Pooh-sized runners: really bad foot pain? This is new to me!

[stargazertechie]

So I went from 175 to 255 pounds over the last two years after losing several relatives including my father. I had planned to ease back into shape, but after seeing the 20th anniversary medal for the marathon, I realized I HAVE to have it.

I have terribly flat, wide feet to begin with, and finding supportive shoes has always posed difficulty. I have been fitted for running shoes within the past 4 months, and I've broken these new shoes in fairly well.

I went for my first training "moving forward" (I don't dare call this pace running!) yesterday, and about a mile into the 3 mile workout, it felt like my soles were on fire from the inside out. They were tight (I had stretched after my warm-up) and incredibly painful. I limped off the track and stretched out. The pain was mostly right in the middle of the bottom of my foot- not heel or ball pain.

I'm seeing a podiatrist Friday for what I believe is a bunion, as well as a few ingrown toenails. I plan on bringing up this pain, but just wondering if anyone else has ever dealt with it.

 

[lisah0711]

The podiatrist is the best person to help you with this issue but I will add that depending on the mileage on your shoes it may be time for another pair as well. I'm lucky if I can stretch mine out to training for a half -- about 16 weeks and I've done 4 halfs at over 200 lbs. Best of luck to you on your training! You can do it!

 

[goofeygirl]

Have had ingrown toenails and they are painful! Have them removed PERMANENTLY. There is something the Pod can do to have them gone for good (well nothing guarenteed of course).

Make sure you go to a proper place to have your foot fitted for a proper running shoe. Don't do the whole mall shoe store thing...go to a place with a treadmil, something to check out your gail and measure your insoles. Places that do nothing but running shoes. You might have to go out of your way but its worth it..and plan on shelling out about a buck and a half.

I hope you get that taken care of...and walking/running/jogging is a good workout and clears your head!

 

[stargazertechie]

Make sure you go to a proper place to have your foot fitted for a proper running shoe. Don't do the whole mall shoe store thing.

I'm very fortunate to have a chain of locally-owned running stores near me. It's the ONLY place I ever go to get fitted for running shoes- I wear an EE, so I couldn't buy shoes off the rack at the mall even if I wanted to.

The good news is that I'm part of a sports consumer research panel, and I get paid in gift cards, so I haven't had to pay out of pocket for running shoes in 3 years

 

[abish19]

Be sure to ask the podiatrist about orthotics. For very flat feet (like mine!) you may need to have orthotics (shoe inserts) made that are fitted to your feet, to support your arches. Flat arches can lead to bunions, arch pain, etc. Like others have said, you will likely have to replace your shoes fairly frequently. My podiatrist and orthotics specialist both recommend Brooks or higher-level New Balance. It can get expensive but SO worth it! Good luck and congratulations on your weight loss and running!

 

[goofeygirl]

Thats great that you can get your runners for free by donating your time for a research! That plus it will help others in the future.

I am sure your father is with you all the way on this choice to go for it...or try the half marathon or even the 5k to start.

My mother passed away a year and a half ago and I know she would be behind me for this challenge.

Its just fun overall...and keeps you going.

 

[stargazertechie]

I am sure your father is with you all the way on this choice to go for it...or try the half marathon or even the 5k to start.

I guess I should have clarified- while I AM out of shape, I did pull off a (very slow) half marathon the week after my father died in April with NO training (probably the stupidest thing I've done in my life), and I'm no stranger to endurance racing- just woefully out of shape.

I'm not above extreme training (2-a-days with lots of pool work and weights) to get my fitness level back from now until the marathon. I know it's not ideal, but I was a collegiate athlete, and I know how to avoid over-training injuries and I know when to listen to my body. Plus I still live in my college town, so I know my coach would help if I asked, and I have access to an aquatic fitness center .5 miles from my house, a gym membership, and a gym at work, so I can space workouts out.

 

[stargazertechie]

Just got back from the podiatrist. It's PF. My orthotics will be in sometime in the next 3 weeks, I have sleep splints arriving tomorrow, and had a couple of cortisone shots for some other problem areas on my feet.

The good doc gave me the green light for training for the marathon, suggested I put in as many miles as possible on either an elliptical or in the pool with an aqua jogger, and hold off on increasing road mileage until October/November or so.

Looks like I'll be hitting two-a-day workouts to increase my cardiovascular capacity and praying that I can make it 26.2 come January!

 

[indygirl99]

You will love your orthotics. I notice a huge difference in the amount of pain in both my feet from PF and my legs after I got mine.

Have you tried KT tape? I am on my feet 12+ hours a day, not counting running time, and adding the KT tape has made a big difference in my run time and no pain time.