Ow....then numbness. My left foot suddenly went completely numb on Saturday's night run. Completely and totally freaked me out. I had never experienced this before! I ended up shaking my foot, then stretching my calf, and then shaking my foot again. About ten minutes later I finally regained feeling. By now all I could think about was had I re-injured it? I actually had a great run and only felt a mild twinge or two until the numbness set in after 3 miles.
When I got home I took a hot shower, stretched using my Foot Rocker, foam rolled my completely charlie horsing like crazy calf, iced that puppy, downed an Ibuprofen, and then put on my night splint. I of course then checked the internet to see what could have caused it. Number one reason was pinched nerve due to bad shoes. Then I began to think about it. I bought my Brooks Ghost 5s in November. Developed plantar fasciitis by January. And now that I started to run again my foot goes numb. I never had this problem in my Brooks Glycerin 9s. The Ghost 5s also felt a little tight in the toe box area. I knew I needed some expert advice and of course went straight to my running groups on Facebook.
Between my friends, Team 262, RacingTheDream@runDisney, For The Love Of Disney Running, and Team VICTORIOUS it looked like it really was my shoes. Other people had experienced the exact same symptoms. But just because that happens to you doesn't mean the shoe is bad. I think it just means that shoe is not for you. People were also very helpful with shoe suggestions and lacing suggestions. So many shoe suggestions! Which to choose? Today I tried on all of the brands they suggested and ran around the store to see which was best for me. I did do a little research first. One person suggested trying Mizuno's shoe finder. Brilliant! It was a great starting point. Check it out.
I strolled into Fit2Run wearing my work boots. I figured the best time to go was right after work when my feet were slightly swollen. Grabbed a pair of Feetures socks and a store clerk. I asked him for the Brooks Glycerin 10 and Mizuno Wave Creation 14. First, I tried on the Glycerin 10s. Felt like coming home. Very soft on my injured foot and felt good. Then I tried on the Mizuno (the version the fit site suggested I try). He did warn me it would feel stiff and it did. Felt like I was running on pavement with flip flops though. Not a bad feeling but not a comforting one either.
Then I tried on some Asics Nimbus 15. These were so soft. Like running on fluffy clouds! I thought I had found my new shoe...until my heel started to hurt. CRUD! They were pretty too. Sigh. Back to the bench I walked. I then asked him what other shoes he had that were comparable to the Glycerins. Down came the New Balance 1080V3 and the Saucony Women's Ride 5.
The Saucony felt pretty good but my heal slipped up and down a ton. The shoe guy showed me how to fix that by lacing them differently. Really neat technique. So off I ran! Shins! Shins! Oh my gosh! My shins were on fire! That would be a no to the really pretty Saucony shoes. Sigh.I came walking back and he asked if I liked them. I told him my feet did but my shins did not. He replied that these were definitely not the shoe for me. So we opened the New Balance 1080V3 shoe.
Oooooooooooooo. Fun shoe! Really light! Good grip on the track and was soft on my feet. But I wasn't really sure. So I tried the Brooks on again. All of the aches I now had from the other shoes started to quickly fade away. Back to the bench to try on the NB and Brooks at the same time. The NBs were lower and didn't feel as cushioned as the Brooks. But they didn't feel bad. So I went with my gut feeling and chose the Brooks. Deciding factor? The pain quickly began to fade with the Brooks but did not lessen with the New Balance.
My other deciding factor was that if I didn't like the shoes I could return them within 30 days and get a different pair of shoes no questions asked. So if these puppies fail me on the road I will try the New Balance. If those fail I will try a different style. I WILL find my shoes. Thanks again for all of your help my friends.
See you on the road or at the race!
Cristina
When I got home I took a hot shower, stretched using my Foot Rocker, foam rolled my completely charlie horsing like crazy calf, iced that puppy, downed an Ibuprofen, and then put on my night splint. I of course then checked the internet to see what could have caused it. Number one reason was pinched nerve due to bad shoes. Then I began to think about it. I bought my Brooks Ghost 5s in November. Developed plantar fasciitis by January. And now that I started to run again my foot goes numb. I never had this problem in my Brooks Glycerin 9s. The Ghost 5s also felt a little tight in the toe box area. I knew I needed some expert advice and of course went straight to my running groups on Facebook.
ADVICE PLEASE!
I absolutely LOVED my Brooks Glycerin 9 shoes. But I knew they were ready to be park shoes when my knees began to hurt. So I purchased a pair of Ghost 5 and liked the weight. Didn't have knee pain. Trained in them for my half and the balls of my feet would hurt. I thought it just may be because of my weight. Ran the half in them. After the half I was sidelined for awhile with PF. Now I am running again. For the first time ever I went numb in my injured foot last night. Scariest thing when you have no idea what and why it was doing that. Looked it up. More than likely shoe related.
I looked up the new Glycerin 10 and can't see a visible difference between it and the Ghost 5.
Long story short, I may be shoe shopping tomorrow and perhaps selling some Ghost 5s, haha! Does anyone know of a brand that makes a shoe comparable or better than the Brooks Glycerin 9? Thanks!
Between my friends, Team 262, RacingTheDream@runDisney, For The Love Of Disney Running, and Team VICTORIOUS it looked like it really was my shoes. Other people had experienced the exact same symptoms. But just because that happens to you doesn't mean the shoe is bad. I think it just means that shoe is not for you. People were also very helpful with shoe suggestions and lacing suggestions. So many shoe suggestions! Which to choose? Today I tried on all of the brands they suggested and ran around the store to see which was best for me. I did do a little research first. One person suggested trying Mizuno's shoe finder. Brilliant! It was a great starting point. Check it out.
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| Mizuno vs Brooks |
I strolled into Fit2Run wearing my work boots. I figured the best time to go was right after work when my feet were slightly swollen. Grabbed a pair of Feetures socks and a store clerk. I asked him for the Brooks Glycerin 10 and Mizuno Wave Creation 14. First, I tried on the Glycerin 10s. Felt like coming home. Very soft on my injured foot and felt good. Then I tried on the Mizuno (the version the fit site suggested I try). He did warn me it would feel stiff and it did. Felt like I was running on pavement with flip flops though. Not a bad feeling but not a comforting one either.
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| Asics Nimbus 15 vs Brooks Glycerin 10 |
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| New Balance vs Brooks |
My other deciding factor was that if I didn't like the shoes I could return them within 30 days and get a different pair of shoes no questions asked. So if these puppies fail me on the road I will try the New Balance. If those fail I will try a different style. I WILL find my shoes. Thanks again for all of your help my friends.
See you on the road or at the race!
Cristina
Shoes are so complicated and they never stay the same. :( I usually wear the same brand and style for 4-6 pairs before being forced to change. I hope these work out for you and like you said...if they don't they go back!
ReplyDeleteThat is the plan! I feel like I did better picking out shoes this time than I ever had in the past. I didn't care if I had to try on 20 pairs! The kid knew I was going out the door with something so I think that added to his patience level. But mainly I was a determined shopper... sweaty face and all. I really did run with every pair. :)
DeleteIf you used the last hole on the Asics, they shouldn't hurt or slip. Lacing makes all the difference I am learning. ;) Have you tried the Nike Pegasus yet?
ReplyDeleteI have not tried the Pegasus yet. If in the next 27 days these are not doing the trick I will definitely try those out.
DeleteI agree, lacing does make all the difference! I think I need to find that website and provide a link for people. I am sure you and I are not the only ones who were once in the dark about lacing and then learned how much it can help.
I feel you. Foot injuries are so unpredictable and hit you when you least want them, that they become such intractable situations in and of themselves. As if having to walk with it isn't bad enough. Anyway, best of luck in finding the right type of shoes for your condition. More so, hope you get the right therapy and treatment to settle that matter for the long haul, since you've certainly got a lot more journeys ahead.
ReplyDeleteHugh Mounsey @ US Health Works
Hi there Hugh!
DeleteI did finally find the right treatment and the right shoes for me. Believe it or not, foam rolling and Tai Cheng's Nueral reboot did the trick on the therapy side. As for shoes I really love my Altra's. I did a 10k about three weeks ago and no pain. It was wonderful when I finally realized it after the race, ha ha! I think the numbness will never stop happening or if it does it will take time.
Thank you for the well wishes and the empathy,
Cristina