Hi Dan (and Amy) Great to see you drop in here! Isn't it so neat how much all these virtual friends care for you guys. Don't be a stranger. Hope to see you and Amy again soon. Health and love to you both. Barb

Hi Dan! I'm glad that you posted this. It's wonderful to hear from you. I'm so glad you're doing well... congratulations on your 3 miles! I imagine it will take some getting used to... I'm also a marathon-wannabe. I say we apply some of the good advice flying around here, stay strong and happy, and see where it gets us. Enjoying the process the whole way. I want to thank you too. You've been at least as encouraging to us as we have been to you. Probably much more. "We're going to make this thing work for us, not the other way around.". I love that. Can I borrow it? I can think of lots of applications. Take care, & keep us posted, OK? I hope to meet both of you some day. (see you at the races )

Hi Amy & Dan, One of the many lessons I've learned from my running and racewalking life is that things happen, and I just have to deal with them. Some things (minor injuries) have caused me to adjust my short-term goals, and others (major foot surgery) have forced me to adjust how I continue to go after my long-term goals. But I've also learned the immense value to my physical and emotional health of keeping long-term goals, and of continuing to chase them. Changing from running to racewalking was a big adjustment, and it was frustrating at times. But now I love racewalking, have gladly accepted the challenge of it, and have a new set of goals that it has been rather invigorating to develop and embrace. You two are going through the same sort of adjustment period with the introduction of Dan's new hardware. Realizing that your original goals may no longer be attainable, or perhaps just not in the same way, is part of the 'mourning' process. Refocusing on how to achieve those same goals, or morphing them into other challenging but attainable goals is a healthy part of the recovery process. You both have extraordinary spirit, and are doing great! Jay