I went to the Running Store and bought a new pair of socks the day before the big run. There was some smooth talking kid in there who steered me into the store's own brand of fancy colored and high tech looking socks. I remember telling him that I only run in dual layer socks and he assuring me the pair he sold me were dual layer.
Well, I had butterflies in my stomach and could barely sleep, but knew I would do good with my new socks!
And there you see the result of changing something up the day before your marathon. So fitting, I remember about mile 18 hearing the Annie Lennox song, "Walking on Broken Glass" come on my iPod. My feet felt like they were on fire, but I had no idea they were actually bleeding into the dermal layer. Oh and by the way, I lost 7 toenails by the time I finished that marathon last year.
LESSON: Never change anything that is working for you before a big run! NEVER!
The pics above show the damage. And upon further inspection, the socks the 19 year old sold me were not dual layer socks. They were pretty, but they were not the dual layers that I had become used to and that kept my blistering to a minimum.
So the original reason I wanted to write this blog was to reach out to you if you are experiencing repeated blisters on your toes. I have a little added problem that the #4 and #5 toes on each foot have been surgically fused. I was born with them curved under and it was a mess to run on curved under toes. I had a horribly painful surgery at 30 that straightened them out - only problem is they don't bend anymore. So they are prone to blister.
So after last year's experience, I decided to experiment this year with Silicone Toe Caps. You just place them over the complaining toes and they are actually protecting my toes from blisters! So far, 273 miles and not a single toe blister! Here's what they look like:
I will never go on a run again without my toe caps. No blisters, no damaged toenails!
Here is a little picture of my foot from today- no damaged toenails, no blisters!
So that was what this blog was going to be all about. Silicone toe caps and how they can prevent blisters. But events of the week went from good to BAD to WORSE to well, ok I guess, and so the blister chapter had to be expanded.
Back to the fused toes. All is ok except for toe #4 on the left foot. It was actually fused incorrectly, pointing down instead of straight out. So every time my left foot strikes the ground, the #4 toe actually hits first and because it does not bend, it takes a lot of force. It is always somewhat swollen and tender, but I have just lived with it. This year I decided to go see a Podiatrist to see if there were any options to ease the pain in #4 Left.
I saw a guy who immediately prescribed orthotics to lift the balls of my feet and get that toe out of the way when that foot hit the ground. I was freaking out due to my previous experience with just changing the socks in my running shoes. He assured me I would be so much happier and comfortable with custom orthotics. The thought sounded so good... a 16 mile run coming up and reduced pain...?! Who wouldn't have signed up? But I was serious with him that changing something so drastic could only result in sure disaster. He reassured me and off to the orthotic lab I went.
They plastered my feet and 3 weeks later I had my custom orthotics. Eager, I put them in my shoes and walked around for one hour the first day. Awesome! No toe pain! It had been 18 years of constant pain. Day two, 2 hours of walking around... my heart was soaring. Day three, I could not help myself. I took them for a little easy 4 mile run - 44 minutes.
Mile One - I was singing out loud! My heart was full of joy and I was running with NO PAIN! I was as happy as I have been in a long time! I could hardly wait for Saturday and my 16 mile run! Why did I wait so long to consider orthotics????!!!
Mile 1.5 - The left foot was still feeling great, but something funny was starting on the right foot (the one that didn't hurt). A little hot spot on my arch and I figured I had a wrinkle in my sock or something. I pulled on my sock and figured I straightened it all out.
Mile 2 - At my turn around spot, I stopped and took my shoe off for an inspection. There it was, a big blister had already formed on my arch, right at a corner of the damn orthotic!
Mile 3 - Hobbling and increasing pain.
Mile 4 - Intermittent walking and crying right out loud.
I was hysterical by the time I got home. I was SO DAMN MAD at myself for thinking something like this would not happen. Here I was on an easy 4 mile run. Now I have a hole in the bottom of my foot. There is NO WAY IN HELL I was going to make my 16 mile run on Saturday. I figured it would take 2 weeks for the blister to heal and then I would be completely out of shape and back to my 10 or 12 mile distance. All in all I just knew this little orthotic experience put me back at least a full month in my training!
So back to the above Lesson: Changes can cause you great pain and havoc. Be careful when you make changes. Even in the care and direction of a foot doctor - intuitively I knew the orthotics would hurt me. But, I ran in them anyway.
Friday I did not run. Saturday, I could not stand it, I got up and wrapped the hell out of my foot with bandages and put on the running shoes. I set out for my 16 mile run and made it to 15. Just so happened the Loving Husband drove by at 15.01 and I saw him and threw in the towel. Jumped in the truck with a throbbing foot and headed home for ice.
So, I am not set back as much as I figured on Thursday, but I am still upset about the orthotic experience. The foot doc and I are going to have a big talk about this sometime soon, but for now...until I heal, I will be running in bandages.
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