The last few weeks have built on getting to 10k in July - the target now is getting to 10 miles mid-September (and then deciding if HM is achievable in mid-November). This weekend's long run was a 14K+ run alongside the river and circling nature reserves at either end.
The big plus point was getting to 14K (furthest yet) but I was close to limits in terms of wear and tear and fatigue. Lots of learning from the run including: runners cannot refuel by jelly babies alone (this is obvs.to everyone else I'm sure - I just need to tell myself to be sensible😁), flat (in terms of contours on the map) riverside paths are not necessarily easy paths (bumpy, awkward surface with lots of gates and stiles) , down in the valley things can heat up quickly (I normally run in breezy, undulating, hillier areas) and that heat introduces new problems (feet!)
Looking at the numbers then the immediate goal (10M) seems well on target. I could probably have made 10 miles yesterday - but with some discomfort and that felt a poor way to prepare for the later HM target. Better feeding before and during a run is probably easy to sort out. and will help in terms of fatigue (I was definitely starting to run out of energy). What's new is the wear and tear element.
When I start a run there's a period of trying to get into some sort of rhythm. When I have got that then continuing a run is more about pacing / determination / luck with avoiding HR problems. I'm lucky in not normally having any issues with injury or pain. Yesterday the bumpy path and the stopping/starting at gates and stiles were wearisome and my feet were getting hot, tight, sweaty and sore. Rhythm went and I felt like a lumbering carthorse. A good time to stop and just walk a couple of miles back to the car (ah - that probably gives away that I was secretly hoping to do the 10 miles yesterday? 😉). Feet are not too damaged - no blisters or new bruising, just quite tender but improving overnight - I think I got away with it (phew).
So, how to cope with feet problems during a race? Looking back I wish I'd taken shoes and socks off and cooled them for a few minutes - but is that a really silly thing to do? Anticipating conditions would help and choosing socks for hotter weather (but I'm not sure it would have helped much). Was the problem actually to do with the bumpiness ? (my feet felt like they took a pounding) Is there something to learn about how to stride / place the foot over bumpy ground? Or should I have really tightened up the laces to avoid any possibility of slipping or sliding inside the shoe? All food for thought.
Comments and advice on this are most valuable and gratefully received.
In the meantime here's a picture of a decorated phone box along the way that made me smile .
Happy running everyone!
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RunSkippyRun
Half Marathon
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Love the phone box! Very creative. We use ours in the village for books, not as pretty as this one 🙂
I imagine the uneven surface might have played a part but I’m only guessing. It’s happened to me only once on a run where my feet got hot and sore and felt quite tender afterwards and I have no idea why and it’s never happened since. I didn’t do anything differently. Perhaps it’s just the combination of a hot day, high’ish humidity, the type of ground and maybe even what you were doing the day before! Did you feel that your feet were slipping inside your shoes?
Sorry I can’t answer your question but well done on the run 💪🙂
Thanks for your reply Irish Princess. Yes, running is strange how things vary from day-to-day. I am tending to think the uneven surface is a factor as Ihink it made the stride more "stompy" (for want of a better word). I wasn't aware of foot slippage - but for the run tomorrow I will be paying more attention.
I like the sound of the your book phone box - we had a phone box outside our house for years but it just got taken away one day, so no chance to do anything nice like the picture or your village 🙁
It can be terrain, it can be that your feet are just not used to that much running at once. I find flatter, more samey terrain more wearisome on the feet as the unchanging repetitive pounding is tiring whereas with big hills/more varied terrain the footfall is changing all the time, far less repetitive.
It can also be your shoes or lacing technique, my left foot needs a bit more room to swell, whereas the right seems fine regardless. Definitely don't just tighten the laces, only tighten in the area needed. There are loads of lacing techniques to allow room where needed but to still keep shoes secure.
There is a huge risk to taking shoes off in that when they go back on they'll feel worse than ever, but sometimes just taking the shoes off very briefly can work a treat.
Make sure your shoes are not too worn either, feet feeling pummelled are often my first sign that my shoes are losing their springy cushioning.
Fuel and hydration on route and beforehand are key, ideally you want to be putting both in before your body is saying it needs it. When it's telling you then the tank is already running on empty.
Thanks GoGo_JoJo - that's lots of good advice and plenty of food for thought I have one "greek" (second toe larger than the first) and one "non-greek" foot and I did manage to bruise the second toe of the greek one a few weeks back (I think through careless lacing and letting the foot move a bit inside the shoe). So lacing techiques will be investigated for sure. Thanks again 😁
Ahhh, now be careful of that. It may actually be that your shoes are too small. Your running shoes should be a larger size than your "street" shoes by at least a half to a full size (mine are 1.5) and should be based on the longest toe.
If your foot tends to swell over the bridge you can miss the holes in the middle to let that area breathe whilst keeping the toebox laced to keep the toes in place and the top to stop slippage.
But there's definitely plenty to try, and observe. Different socks can have very differing results too. 🤞🏻🤞🏻
Interesting! I have high arches so the some street shoes (but not the running ones) can be uncomfortable - that lacing idea may be applicable for that reason also. And the running shop may get a visit soon (I have a recommendation for a good one in Otley so I'll see what they say too)... thanks again
That's a great distance and 10 miles is now very close!!! Sometimes if I haven't spent time getting.my socks on right, then I can end up with very tender toes. I have to say my foot woes started around this distance - I had to go up half a size in shoes and I have had lots of bother with blisters. Hopefully your issues are to do with time spent on the stony surface, but if they persist it may be worth looking at a slightly larger shoe. Good luck, as unhappy feet are a massive distraction on an otherwise happy run.
Thanks for your reply Linda (and sorry to hear of your foot woes). The socks point is a good one and I'll pay more attention now. It's a Fartlek session tonight which will hopefully give lots of time for thinking about feet. Thanks again 😀
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