Goodness. It’s been a minute since I posted. You’d think I would have all this time to write after I wrapped up my CELTA course a couple weeks ago. No such luck. I have been crazy busy with work and the regular everyday life things.
And of course, my foot seems to be giving me some trouble. More about that in a minute.
I am participating in this Twelve Days of Run community event through Lewiston Ultra Community Events. It’s as obvious as the name suggests. Run every day for 12 days starting on December 1. Participants have the option of running the half Santa (less distance) or the full Santa (more distance). The run streak has been quite fun so far. Even though I am not very active on the FB page, I love seeing pictures of the other runners. Today is day #9 of the challenge so run 9k for full Santa and write about what motivates you on the FB page. I encourage you to check out some of these motivation posts. Great to see what gets people moving from the inspiration to the truly heartwarming testimonies.
I didn’t share what motivates me because as my devil-haired friend would say – nobody cares.
So on that note, let me give you an update on all things injury.
Almost a year later and the soft tissue on my left foot is still swollen. The good news is it’s no longer the size of a golf ball. And most importantly I do not feel like I am running with a golf ball in my sneaker. I don’t even feel it anymore when I am running.
I credit throwing out my Salomons and going back to my wide-loving ways with my Altras and wearing CorrectToes, anatomical toe spacers in my sneakers. What a difference. Now don’t get me wrong, my feet weren’t that nasty but these spacers totally helped bring my toes back in alignment. The narrow toe box totally did a number on my foot/feet.
The spacers are made of soft and flexible silicone. I don’t even feel them in my shoes when I am running. When you first buy them, you should just wear them for 15 minutes a day or so to get used to them. Wear them when you are active. Once I started running with them, I immediately felt a difference in my foot landing. I felt more balanced and steady.
CorrectToes are a little $$$ but they are totally worth it. These spacers are great because they help you toes to align and strengthen your feet. As runners, we have to take care of our feet. My awesome chiro also showed me some great tips and tricks to strengthen my feet.
I bought the CorrectToes in Calgary. I know they are available at Gord’s Running Store. Don’t buy a cheap plastic brand. You want these because they are comfy and you won’t even feel like you are wearing them.
My gait was real messed up for most of last year. Physio and chiro helped along with the shoe swap and spacers. Now I am also dealing with being out of shape and having extremely tight hammies and quads. But all that is just minor hiccups as I slowly get my butt back into running shape.
These days I am running consistently thanks to this 12-day challenge. Truth be told most days I feel like I am dragging a 50-pound sack on my back. So slow. I shouldn’t whine but please allow me this brief moment to feel sorry for myself.
Do you give your feet some love? Have you ever used spacers? What motivates you to run? I would love to hear from you in the comments below.
Hi Crystal,
So happy the Correct Toes are working for you but just wanted to point out that The Tech Shop does not carry this product. Did you possibly get it at Strides Running Store instead? Thanks!
Oh no! Sorry about that mistake. I must have gotten it mixed up in my mind 🙂 I removed from the post. Thanks so much for letting me know!