Now onto other items; the first of which is my new socks!!! I have always been fortunate that my feet don't blister and remain pretty soft and in good form even when I am on my feet a lot. I have ran for around 15 months in the same 4 pairs of Old Navy Active socks. They breath okay, fit tight and I didn't have any blisters in all that time. However most of these socks now have holes near the ball of the foot and I noticed the ones that don't I have sweating issues and my first blister. Maybe they just have too many washes to them, but it was time for a change and that change came in the form of Injinji toe socks that my mom purchased for me.
I have to be honest, the skepticism was running high for me before trying a pair of these on. They look like gloves for the feet and that just isn't normal After a few runs in them, I have to give them a thumbs up and a toe up since you can see that when I have my shoes off. I am a big fan of wearing flip flops and sandals and part of that is I would rather be in bare feet than a pair of shoes when not walking (or running) on the road. I like how my foot "feels" every step rather than feeling restricted. They also seem to feel more spacious in my shoes even though the thickness between my old socks and the Injinjis are similar. Here are some benefits from Injinji's site I already see:
- Proper Toe Alignment (makes for healthier happy feet)
- Superior Moisture Management (drier and less smelly feet)
- Better posture, better balance (you get full use of your toes!)
- Blister and hotspot prevention (relieve some of that foot pain)
- Tactile Feel (enabling natural feel and movement in ANY shoe)
My mom got me the Run No-Show and Run 2.0 Mini Crew that I will use for my shorter runs (under 15 miles) and a pair of the Compression 2.0 OTC socks. These are supposed to do similar things to what calve compression sleeves do with the increasing circulation and healing. Before my marathon someone mentioned considering Compression Sleeves/socks over my calves and after running it I wish I had read that advice months before because I didn't know how much circulation was going to lack during the marathon. As my Myrtle Beach Marathon Recap stated, it was not good the last 4-5 miles. I say worth a shot to take that advice and the fact my mom hooked me up for a pricy compression sock instead of me splurging makes me say THANKS MOM!!!
Next, running on the treadmill. I am not a fan of running on this contraption. It doesn't feel natural, minutes tick by and each second is in front of your face. I am not a hamster. That said, due to some severe weather warnings and fear of getting caught in a downpour or lightning and only having limited time, I cranked out 10 miles on Andi's treadmill. I call it hers since she uses it more and it was meant for her use mainly. I have to say I enjoyed the last couple miles on it because Sophie and Andi were in the room while I finished. I have to say that it was also bearable because there was a movie playing the whole time and what better movie than Forrest Gump?! So yes, I was RUNNING!!!
Last, I go back to the I am a Marathon Runner, I Must Run Youtube Clip. My Uncle and I have been doing 4-6 mile runs the last 4 weeks. It has helped me show I can run an 8:00/mile pace fairly easily and give me confidence that I can break a 3:45 if I put in the miles needed over the next couple months. I enjoy these runs with him because he is a faster runner, by a minute plus a mile, and it pushes me over running by myself. I refer to the I am a Marathon Runner clip because my Uncle was dealing with back pain today that would keep the normal person doing little to no physical activity but he powered through our 5-6 miles without a complaint.
Have a great week, go on and get happy, go for a run!
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