Today I ran a quick 8.50 miles.
Why so fast? It wasn’t a speed workout or anything. I ran as fast as I could because I was running late. I had originally wanted to run 10 but I didn’t have time. The 8.50 miles was a compromise and I was pushing it to run even that. I had an appointment at 11:00 to get some toenails removed….as in never grow back removed.
I got home, hopped in the shower. Got dressed and even had a few minutes to beautify (YAY for makeup~it hides lack of sleep, etc.). I had just enough time to hit the Starbucks drive-thru and get to my appointment. I did exactly that.
Signed in at the Podiatrist office. I was exactly on time! Didn’t even get a chance to FB on my phone when they called me back.
I will be honest. I was looking forward to this appointment and dreading it like crazy. Dreading it because I knew what he was going to do to my feet. I’m not a huge fan of pain.
Looking forward to it because my toenails have been giving me major grief since I was a newbie runner. That is what we are going to discuss today.
4.5 years ago, I was was a newbie runner. We (MFH-My Favorite Husband) and I were still new to the area and were working on learning our way around. MFH had been running pretty much since we were married. He knew the ropes. He knew what worked for him and he knew that I needed to be fitted for some running shoes.
We hopped in the car and drove an hour east to a shoe store that did fittings for running shoes.
They watched me walk and then said I needed stability running shoes. They recommended Asics.
***Now, I am going to talk brand specific in this post but PLEASE understand, these companies put out a great product!!! Everybody is different! What works for one person isn’t necessarily right for another. So, please don’t think I’m brand bashing!!!! That is not my intent. I’m just telling you what worked for me…a person with wide feet.***
They put me in Asics and a stability model.
I bought the shoes and went home a happy camper. I was new to running and had a LOT to learn.
After successfully completing my first 5K and then a 10K and 12K, I noticed that my feet were killing me after a run! As soon as I came in the door, I had to IMMEDIATELY take off my shoes or else I would be limping all over the place.
MFH and I returned to the same running store and this time I was put into a pair of Brooks. Again a stability model because I had been put in a stability shoe the first time. There were no questions asked about the stability aspect.
Shortly after that, I ran the Mississippi Blues Half Marathon.
At mile 12 of the Blues Half Marathon, I felt a toenail fall off. Well, it was still attached at the edge, so (TMI) with every step for the last 1.1 mile of that race, my toenail would flop up and down like a door hinge. Hurt like a _____! When I got home, the rest of the nail came off.
That was January of 2013. Now it is March 2016. Since that race in 2013, I have lost every single toenail except the two baby toenails on both feet. I stuck with those silly shoes (because I had been fitted for them!) for waaaayyyy too long.
Then one day I heard about Altra’s. I looked into them and liked what I saw. I went to the running shoe store (I had switched stores by this time. I had learned that the people at the other place didn’t have a clue.) and they had me try on a pair of the Altra’s.
Holy Cow!!! My feet said, “Finally! This is wonderful!!!”
I bought a pair.
Usually I would buy more than one pair because I rotate my shoes. I only bought one because I wanted to make sure my feet would really be happy.
They were!!!
I have been running in Altra’s ever since.
I will say that since I’ve been wearing the Altra’s my toenails have been vainly trying to grow back. Unfortunately, they have been damaged way too bad to return to normal. My Podiatrist recommended I have them removed. As in never grow back removed.
So that is what we are doing.
Today, I had the first three toenails on my right foot removed. We will let them heal while I train and run a few smallish races. After I run Grandma’s Marathon in June, I will have my left foot worked on.
This is not something I would recommend for everybody. I would hope (Hope!) you would be fortunate enough to get to a shoe store and knows their stuff and not just carbon copy you into their favorite shoe. That is what happened to me.
As a new runner, I simply didn’t know any better. I do now. I wear a neutral shoe. I wear Altra’s which give my wide foot lots of comfy wiggle room. I have #happyfeet. Happy feet make a happy runner! I am very, very fussy about what I put on my feet now. If my feet aren’t happy than neither am I.
Please don’t let somebody pigeon hole you into their pet brand/model of shoe. Listen to your body. If your feet hurt, those shoes are not for you.
Happy Running!!!
#IRun4Aiden
#teamZensah
#AbbottWMM
#MoveItMonday