My Journey With Weight Loss – Happy Feet

I hit the road at 5:30am today to get my training done before the heat started (my app says right now it feels like 40 C which is 104 F) but it was still pretty warm. Moreover we have some humidity happening which is unusual for us. I was not enjoying my training because I was hot and sticky. That voice in my head was starting to chant that it was time to give up when I hit interval 7. But then I ran past an older lady that I have been seeing every morning for the last few weeks. I don’t know if it was the look on my face or if she just sensed I was struggling but she shouted out you are looking great, keep going. You bet I finished 10 intervals and even picked up my pace. Just that little bit of encouragement was all I needed.

I mentioned last week that I had bought some new runners. When I decided to start training my coach told me the first thing I had to do was invest in some good running shoes. She also recommended that I go to a running store so they could ensure the right shoes for my gait. We have had a great running store, Peninsula Runners, in our community for decades so I tried them out. After trying on several pairs I went with some New Balance runners as I like the insole cushions and thought they felt pretty good.

As my training increased I started to notice that by the end of the week my feet hurt. In particular my toes would feel like they were trying to push though the end of my shoes. It was always fine at the beginning of the week but was getting a bit painful by day 6 of walking/running.

I knew those shoes were getting close to being replaced so last weekend I went back to Peninsula Runners and suggested I try on some different brands. The 2 I liked best were Hoka and Brooks and both felt pretty good. I explained my end of the week issues to the knowledgeable young man who was helping me and was surprised to learn the likely cause. He went through the walking/running I do each week with me and told me some runners find that when they train hard their feet can start to swell. He then suggested I try shoes that are 1/2 size larger. I liked the Hokas but they have a funky spring in them that I wasn’t sure I was comfortable with. I then tried the Brooks in that slightly larger size and I was sold.

So after paying a grotesque amount of money for 2 pairs of shoes I tried them out this week. What an amazing difference! Even doing 3 days with 10 intervals of 6:00 minutes of running and then an additional day of hill training intervals my feet feel great! Really, my feet are happy and it makes such a difference.

Happy feet will help you to keep going. Well that and a kind stranger shouting out encouragement.