The very long epic story of a slow chubby chick who finally got her Goofy Medal!

[AngelEyez]

Congratulations! THat is a huge accomplishment. Good for you for not giving up!

 

[Chiomaca]

Have you tried different shoes? Since they seem to happen in the same place all the time, and your foot could be sliding around a lot, maybe a different brand or size of shoe would help. You've tried everything else that I can think of. I'm very impressed with your determination to keep pushing through that pain.

Shoes make a huge difference! My feet are sensitive enough that even though I bought the exact same shoe (Nike Free 5.0), the little changes they made in the shoe in the last two years has meant blisters on the arch of my foot.

I've also seen gel patches that go in your shoe rather than on your foot that can ease the friction, but I can't remember the name. I hope you can get them under control - your story is great. Congratulations on your finish, what a huge deal and so cool that you kids got to see you meet this goal!

 

[bumbershoot]

You've tried everything else that I can think of. I'm very impressed with your determination to keep pushing through that pain.

I totally agree.

Op I think you said you've lost weight over the last few years, so don't be afraid to try a different size shoe if you haven't already. I've been amazed at the size loss in my feet as I dropped weight. Since I was in college I've had a true wide foot, I mean the bones in the ball of my foot are definitely wide and the skin of the arch tends to extend beyond the inset of shoes if they aren't wide, but in some shoes I can wear a normal width now. Nike frees for instance (and Nike has traditionally been horrid with wide feet).

I have a roadrunner sports nearby and am a VIP member so I have a good long time to try out a shoe and return it if needed. If you have a store with that policy but aren't taking advantage of it, do try it out. I hate returning things but our feet are so worth it!

Just imagine how much faster (and I'd like to note that your pace was faster and more consistent in the marathon than mine was in the half, so I'm not mentioning it in a bad way!) and happier you will be once you work out the blister problem.

It might be foolish, but blisters won't stop me!!!!!!

No one here thinks you're foolish at all. I'm seriously impressed at how you kept on trying. Many people would have given up the whole idea, even without the blisters. I'm also impressed that you still want to do more and more races! I myself am so done with even the 13.1 distance that I cannot even imagine wanting to do more! But I do think I'm at least 10 years older than you. I'll comfort myself with that, LOL.

 

[IamTrike]

I think the main problem I have is the place where I get the blisters. The worst ones are normally on the ball of my feet extending between my 2nd and 4th toe. At some point the blister pushes into the tender skin between the ball of my feet and the underside of my toes and that is what hurts. There really is no good way to tape that area without having something rub between your toes with each movement of your foot. The blisters also seem to be worse on race day for whatever reason.

I have also been(for the last few months) tying my shoes with I think what is called the "lace lock" method to prevent your foot from sliding in your shoe.

I haven't tried ininji toe socks. They are next on my list, but I don't really expect very different results. I also have never tried plain deodorant on my feet. That was suggested to me during the half. As I get faster, another idea I had was packing an extra pair of socks to change into at the halfway point. Right now I am so slow that if I stopped to change socks (at least a 3-4 minute stop) I could be in danger of being swept.

Hmm it looks like you've tried everything I was going to suggest except the injiji and wrightsox.

I was having some issues with blistering on the ends of my toes I went to the running shop and had someone spend a lot of time watching my feet and measuring me. I thought my shoes were too, but it was actually toe on toe impact that was causing the problem. For me injiji socks were the fix. I've used the wrightsox, but they only help with rubbing on the outermost parts of the foot, they wont help with blisters between your toes.

I might try going to a good running shop and see if you can have someone look you and your gear over. They might be able to identify something to mitigate your issues. I'm guessing you are right that it's probably a combination of things so there might not be a simple fix.

It might be foolish, but blisters won't stop me!!!!!!

I think that's called determination not foolishness. I read your story last night and was really struck by the level of determination and commitment that you have. It was very inspiring.

Ohh an I'm pretty sure 2018 will be the 5th anniversary of the Dopey so it's a very good goal.

I've had good luck with WrightSocks. They are 2-layers with the idea that the layers rub against each other and not your foot.

They even come in dress sock styles, so I can wear them to the after race party!

You don't wear dress socks when you are racing?

 

[irishtwins1112]

Thanks for all the suggestions. As far as shoes go I have mainly trained and raced in New Balance and Nike stability shoes. This past training season I tried Newtons. I really liked them. They were super light and seemed to give me less friction on my feet. I was having some pain in my foot in November and thought I might have a stress fracture. I went to get it checked and the Sports Medicine Orthopedist said that it was a stress reaction (which is a precursor to a stress fracture). He said right away that the Newtons did not have enough padding for my feet. He said I needed a high cushion shoe to train in the majority of the time and to only wear the Newtons on race day and during training maybe every few weeks for short distances. I went out and bought the thickest soled Nike's at the running store that day. It definitely fixed the pain problem because I haven't had it since then. On race weekend I used the Newtons for the half and then the Nike's for the full. I was considering using the Newtons for both.....but I had already gotten a blister during the half wearing the Newtons and I had a pain between my achilles tendon and the left side of my ankle on my left foot the night before the full that I thought might benefit from the extra support/cushioning of the Nike's. Once I got to the corral the next morning a girl showed me a stretch that made the pain instantly go away. Turns out it was just a tight achilles tendon. Who knew? It sure did feel like my ankle was hurt. Would love to hear some shoe suggestions if anyone has some. Thanks!

 

[bumbershoot]

I would just make sure that whatever shoe you are in is the right size for you. It really sounds like you're sliding around in your shoes.

 

[FFigawi]

The one thing I'd be worried about with the Newtons is the blisters on the balls of your feet. Newtons are designed to have you landing on your forefoot, and if you're not using them regularly, it's very easy for blisters in that area to develop. I know that I get bad blisters in the same place if I run too far in my Vibrams when I haven't been using them enough. It might be worth going to see your local running store to have them do a gait and foot analysis for you to see what they recommend.

 

[Chiomaca]

I agree with John - find a good running specialty store and have them do a gait analysis. The best ones will videotape you barefoot on a treadmill to get an idea of your natural movement before putting you in shoes. And they should also have a really liberal return policy if you don't like the shoes you do buy.

I ran in the most minimal Vibrams I could buy until I increased my regular long run distance over 13 miles, but too much padding messes with my gait and I end up with hip and knee problems. I've settled into Nike Frees, alternating between 3.0 and 5.0 for road running. My trail shoes are zero drop because I rarely run more than 5-8 miles on trails, and that's usually with the dogs.

I also buy my shoes a full size larger than my regular shoe size and I sometimes need to adjust the laces between the morning and the end of a long run when me feet have swollen a bit.

 

[IamTrike]

I am the Imelda Marcos of running shoes, so I always love a good discussion. I'm a moderately heavy guy around 200lbs ish and I seem to do best in cushioned shoes.

Here's what I've tried:
Nike (Structure, Vomero 6,7,8 and Lunarfly)
I don't remember which model structures I had but they were okay shoes. No issues with them but didn't love them.
Vomero's were my go to shoes early on. They changed the shoe for version 8 and it felt like it had less cushion so I started looking elsewhere
Lunarfly (i ran in the V1's but the bottom fell off)


Saucony
Ride, Cortana, Kinvara
Rides were recommended by a local running store the were okay. I wound up giving them to my brother in law.
Cortana Super plus. This have a lot of cushion. I enjoyed running in them now they are my go to disney park walking around shoes.
Kinvara. I've run in a couple versions of the Kinvara. I like how light they are but I wind up with knee pain if I run in them too long.
I also have a pair of A5's that I use for speedwork but I really hurt any time I run in them.

Hoka One One
You will not find more cushion than this.
I have the Rapa Nui and the Bondi. There is now show more cushioned than this. They both give me arch pain when I run in them too much

Brooks
Glycerin 10 ( I think )
they were super soft but really really heavy. I liked the cushion but didn't like running in them.

Asics
Cumulus14 I found them very similar to the saucony ride. I enjoyed the cushion they provided but didn't love them.

New Balance
890 I like them but they don't have quite enough cushion for long runs.

Adidas
Energy Boost, Adios Boost
I love my Energy boost. I'm my second pair and bought a 3rd as a walking around the park shoe. For me this is my perfect shoe at this moment.
Adios Boost. These are my half marathon shoes. They don't bother me, but I the top of the tongue can irritate my ankle if the shoe isn't tied properly.

 

[dlbwright]

OMG, I am crying right now! How inspirational! I remembering reading your 2nd story about getting swept last year. I am so incredibly proud of you that you accomplished such an amazing feat. You are awesome! Congrats!

 

[ZellyB]

What an amazing jouney you have made. I had read your previous report about being swept and was so hoping you would have a successful attempt this year.

You are an inspiration. Not a lot of people have that kind of perserverance. Thank you so much for sharing your story!!

 

[irishtwins1112]

Thanks for all the suggestions, y'all! I guess I will have to make a trip to a more fancy running store. At mine the guy seems pretty knowledgeable but there isn't a treadmill for you to run on and they don't analyze your gait or anything. It is a small town operation. The guy has you bend your knees almost like you are squatting and fits you with a running shoes based on how your arches/feet react to that motion. I don't think there are any running stores in my general vicinity that have a generous return period. Most of them won't accept them back if you have worn them outside period. I had never heard of running stores that will let you try the shoes for a while.

 

[bumbershoot]

If you end up with no other choice, you can always become an online VIP member of http://www.roadrunnersports.com/. 90 day return period (the returned shoes are donated to charities from what they've told me). Might take some time, especially if you don't have the funds to buy several pairs at once (and not many do, I think), but it could be worth it.

 

[Pinkflmngo]

Oh my gosh, Irishtwins!!! I knew we had to be standing near each other in the corral. I remember exactly who you are!!! I was the one who said, "You're not really going to throw that quilt away are you?" I realized that it sounded very judgemental and wished I hadn't said it. I have been a quilter most of my life and I couldn't stand to see that poor quilt abandoned by the side of the corral. Of course, when you showed me how damaged it already was I had to agree, haha.

I remember you telling about being swept previously and how hard it was to make it that far. I thought about you often throughout the race, especially when I got to Hollywood Studios. I am so glad to know that you made it the whole way!! I am the one who was sort of in front of you. I have a short haircut (dark brown and straight). I am 62, but hope that I look younger than that, haha. You gave me a lot of help and motivation, and I am happy that I met you and heard your story.

Do you remember the woman standing near us who was driving everyone nuts with her obsessive worrying about being swept. She was the one who talked about every bite of food she had eaten and tracked in the past month and her slowest distance training run had been 12 minute miles. I finally had to just ignore her because it was causing me to doubt myself and my training too much. I just wanted to yell "SHUT UP!" Hearing her talk about how scared she was to be swept made me really mad. She just didn't get that there were many of us who would have been thrilled with a 12 min. pace and had far more reason to be worried about being swept. I was really glad to be away from her.

Maybe we will meet again in the future. Best of luck with finding a fix for your blisters. Never get a pedicure before the race! Know that from experience. Wait until after!

Congrats again from someone who really knows how great it feels,
Lynda

 

[irishtwins1112]

Oh my gosh, Irishtwins!!! I knew we had to be standing near each other in the corral. I remember exactly who you are!!! I was the one who said, "You're not really going to throw that quilt away are you?" I realized that it sounded very judgemental and wished I hadn't said it. I have been a quilter most of my life and I couldn't stand to see that poor quilt abandoned by the side of the corral. Of course, when you showed me how damaged it already was I had to agree, haha.

I remember you telling about being swept previously and how hard it was to make it that far. I thought about you often throughout the race, especially when I got to Hollywood Studios. I am so glad to know that you made it the whole way!! I am the one who was sort of in front of you. I have a short haircut (dark brown and straight). I am 62, but hope that I look younger than that, haha. You gave me a lot of help and motivation, and I am happy that I met you and heard your story.

Do you remember the woman standing near us who was driving everyone nuts with her obsessive worrying about being swept. She was the one who talked about every bite of food she had eaten and tracked in the past month and her slowest distance training run had been 12 minute miles. I finally had to just ignore her because it was causing me to doubt myself and my training too much. I just wanted to yell "SHUT UP!" Hearing her talk about how scared she was to be swept made me really mad. She just didn't get that there were many of us who would have been thrilled with a 12 min. pace and had far more reason to be worried about being swept. I was really glad to be away from her.

Maybe we will meet again in the future. Best of luck with finding a fix for your blisters. Never get a pedicure before the race! Know that from experience. Wait until after!

Congrats again from someone who really knows how great it feels,
Lynda

I remember you. Cool that you are on the disboards! I do remember that lady. I know she was just scared. I think that was her first marathon so I understand but she was a little annoying. I talked to a guy that was Goofy( I think) and he placed in the top 100 of the half marathon. We were talking the evening before the full. He said he really was concerned about what would happen during the full because he felt he pushed to hard for the half. His pace I believe was something like 6-7 minutes per mile. I said "Come on, with a pace like that you will be just fine". I was thinking to myself that he probably limps at like a ten minute per mile pace. Instantly I felt bad and I think I hurt his feelings. He said well, all our bodies hurt the same even if we run our races at different speeds. Maybe next time I will think before I speak. Sometimes I forget people actually have time goals because for me it is a finish/don't get to finish thing. I don't think I will ever be disappointed by a "time" on a race. Finishing it is what counts to me. Or in a lot of cases.......just getting to the starting line.

 

[Slogger]

Congratulations on your fierce determination and making it to the finish line ahead of those sweepers. Your story is a great inspiration to all runners of all abilities.

I hope you get your feet and blister issues resolved. That would really enhance your experience. A lot of good tips from other posters.

I will second the suggestion to get fitted properly for shoes. My wife bought me my first pair based on my shoe size and after 3 months my toes started curling the wrong way and I busted through the shoes....they were way too small. A lot of pain in those miles. I went up a half size and changed to Brooks and it made a huge difference. Tried the thorlo and swiftwick socks but Wrightsocks work better for me and I've not had any blisters since.

I bought the newer model Brooks shoe but it just didn't feel the same. I ended up wearing my original Glycerine shoes that have nearly 1500 miles on them for the Dopey this year. Just goes to show that even the same brand and size of shoe may not always work so keep trying, you will find something that works.

And yes....I now have to break in a new pair of shoes next month.



Glide and orthotics have also helped my feet stay comfortable during the longer runs.

 

[irishtwins1112]

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[irishtwins1112]

Ohh an I'm pretty sure 2018 will be the 5th anniversary of the Dopey so it's a very good goal.

That is the exact reason we are shooting for 2018.

 

[irishtwins1112]

If you end up with no other choice, you can always become an online VIP member of http://www.roadrunnersports.com/. 90 day return period (the returned shoes are donated to charities from what they've told me). Might take some time, especially if you don't have the funds to buy several pairs at once (and not many do, I think), but it could be worth it.

I think this is what I am gonna need to do. I guess you could theoretically put several pairs on a no interest credit card and then return the ones you didn't like. I totally had no clue that any running stores offered this policy.

 

[pjstevens]

You truly are an inspiration. I have done the 1/2 (2010, the year of the sleet/snow and rain) and the full in 2011. I've been in Nursing school since then and truly want to do Goofy (and Doopey). I love that you just kept at it! I just started back running a few weeks ago (starting at the basics since it's been a year) and hope that maybe next year I'll get back to Disney for Marathon weekend.