...that I have my dad's feet. She claims that the first thing she noticed when the doctor held me up for her to see me when I was born, was that my feet look just like my dad's. Well, I'm on my third pair of walking shoes and they almost are my dad's shoes....
I have continued to get blisters after six to eight miles of walking. I went back to RoadRunner for the third time to get some help and advice. Luckily, I got Rick the retired Navy marathon runner to be my shoe guide. He was very knowledgeable about feet. He said that while some people do get blisters even with good shoes, they should not be bigger than a dime. Mine are definitely bigger than that! He checked my tread wear and confirmed that I am NOT pronating, even though I am getting the blisters on the insides of my feet. He thinks that perhaps my feet are just rubbing on the sides of the shoe down by my heel. He also thinks my feet are a little wider than a normal shoe, though maybe not wide enough for wide width. And, he commented that my big toe is well, big and that's causing some problems. (Yep, sometimes after a walk, my big toes are really hurting.) So, he switched me over to men's shoes. A size 10, at that! That's an 11 1/2 women's! My dad is a 14 wide, so my shoes aren't as big as his, but bigger than I've ever worn! They are wide and have a high "toe well."
Rick suggested an instep, which is helping to give my high arches some extra cushioning without added support that I don't need. My arches don't really have much bend, so the first set of anti-pronating shoes were definitely the wrong diagnosis. He also gave me a pair of nylon socks to try. I'd bought some last month but this pair, while being thin, is double layered inside. So they rub up against each other, not my feet. Socks are expensive. My other pair were about $21 bucks for a set of three. $3.50 a sock! You better believe that I make sure these socks don't get lost in the dryer!
I was really getting discouraged with my constant problems with blisters. It's kept me from trying to go any further than 12 miles. I've decided to make the best of the situation and do a lot of cross training instead of just walking. Biking, short hikes, eliptical, aerobics, even some yoga. I just try to make sure I work out for at least two and half hours several times a week to keep up my stamina (an hour and a half here, another hour there). It's actually helping quite a bit. I did ten miles on the treadmill before work on Friday and did a 14 minute mile for the first six! With intervals of inclines! So I'm definitely seeing some improvement, overall.
I am still on my way to finding the perfect shoe. But unlike these gals in Russia, I'm staying away from working out in high heels. What a CRAZY competition! A dash in stiletto es ...insane! I have enough problems working out in walking shoes! LOL! I will let you know how this week goes!
--Jenn
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