OK, so I’ve read through Scylla’s Running Thread. I’ve read through Jadis’s training for a 5K thread.
I’m training for a marathon, and I have an Issue and I’m hoping someone can advise.
I had a thread on here a couple of months ago regarding weight loss while training. Haven’t lost much of the weight I wanted to lose. I just can’t eat less and still finish my runs. That’s not the issue I have right now, though. I also mentioned blisters, and those seem to have mostly become a non-issue (I got blister socks and my feet just don’t seem to blister anymore). I’m halfway through my training right now (8 weeks til the marathon, March 7 in LA).
My biggest problem? My feet fall asleep. Sometimes it’s after only a mile or two. Sometimes it’s after about 3 or 4 miles. Usually, it’s my midfoot to my toes, but last week in a 6-mile run my left foot was COMPLETELY asleep from mile 2 to mile 5.5. As in, I couldn’t feel anything below my ankle. It was a really bizarre feeling, since I couldn’t feel my foot strike the ground. My right foot usually only gets numb toes.
I have two pairs of running shoes (a trail running shoe and a street running shoe) and I switch them out every week or so. I only use the street shoe when I’m doing my long runs, since that’s going to be my marathon shoe. The feet asleep thing happens with both pairs - it’s not just one or the other. I guess my main question is twofold: is there anything I can do to prevent my feet from falling asleep? and, is it bad for my feet to be “asleep” for miles at a time? If I stop running, my feet immediately regain feeling. And usually after being asleep for a while, they gain feeling back and then I don’t have any more problems for the rest of the run.
What gives? Anyone here know? I’m running 7 miles tonight and not really looking forward to having numb feet for half my run. Thanks!
This is just a wild guess, but it sure sounds like shoes to me. This almost sounds like you’ve got something in the way your insole fits the bottom of your feet that’s cutting off the circulation or compressing a nerve. Any chance your shoes fit a little tighter with the new socks? Does it happen any faster with one pair of shoes than the other? Try taking your shoes off immediately after running, while your feet are still numb, and touch your toes. Do they feel cold to the touch? If so, you may be cutting off blood flow. I had a similar problem with ski boots, and the right insole cured the problem.
Either way, numb feet can be a bad thing; it could be a sign that damage is occurring. Even if there’s no damage, and it’s something totally innocuous, you’re still out there running on feet that can’t feel the ground, which could set you up for a fall or a nasty sprain.
That’s entirely possible. But I had the trail running shoes for at least two months before the feet-asleep thing started happening (I got the blister socks well before it started, too). On my long runs, it seems to only happen for a short while and then goes away, whereas on my shorter runs sometimes it feels like the whole run.
And the feeling comes back into my feet pretty much IMMEDIATELY after I stop running (while I"m still walking). I’ve also found that if I walk for a little bit and then start running again, my feet don’t go numb again for the rest of the run. But I don’t WANT to have to walk for 5 minutes after I’ve only run a mile, and then have to start running again for 6 (or 15, for this weekend’s run) more!
If I were you, I’d go to a specialty running store like Fleet Feet or Marathon Running (I think that’s the name) and ask them to size the shoes for you. Fleet Feet makes you run around the parking lot in the shoes so you know they fit. They also analyze your wear patterns in your old shoes, and will take a look at your stride and form to let you know if there’s anything you can do to improve it.
What you’re describing happened to me when I was training for a marathon last year. It turned out to be a combination of too snug shoes and socks. The toe box on my running shoes was too tight so, even though my toes were comfortable if I wasn’t running, they got scrunched so tight when I was running that they overlapped a bit, causing both blistering and numbness. Also, I was using sprinter’s socks instead of cushioned socks, so they were really thin and tight around the ankles.
I’ve never been to a Marathon Running store, but I would recommend Fleet Feet. I went to one to get some new shoes right before Christmas, and after a little adventure getting there because of traffic, it’s a very nice store. The one I went to was pretty small, your basic little store in a shopping center kind of place, but the staff was very knowledgeable and patient with me. I went to an orthopedist in October and she told me I was a supernator (if that’s how you spell it), I repeated the jibberish (“supersussinessinaterr”'s what I said) they picked up what I was actually trying to say and got me a healthy selection. Yes, they really do make you run around the parking lot to be sure the shoes fit. I tried in at least a dozen pairs and the man (a grizened and wise old runner) was very patient with me. He’d feel my foot in my shoe, listen to me try to articulate how the shoes felt, then go into the backroom with more pairs.
The coolest thing I saw there were running tops and shorts that had the design of the Texas flag. I almost got one. The store also gives discounts to anyone who runs for a school, team, professionally, dedicated amature, etc.
I looked up the name of the other marathon running store - it’s actually Marathon Sports. But I second Blackeyes’ suggestion to go to Fleet Feet. I found the people much more helpful there, and the stores are larger and have a greater variety of shoes. And, yeah, the clothes are damn cool! They sponsor a lot of races in the St. Louis area (Louis & Clark Marathon particularly), and when you go in to pick up your race pack, they will also give you a discount if you’re running in a FF-sponsored race. Here’s a link to Fleet Feet’s Web site: Fleet Feet Sports. It can tell you if they have any stores in your area. Best of luck on the training! Let us know how you do.
Unfortunately, I got both pairs of shoes at the local running store (Runner’s Roost) and was fitted by someone there. I spent over an hour and a half trying on shoes.
I’m starting to think it’s maybe a nerve/tendon thing. I know I may have a touch of plantar facitis (my heels feel bruised all the time) and I exercise them and rub them on this thing I have under my desk, but they’re still really tight in the mornings (and I think they get tight during the first part of my runs). Bleah.
Thanks for the input, though, everyone. It seems like no matter what I do, my body just isn’t made very well for long-distance running (I also have short achilles tendons, which means I can’t put my heels down when I run-I have giant calves and get shin splints easily). I’m doing my best to make do with what I have, and I’m not going to let a little numb feet stop me from finishing that marathon.
