Time on Your Feet = Happy Feet

Over the years, I have seen many people, especially athletes, complete marathons and ultramarathons. Most do well, suffering the usual malady of blisters, toenails issues, and an occasional ankle sprain. There are some, however, who finish their events with feet they can hardly walk on. Complaints range from, “My foot feels like one big blister.” to “I can’t even walk.”
     These athletes usually have one thing in common. They have stressed their feet beyond what their feet are comfortable doing. There are several typical scenarios. The most common is they have simply done too much too soon. The 2nd most common is that they have encountered conditions beyond what they were prepared for. Since all of us, even non-athletes, can learn from these experiences, please allow me to explain.
     Sudden increases in mileage put undo pressure on the bones, tendons, ligaments and muscles of the feet. If you are typically walking 3 miles a day and then suddenly walk 10 miles, you can expect your feet to feel sore, hot, and painful. Increasing your running miles from a 10KM (6.2 miles) to a half-marathon (13.1 miles), will result in similar complaints. The ‘rule-of-thumb’ for runners has always been to increase weekly miles by no more that 10% a week. This is good advice for all of us.
     Whenever we go for a walk or run, we might run into the unexpected. We step off a curb or roll our foot on a rock and turn an ankle. We decide to hike on a trail and are not used to uphills and downhills, the tree roots and rocks, the uneven terrain, and our legs, ankles, and feet become sore. It’s hot and we sweat more than normal, and this moisture leads to hot spots and blisters. We wear a new pair of socks, thinner than normal, and our feet move around inside the shoes, creating blisters. We wear a new pair of socks, thicker than normal, and the pressure inside the toebox leads to painful toenails.
     Whatever our activity, we need do the time. We must put the time on our feet to get them ready and ‘in-shape’ to handle the stresses we will ask them to endure. If you have a vacation coming up, or a marathon, plan backward on your calendar and block off time to get yourself ready—including your feet. Putting in the time on your feet will lead to happy feet.