New Shoes

First, I want to thank all of you for your support of my running goals. It means a lot to me. Every once in a while I end up feeling a need to explain myself. It must be the result of a build-up of questions. Anyway, knowing that there are others out there that understand helps!

On Sunday, I finally got to run (sorta) Rob's infamous Mt. Peak. I'm going to say that I power hiked up - it took us 26 minutes - and sorta ran down. It was rocky and rooty enough that I was nervous. I need to work on my mountain goat skills. Regardless, I had slightly sore quads a day later.

After the run, Eric and I went to a visit a new running store a few cities away. I met the owner last year at CCC100, then again at the Capital Peak 50k. At CCC he was running an aid station, and I watched and listened to him as he worked with the runners coming in. I was impressed by his confidence and knowledge. Later I found out he was opening a new store, and I filed that info away for another day. I remembered it when I saw him at Capital Peak. I decided that since he is an ultra runner, and since he seemed so knowledgeable, that maybe he would have some ideas about how to solve my toe problems.

We walked into the store and the young girl behind the counter came out to help me. As I was talking to her, Eric went to the back of the store to find the owner (also Eric). My Eric told him I had come in hoping to see him and he came right out to help me. I explained to him that I had some problems with my toes, and pulled off my socks. I want you to know that this guy picked up my foot, stuck his face down close and checked out the gnarliest toes on the west coast. Then he switched feet and checked the other foot out just as carefully. Not only that - he touched them! He felt the injured area, he wiggled them around and talked non-stop the whole time. Then he pulled off his sock and showed me his perfect toes. After that, we got down to business.

Running Store Eric has a theory about my feet. I'm not quite sure I will explain this right, but basically, just behind the ball of my foot, my sole is concave instead of convex or flat. My toes, at rest, arch upward. When I put my foot down, they are slightly lifted. If you push on the concave part, the toes drop. Since my toes are lifted, the toenails are hitting the top of the shoe - which prompted me to by larger shoes so there was lots of room. Instead, Running Store Eric suggested a metatarsal pad - to go right where the concave spot is and help flex my foot. The pads in the store felt like golf balls under my foot, so instead he suggested I try using layers of moleskin. He refit me for shoes, had me do both the before and after treadmill test, and even put me in low-profile, fitted socks. I was buying those big too so my toes wouldn't get squeezed. I changed from the Asics 2120 to the Asics Nimbus, got new superfeet insoles, added a pad made of three layers of moleskin, and am wearing the tight new socks. So far (two runs), so good. I'm a little worried because I can feel my toenail-less big toe on the left foot touching the shoe. We'll see how 10 miles goes on Saturday. Running Store Eric fully admits it's a theory, not a definite, but feels strongly that this will work. Time will tell.

I ran five miles with Rick yesterday, the normal rolling hills we have around here, at a slightly faster than normal pace - about an 11:46 pace. Today, I ran on my own. Since I don't feel comfortable alone in the dark on our regular hill run, I made up my own. I did six miles with five substantial hills. Felt pretty good on both runs. The interesting thing I noticed about the new shoes is that they followed my feet. I know that doesn't really make sense, but I can't think of any other way to describe it. Apparently I had enough slop in the shoes I've been wearing (for years) that when I lifted my foot, it lifted off the bed of the shoe. The new shoes don't do that at all - my foot is always in the shoe. It's one of those funny things I didn't notice till it was gone.

Eric left town last night and gets back late tonight - so he took me to dinner for Valentines last weekend. We had a wonderful dinner from appetizers to dessert. Riley is off spending Valentines Day with Heather, leaving me all alone tonight. No worries though - Eric made sure I'd be happy by leaving me a box of Godiva chocolates. Now my biggest challenge is making sure there are still a few left to share when he gets home tonight...