So we come now to November 29, 2012.

I see my last blog post as January, 2011. What's that--21 months? Nearly two years?

Here's the deal:

Having a great running practice, I got enthused to try Newton shoes. Terrific. They were a joy to run in--light, fast, effortless.

The short version of the story: despite easing into the transition, spreading it over several months, the impact of running shifted from my heels/knees to my calf/gastrocnemius muscles. Unbeknownst to me, I created plantar fasciitis. Bad case. Both feet.

Not recognizing it for what it was, I continued to run with it. For several months.

Cut to end: I stopped running 12/31/2011 to give my feet a chance to heel. I tried every potential cure I could find, from nighttime braces to stretching exercises to cold packs, orthotics, heel inserts. New shoes, old shoes. Massage therapy, acupuncture. Nutritional supplements. All the time not running.

Every few months I'd give it a try with a short, easy run. Repeatedly this triggered a relapse of the plantar fasciitis.

Until this week. Evidently the only cure for plantar fasciitis is time.

Two three-mile run/walks (alternating 1/4 miles) with traditional-geometry Saucony shoes, and I'm pain free. And hopeful.

Committed to initiating another marathon training cycle, if this doesn't work I'm returning to the podiatrist and asking for a cortisone injection.

The silver lining? I've invested in titanium bicycles (road and mountain) and have had a splendid time on each of them. I know now that I have a strong cross-training platform.

But 11 months with no running is long enough.