I'm Bringing Sexy Back
AND WE'RE OFF!
On August 12, 2023, I officially kicked-off my 50 x 50 challenges and embarked upon my 1st test…drum roll please…walking 50,000 steps in 1-day 🔥🚶♀️.
Before I dive into the details, let’s turn the clock back to just over a year ago when I was on the cusp of undergoing bunion surgery (aka hallux valgus correction). I get it, not the sexiest topic in the world, but bear with me as this backstory sheds light and understanding as to why this challenge was on the top of my list.
THE BUNION DOCTOR 👨🏻⚕️
Like many people, I was born flat footed, and more pre-disposed to developing bunions. As a New Yorker in the hey-day of Sex & the City and fashion muse Carrie Bradshaw, my poor feet never stood a chance. Fashionable, yet poor, shoe choices slowly but surely started me on the path of bunion development. What had once been only a slight deviation of my big toes became more and more pronounced as years passed. The fear factor of post operative pain, and as a freelancer, the lack of work during a long recovery time stalled any thoughts of surgery.
Fast forward many years to 2022. With toe and foot pain a constant companion, I finally decided to take the plunge and visit a podiatrist. Upon my initial consultation, I quickly realised that there were many options to treat bunions, both surgical and non-surgical. I decided to proceed down the surgical route and after research and a recommendation from my podiatrist, I decided to go with orthopaedic surgeon, Mr. David Gordon, aka The Bunion Doctor.
Fun fact: In the UK, doctors that perform surgery are referred to as Mr. 🤯
DOUBLE WHAT? 🦶🏽🦶🏽
My discussions with Mr. Gordon left me absolutely convinced that he was the ideal surgeon for my procedure. He thoroughly reviewed my case and as a leading expert in minimally invasive key-hole bunion surgery, presented surgical options that alleviated my post-operative anxieties and addressed my desire to maintain my active lifestyle. As someone who is constantly on the go, I decided to proceed and have both feet operated on at the same time.
You might be wondering why I made this decision? While yes, I would initially be more immobile immediately following the surgery this option side-stepped the need for a 2nd surgery down the road. Also, the surgical technique employed by Mr Gordon promised me the speediest route to recovery.
BUNIONS BE GONE 🧙♂️
In June 2022, I underwent day surgery at London's Royal Hospital and I have to say it was an exceptional surgical experience. From the moment I entered the very un-hospital-like building to a warm welcome in a very hotel-like lobby, I felt some of my anxiety about going in for surgery melt away. The lead nurse calmed my worries and after meeting the OR team I was ready to dive in – feet first! After what felt like only minutes, I woke up in my own private room (huzzah!) fully alert, pain-free and with a yummy lunch awaiting me. I’m still quite shocked that I was able to stand up and walk (shuffle?) to the restroom - albeit slowly - almost immediately after I woke up from surgery.
Back at home, I was under strict orders to keep both feet elevated for two weeks. I won’t bore you with details during this time nor the joys of changing bandages and wrapping my feet, but the following month was pretty much what that entailed. I will share in another instalment how I mentally & physically prepared and coped with this significant changes in my movement patterns and daily habits. *Spoiler alert* it included chair aerobics! 🪑
At the six week mark, I commenced rehabilitation exercises that worked on my toe dexterity and for the next few weeks I layered on more mobility exercises strengthening my new tootsies. I also worked with a phenomenal physical therapist Uju Eze , who addressed my new foot mechanics by working on my balance, stability, and dexterity. Two months post surgery, I actually walked a 5K and at six months pleased with my results Mr. Gordon released me from his care.
12 AUGUST, 2022 - LETS GO 🚶🏽♀️
Just over a year later, I would attempt to walk 50k steps in 1-day. This feat would be a true test of my current foot health, overall fitness and stamina. On that Saturday morning, with rain woven into the upcoming forecast, I woke up early and embarked upon my longest and most important walk to date!
Backpack, check. Water with LMNT electrolytes, check. Phone & phone charger, check. Tissues for any unplanned pitstops, check. With all this in hand, I laced up my ON running shoes and set out the door. I decided to start the 1st part of my journey close by walking through the Walthamstow Wetlands & Marshes. This scenic route with its wildlife and beautiful canal vistas was 100% the best way to start what would turn out to be a truly amazing and monumental day. A cool and uneventful 20k steps later, I made a planned pitstop back at home for a quick breakfast and to grab my husband & walking partner on the next leg, Brad.
Fuelled and raring to go we headed west with the idea of ending our walk with a much-deserved foot massage in China Town near SoHo in London! The next 10,000 steps saw us walking through Finsbury Park to Parkland Walk, the longest linear nature reserve in London. Coming to the end of this elevated oasis we then headed southwest towards Hamstead Heath so we could continue walking through more of London's greenspace.
Now clocking in at a cool 40,000 steps and having covered 34km we hit Camden for a well-deserved water break and snack from Earth Natural Foods before heading south through Regent's Park, home of London's largest outdoor sports area. The home stretch was in sight, and as we powered towards Soho we were greeted by growing hordes of tourists. Undaunted, we zigged and zagged our way through the theatre district and at 5:18pm BST with a total of 50,008 steps and a distance of 41km I officially completed my challenge!!
THAT'S A WRAP
Famished and with an eye on Italian food we took ourselves out for a celebratory dinner and I was thankful to sit down and reflect upon my day. London was truly an amazing backdrop for this challenge. Walking through parklands and seeing the city sites change throughout this experience gave me a newfound appreciation for living in this city. With bellies now pleasantly full and with an eye on something sweet we took ourselves to grab one of the best cookies this city has to offer, the White Chocolate Miso cookie at Crème 🍪😋.
I was absolutely impressed with how my feet held up throughout the day, however, like anyone who had just walked 41km they were overdue for some TLC. We made our way to Step In Reflexology in China Town and were lucky to grab two spots at this very popular, no frills massage spa. 30 minutes later, with my feet feeling like they were on cloud nine, we slowly ambled our way to the tube and took ourselves home.
I knew the rest of my body had played its role in today's accomplishment and I treated myself to a nice soak in magnesium salts. Fully relaxed and ready for bed, I grabbed my final Apple Watch stats for the day and saw that I had walked 55,400 steps which was 45.14km.
I DID WHAT 👏🏽?
If that by itself wasn't a massive achievement, to my astonishment, I realised I had also smashed my daily move goal by reaching 300%, totalling 2,106 kcal burned. That's right, I had unintentionally knocked off another challenge from my 50x50 list by hitting 3x my move goal!
What an amazing day and unforgettable experience and I am happy to report that the following day brought no new aches or pains. My unwavering commitment to regain my foot health and my journey through surgery and rehabilitation combined with my dedication to maintain my fitness level truly paid off.
I am so very proud of this achievement and am ready to take on even more!
More to come...