Update

I thought after my visit with the Physical Therapist today would be a good time to give an update. First, I think I'm really lucky to have a PT whose goal is the same as mine: to eventually get back to running! She told me today that she thinks I have also developed tendonitis in the anterior tibialis muscle (a muscle that runs down the inside of the leg, wraps around the back of the ankle bone, and holds up the arch of the foot). Because of this, the muscle isn't supporting to bone in order for it to heal correctly. The game plan is to rest this muscle enough to get rid of the inflammation, and then start strengthening the muscle so that I can begin doing short runs.

In the meantime, Kaia (my PT) said that I need to be wearing shoes with inserts at all times in order to protect and support the arch of my foot while the AT muscle isn't (goodbye, cute summer sandals.). She also said that I should refrain from doing any extended walking, or walking/standing on uneven surfaces (no hikes, walking on gravel/sand/grass) and no balance exercises that aren't on the floor (BOSU balls, balance platforms, etc.).

Kaia suggested I stick to the bike and the rower for cardio at the gym (no treadmill or elliptical, as they put weight on the leg), and work on upper body and core strengthening exercises. I also have limited strength, flexibility, and movement in my left hip, left side of my lower back, and IT band...so all of my at-home PT exercises are related to fixing that issue, just until the irritation in my AT muscle goes down.

It's time to set some new goals...I'll post them as soon as I've written them out. Thanks for everyone's support. I'll hopefully be back up and running (ha!) by January 2012.