Some "you" time

I finally went and saw a podiatrist and had an official diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. I had my feet cast for some very expensive orthotic inserts and all this only took me about 3 years or so to do. Now that I've gone and done all this I am really kicking myself for not doing it sooner. It actually took less than an hour-I'm sure I could have fit that in somewhere, I mean I'm busy but not that busy. 

I think as I am getting older and some of the nagging pains I've ignored for such a long time seem to have progressed into full blown chronic problems I wonder why I didn't make time for myself somewhere along the line. As a colored belt and into Sihing and then the year into grading I always pushed myself hard, and honestly really didn't train smart either. Some of my problems are not the result of kung fu but are aggravated by training. While it is important to push yourself to progress it's also important to make sure your going to be able to train in a few years as well. I think it would be safe to say that more than half of the students actively training in kung fu- if not more- are dealing with ongoing injuries or pain. So what's that old saying? An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...How true it is. Take care of yourself, learn to listen and recognize when something is out whack with your body or your health. Fuel your body with good food. Stretch, don't be afraid to take it easy for 1 or 2 classes if you've got something going on, trust me it will be worth it!