Fastest run this month & flip that lift

I didn't really set out to do a fast run, but that is what I ended up doing. I didn't wear my orthotics, but used my lighter Aisics Gel Kayano 12s which are also a size smaller than my Mizuno wave rider 10s. I have noticed being able to run faster in them in the past, but the two previous runs were at my normal of late pace of 9:30. Today I ran just over nine minute miles.

I also flipped my lift over. I have been wearing a lift in my right shoe since I was like 9 or 10. I remember being mortified that I would have to wear giant shoes to correct my shorter right leg. But it was only a half inch or so, all I needed was a lift in my right shoe. So they made me a leather and rubber wedge shaped thing that I have been wearing ever since. Yep the same one. Over the years I have molded it down pretty well on the inside of my foot, so that side is completely worn away. So I decided I needed a new one. I was really excited to have a new one, a thirty year wait over and done with.

I went to a foot store in a strip mall (yes, questionable, but I figured they would be cheaper than a podiatrist) and showed them my lift. I told them I had worn it way down on the one side (as was obvious) and that I wanted a new one, a full one. They said they could make me a new one out of hard foam and carve it to match my foot. Perfect!

Two weeks later it is ready and when I pick it up they have made me an exact replica of the old one, an almost artistic replication. I tell them no, I wanted one that isn't worn away, a full one. The person said, "Oh sorry, the guy who made it quit and he is the only person who knows how to do it." Great. Well I can always use another lift exactly like the one I had, so I took it and went home dissapointed.

So, today on my run I flipped my lift so the worn side was on the outside of my shoe giving my inner foot more support. And it worked well I thought. It was pretty comfortable, less foot pain than many of my runs. I don't know if I would recommend flipping your orthotics, since I wear my lift under a motion control insert I think it worked for me.

I am thinking about buying a pair of walking shoes to wear to Europe this fall. Time to research!

9 running, 5 walking and iceburg lettuce

Saturday I finished my week with a nine mile run and a five mile walk after. I was pooped and my feet are killing me. My run was pretty slow, I definitely didn't push it. I went for the walk with my running partner who broke her collar bone last week, no running for her for awhile. The walk after was actually pretty tough, I think next week I'll do it again with less of a run (maybe like 5 miles).

So aching feet. This is something I have been putting up with for the last two years ever since I ran the Portland Marathon. I originally (and probably correctly for a major portion) attributed it to the 26.3 and the training leading up to it. I talked to a podiatrist (when I got my inserts) and his thoughts were that it had to do with my motion control shoes. These have a more solid outer portion of shoe base which is to force your foot to drop a bit on the inner portion of your foot during foot strike. His theory (that he had seen before) was that this more firm surface was irritating a nerve in the foot and causing the pain and the numbness (sound familiar fellow mser?) Well without the benefit of an MRI, he made the best judgment he could and had me start wearing neutral shoes and inserts specially designed for my foot. The discomfort seemed to abate a little, but I think the ms was playing its part in the issue and no insert was going to deal with its symptoms.

So, what do I do now? In an effort to lessen the environmental impactful of my receiving of rebif by post, I have kep the ice packs that initially ship the medicine in (well some of them anyway). So I keep these frozen and use them to ice my injections as well as my feet (and various other areas.) I place a towel on the floor and one of the ice packs on top of that. I then alternate (with socks) placing my foot on the ice, first left then right. Initially I used two, but I could only stand to have my feet iced for so long. I found that one ice pack and alternating feet was the best way to go. This seems to help quite a bit and I am going to continue to do this.

Cooling techniques from the past. I heard an interview with an old baseball player talking about the heat and playing baseball in the 40s. Of course they did not have any air conditionin gback then, so they had to get creative. He said (I wish I remembered his name) they would put pieces of aluminum foil in their shoes to reflect the heat (not sure that this could actually work...) They would also have oak buckets of ice water in the dugout that they would stand around in and soak their feet. By far my favorite method was that they would take heads of cold iceburg lettuce, cut them in half and wear them in their caps. Now that is something I'll have to try!