I have only been running once a week for a month. I run about 5 miles. So when i run it feels as if my feet have fallen asleep. I get that tingling, needles feeling. It’s like I’m losing circulation to my feet yet my shoes aren’t tied too tight. When I’m done it eventually goes away. I’m worried that I might be damaging my feet. I’m trying to figure out the cause of this. I wonder if this is like the pain in my knees that didn’t go away until my leg muscles strengthened. I’ve been told that it could be the impact of my feet hitting the ground, or i need different shoes, or my running style is bad. Can anyone recommend a way for me to alleviate this pain or have a similar experience?
I’d hate to state the obvious, but you need to see a doctor if it’s a big problem.
IANAD, but I’m betting on your shoes not being right for you.
Ask the good people at Foot Locker. Those striped shirts endow them with extra knowledge.
I used to get that. I was wearing adequately cushioned shoes, they were’t tied too tight, I was running three times a week as well as bicycling 20 miles 3-4 times a week, but it happened. It used to happen at about the three mile point into the run, and if we ran over 5 miles the feeling would gradually come back. I had a workup by the podiatrists, and they checked for nerve function, and just basically said “I’t won’t kill you, damned if we know why, live with it.”
It’s a bitch to run when you can’t really feel your feet. I hated running anyway, and gladly gave it up once it was no longer mandatory. Sorry I have no idea how to alleviate it.
Yup, it’s the 3 mile point when it kicks in. How long does it last for you?
I’ve been running for 10 years. I get a tingly feeling in my feet after about 5 minutes during most runs. I’m not sure why.
5 miles, once a week, for a month?
That means you have been out exactly 4 times?
I’d say slow down for awhile. All kinds of nasty things can happen if you start packing on mileage before your body has undergone the necessary changes to accept the new lifestyle.
I’m also wondering about the once-a-week thing. Perhaps more shorter runs would be better for your body to grow into running.
When I first started running, I gave myself a whopping case of tendonitis as I found that I could finally run a half hour nonstop, and then did so every other day. That left me pretty much unable to walk for close to two weeks, shuffling two and from work like an old man, wondering how come the distance between my car and the office kept getting longer each day.
If you really are bothered, see a specialist. I ended up going to an orthopedist group that set me straight.
With running, I always recommend doing things in slow steady increments. Build up miles over many months.
BTW, I used to have all kinds of foot numbness and pain issues, but over time they subsided as my milage increased. I normally do 35mi/wk with at least one 10-15mi run, and the worst thing I feel after a long run is sore legs and fatigue. I think you were probably right about the comparison with the knee pain.
I would start to get the feeling back somewhere after about five miles. By the time we had run eight miles, the feeling would be completely back. I think that was one reason the podiatrist wasn’t too worried. This went on for some months; I quit running regularly or long distances without the numbness stopping.
This happens to me every now and then (especially in colder weather) when I’ve been running for at least 4 miles. It could be your shoes or maybe you need to run fewer miles more frequently to get used to it. Then again, it may never go away. I don’t think it’s necessarily a problem unless it’s painful and affecting your stride. That could lead to other injuries from bad form.
I’ve found this happens with some running shoes and not with others. I’d go to a shoe store that specializes in running shoes (not Foot Locker), hopefully someone will know something about shoes and running styles. Then again, you could always try barefoot running 
To the people that have similar experiences: when during the run does the tingling sensation go away?
This has been my exact experience, though when I run the numbness doesn’t always happen in both feet. Sometimes it’s just one or the other, and it isn’t my shoes or that they’re too tight or anything like that. I just chalked it up to my running stride (it’s kind of unusual because I have short achilles tendons, so I run toe-first and my heels only hit the ground about half the time) and looked at it as kind of a blessing, since when my feet were numb I couldn’t feel my blisters.
Now that I think about it, i do run toe-heel or sometimes just arch. I’ll try and change to heel-toe and see what happens. Good comments.
Update:
So last week I ran heel-toe. It was weird getting used, but when i finally did i was able to keep a good pace. I also received some soreness in my calves most likely due to using different stabilizer muscles. I must say that all numbness went away. Looks like i was putting too much impact on the balls of my feet. My heels on the other hand can take a beating. Coincidentally that is where all the padding on my Nike shoes are located. Problem solved. I can run again.
-Ludicrous