Dear Foot Blogger Chick,
I am busy training for the Chicago Marathon (YEA!) but I have found that my feet really hurt during and after my runs. I am not sure of the problem. My shoes are fairly new and have not caused problems in the past but I need to solve this problem as the marathon is only 4 months away.
Achy Feet
Dear Achy,
Congratulations! I hope that you really enjoy the training for the marathon. What a great challenge!
So, let’s talk about your feet. You were right to bring up your shoes. The first think I would think would be to make sure that your shoes fit well and are not worn out. It seems that you have thought of that already.
I would suggest that you make an appointment to see your friendly local podiatrist. It is possible that you need some custom orthotics to put into your shoes to help your feet during the long runs.
Make sure when you go to your appointment that you take your running shoes with you so that the doctor can look at your shoes and your feet in the shoes. The doctor can then see if there are any problems with the shoes and your feet.
While I am sure you have a perfect foot, it is possible that there could be an area of improvement that could be made so that long runs are more comfortable. Very few of us really have the ideal foot structure. To make long distance running more comfortable we could use some personalized adjustment. Actually, the orthotics can make your feet feel better all the time.
If the doctor determines that you could benefit from orthotics, a plaster mold will be made of your foot. That mold will then dry and be sent off for the orthotics to be made. When the orthotics come in, you will go back to the office and they will test the orthotics to make sure that they were made correctly. You will then have to break in the orthotics according to the doctor’s advice. If you don’t follow the directions, you will not be happy with the orthotics as they will hurt. If you follow the suggested wearing schedule, you will find that your feet will feel much better.
The orthotics can be taken out of your running shoes and placed inside any of your shoes. That way, you will always benefit from the adjustment that the orthotics provides.
It is best to make your appointment soon so that you have plenty of time to get the orthotics and adjust to them prior to the marathon. You want to have the comfort advantage that the orthotics will provide during your training also.
Good luck with your training and running! We will cheer for you!
Your Pal,
The Foot Blogger Chick
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