Hi everyone. Today I began again my journey from 5K to 10K with a 6K run. It was bloody hard, but I did it. I did the Stamina+ podcast although it wasn't quite long enough to see me through, I took 42 minutes at a pace of 7:00/km today. My current 5K pace is about 6:30/km at the moment. I have to admit I swore at Laura at one point, when she said "Now, let's finish with an invigorating 5 minute burst..". Sorry, Laura.
I have entered the Great South Run (16K/10 miles) in October which is my main goal for this year. Yesterday morning I plotted out my training plan, which roughly involves increasing my longest distance by 1K every 2 weeks, once I get to next month. If I keep it up I should hit 10K at the beginning of July. Alongside that I plan to do 2 or 3 runs per week.
I must admit I'm feeling quite apprehensive/nervous about the task ahead of me at the moment. I just couldn't get out of my head the idea that in October I'd be going 10K further than I did today! Eep! But I am looking forward to earning the Graduate10 badge along the way. For those who don't know me, I did basically earn it last year, but I never claimed it as I didn't feel I "owned" the 10K distance yet, if that makes sense. This year I am back to do that.
I did a parkrun on Saturday and again have blisters on the inner balls of my feet now. I can't seem to shake them recurring, I feel like I have tried everything. However, the next few weeks are going to be GLUTES GLUTES GLUTES in terms of exercises so I am hoping this helps with the pressure on my feet when I run. I may explore other shoes as I have the Asics Kayano 22 and I have never really gelled with them, but I had the blister problem with my last shoes too. I don't think it's something my shoes will fix, but hopefully moisturising and glute exercises will. I have been watching a channel called Kinetic Revolution on YouTube which has helped with my education about running exercises!
Wish me luck folks! I should be back in 2 weeks to report on my 6.5K run!
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sarah469
Graduate10
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Well done on your run Sarah, sorry that you are having problems with blisters though. Can you get someone to look at your gait /shoes? Don't go worrying about how much further a 16k run is at this point. It will all come together in the time, I promise, especially if you keep on putting the miles in! I am supposed to be focusing on my speed at the moment, but have come to a bit of a standstill recently due to a lurgy😖 Never mind, hope to get out again in the next few days. Take care 🙂x
Blisters on the bottom of the feet are likely to be caused by the foot sliding back and forth in a too-large shoe in combination with the warm, wet conditions caused by perspiration, with friction rubbing..
1.Try wearing double skinned running socks? Hilly, Thorlos or 1000 mile socks. Coat the area in Petroleum jelly or use compeed or body glide
Thanks Dave, I've actually tried all those things! The socks seemed to make it worse (because of the seams or extra heat, I think), and I tried Vaseline during a run and it didn't help - perhaps I need to persevere with that one, though!
I also tried different lacing technicques - one seems to help but at the moment anything over 4K gives me that blistery soreness feeling. I don't think it's my shoes as they certainly don't feel loose and I lace them quite tight. If anything they are tight around the toes. Of course you may well be right though so perhaps I should look at my shoes again. I just feel that since I had the same problem with my last shoes it's more to do with my overpronation than anything else.
If you have any other suggestions, I'm all ears! Thanks again.
Overpronator, I do that, but never had a blister, surely, it must be where the foots moving about, it's a difficult one! Just a thought, what are the insoles like? Could it be that is moving about being slightly small in the shoe or rucking up as your foot lands? or is the width of the shoe correct for you?
If you can't sort it soon, maybe a visit to a running shop which specialises and going into it with them to get to the bottom of it may benefit, but try not to buy new shoes..👟😁
Thank you for the advice, I appreciate it. I'll have a closer look at the insoles and really think about what my feet are doing as I run and whether they are moving around. I do feel some movement in my feet as I run, like my toes twisting, but I always thought that was just normal (especially with overpronation). Maybe not!
maybe it overpronates, rolls inward a lot and puts a lot of pressure on that spot, I can only think of special insoles or a stability shoe like I have to correct it, best see the experts Sarah..
Hi, thank you! I have tried Vaseline before and it didn't help. I'm not sure what to think about my shoes - since it's been a problem with both the different pairs I've had, I never thought it was the shoes. I've tried different lacing techniques and nothing seems to help, I do have them quite tight but that helps more than having them loose. I'm hoping if I strengthen my glutes it will lessen my overpronation which I think is the source of the issue.
I get the same blisters and they're so bad now, they almost look like pressure ulcers! I have a feeling it's my shoes too. I have tried different socks and different dressings on the blisters but they swell and become very painful each time I run no matter what I do, so the only thing left is my shoes which are relatively new and weren't cheap! Mine are Nike Pegasus ones. So nice to hear it's not just me! I can really relate to your post because i've been up to 5k for a little while now but the runs seem really hard each time, so pushing myself to 6k seems impossible. My pace is very similar to yours. I may have to try the podcast you mention. I have to remind myself that 5k seemed impossible a little while ago. Also, I don't know if you find the same thing but after the first maybe 3k, my body finally seems to find a rhythm so I just need to push it a bit to get to the 6k. It's really good to have an aim and you'll do that run in October no problem! My aim is to do the Silverstone half marathon with my husband next March! Good Luck!
Hi Catk, I'm sorry I missed your post a couple of days ago but glad I saw it now! Thanks so much for your comment! I agree it's lovely to find someone with the same blister problem, I don't think it's very common and I was feeling quite alone on here in that sense. Yes, I do find the same thing - normally I find the first 1-2K pretty hard, and then sometime between 2K - 3.5K I will get into a rhythm and it will feel easier. I generally find the last km is not so difficult mentally as I know it's the last and it's a case of just getting past every .1km until the end! I did find 6K really hard but I knew I COULD do it as I had done it before, and I am sure you can too! Good luck with your running and let me know if you find a solution to the blisters! Do you overpronate (which means your foot rolls in as you run?) I do quite badly which is what is the root problem is I feel, and I'm trying to sort, however much my shoes may or may not help, I can't blame them entirely!
I never had the problem during Couch to 5K though, which was weird. It was when I started pushing myself a bit more that I started getting them, I always find it's worse if I don't take my shoes off immediately after I run (like at parkrun, because I have to drive home) and I feel like it's to do with how hot my feet get too. I can normally run up to 3.5K without getting blisters but around the 4K mark is when they start to form - for me, at least!
Also, yours sound worse than mine, mine normally heal and then reappear in about a week cycle so I don't think they're exactly getting worse, but it sounds like yours are. Take care of yourself - if you need to take some time out for them to fully heal, then do. I have done the same in the past when they were worse. And if you think it's down to your shoes then try and get to a specialist running shop.
ooooh interesting, I shall try that, thanks! I went to get my gate analysed before I bought my shoes and they said mine is completely central. I may have to go again if the problem persists. It seems to be a tiny bit better recently with the use of corn plasters which I smother that area of my foot with. Since my initial response to you, I've done a 6.4 km run which I was really pleased with :). Your general style sounds very similar to me actually!
To help reduce over-pronation, if you don't already do so, attempt to perform foot exercises, to help maintain strength throughout the arch (towel scrunches are fantastic). The strength of your toes will also improve, too.
Equally, if you don't already do so, placing importance upon strengthening your calves will also assist, since the soleus heads of your calf (you only ever see them in well developed calves) form part of the Achilles tendon, which then attaches to the plantar fascia. Calf raises also improve the strength and endurance of the peroneal tendons, leaving you far less prone to spending time upon the IC.
By placing load upon your Achilles tendon and plantar fascia through calf raises/heel drops, they become far more accustomed to handling the forces placed through them when running (up to 2.5 times your body weight). Improvements in strength and endurance of connective tissues (through resistance training) mean that greater distances can be covered before fatigue is encountered.
Equally, due to fatigue and loss of form, blistering can easily occur as one seeks to increase their running distance, particularly if over-striding or forefoot striking happen to be common-place throughout.
Quite commonly, in an attempt to routinely adopt a mid-foot strike (as opposed to a heel strike), many people try to land exclusively upon their forefoot, considering their form to be better.
However, fore-foot striking (through over-stride and lack of heel pick up) can result in the feet landing heavily in front of the torso, pushing the foot forward in the shoe. Through a mixture of muscle fatigue (as distance increases), resulting in a loss of form and the repeated motion of the skin sliding forward (friction), the risk of blistering is greatly increased.
While steeping of feet and the use of moisturisers may help to soothe inflamed skin (I'd thoroughly recommend coconut oil), such practices won't necessarily treat the cause, if no attempt is made to improve running form, through the adoption of a shorter running gait and a slightly higher pick up of the knee and heel.
You recently asked about barefoot running. While it doesn't necessarily have to be performed with the feet unshod, since minimalist footwear possesses a zero drop, the lack of support in the heel means that the adoption of a shorter running gait and mid-foot landing (through slight lifting of the knee, allowing for greater heel pick up) is more likely to become common-place.
Upon observing one running barefoot, as the soles touch the ground, it would appear that they're almost running flat-footed. However, pay attention to the slightly exaggerated bending of the knee (positioned directly below the upper torso), helping to absorb and dissipate the generation of force.
Although he may be a sprinter, for greater understanding of how the feet ought to be landing beneath the body, the height of heel pick up, relaxed shoulders and turn over of the legs (speed), observe the technique adopted by Michael Johnson, one which helped him to obliterate running fields in his prime, since I've always considered his effortless running form to be far superior to that of Usain Bolt.
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