a full week off between stages – like I said, I’m taking this really slow.
I will start “running” in March if all goes well, with the next phase fixing my easy pace to a normal cadence, and growing mileage to 45 mpw. Then into May where I’ll hit 55, followed by June to 70 mpw. The idea is to be in shape to handle 30 miles per day in the Alps if Stephen can ever get the time to go on our long awaited vacation, which would happen in the summer if it does.
If all goes well, I can start “training” in July, with an acceptable base to build on. From that point, 8 weeks would be all I’d need to get in shape, just in time for the fall circuit, which I have missed two straight years due to injury.
It looks so plausible on paper. One can always dream.
Addendum:
The first batch of Christmas Village photos are online here. The new PC rips through photo editing, incidentally, which is what I built it for. I’d say my editing time has been cut in half.
Addendum 2:
Stephen tells me I’m going to creep people out with my mostly non-functional google map. I swear, it misses at least two thirds of the exotic hits that I get on a regular basis.
So instead, I’ve followed Bess’s ground breaking lead and added my goodreads widget. Lauren and Bess both have it, but they’re my only friends and I need more. Seriously, it’s pitiful. Someone volunteer, please.
Addendum 3:
Cat pictures are up, including this one which is instantly one of my favorites. That will be a good test of my monitor when I buy the print. From where I sit, the top-left is almost completely black. I may need to make it blacker when the proofs come back.
Words 
Your only friends…give me a break!!!!
You aren’t going to make new friends if you keep taking “lurking in the shadows” pics of yourself and post them on the internet.
Had you been to that link, you’d understand what I was referring to.
For instance, if you go here:
http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/351034
you’ll see that I have four friends. Two of them have no faces, and the other two are Lauren and Bess. I don’t need any more regular friends, I need more internet book club friends. Lara, you’re a prime candidate. You read books. You know other people that sort of know me and could also potentially be my friend. I want 10 friends by this time next year. I’d trade 6 real world friends to make it happen.
In fact, Lara, you’ve been promoted. You’re now a “pending internet book club friend”. Congratulations. Only speak to me via internet book review comments. I promise I’ll be attentive to your internet book clubbing needs.
Alternatively, I could work on a list of friends that only includes the name “Lauren”. I think my goal for that would be 8. It’s like in high school when I had a cast and I only let girls (ok, pretty girls) sign it. And Bumbles, but he was sort of girlish too.