Having a dilemma

[LavaRunner]

First off, Sorry I haven't been around much. Life is busy, been training a lot on Bike and feet and business takes most the rest of my time.

Well, I said I had a dilemma. Here it is.

I have been running Barefoot or minimalist for three years now. I took the step and never looked back. But there is a problem. I constantly have foot pain in the outsides of my feet around the base of the 5th metatarsal. Here is a picture I found that desctribes the location

http://socalrunnergirl.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2007/06/05/footlig1.jpg

The pain does not go away completely unless I am off the foot. When off the foot it is fine other than occational electric shock feelings that happen usually in the middle of the night. It doesn't ache but if I touch it it us ultra sensitive almost like a burn. A weeks rest, most I was able to give yielded no relief. As soon as I hit the trail, the pain was almost immediatly there sucking any "Run Smiley" I might have out and spitting it on the trail.

In exactly 4 weeks I run my first 50 miler. Here is my dilemma. Sometimes a nice supporting shoe seems to ease the pain. I haven't ried running in padded shoes but I'll wear them for a few days after a long run to take the load off the tendon or whatever is hurting. Ever since I started running BF or Minimalist, my feet no longer fit in shoes well and if I run in even my somewhat minimal Inov-8's I get heal blisters and they are always too narrow,

So I am sort of damned if I do and damned if I don't. Running Completely Barefoot certainly isn't in the cards for this run and probably would only aggrevate the foot, Running in my inov8's will givve me heel listers in 5 miles and running in my Merrill TG's (which seem to be the only trail shoe that fits) causes foot pain.

Not sure if I am really asking anything. Maybe just venting. I am very frustrated right now.

I am sure I'll get all sorts of "Dude don't run let it heal" but after investing a year in training for this, I just can't see me not at least giving it a good effort.

 

[Barefoot TJ]

Have you thought about

Have you thought about posting this in the Ask the Docs forum? We have five docs now.

How long ago did you first start experiencing this pain?

Anyway, sorry about what you're going through Lava. I know that bites. If you do choose to wear a cushioned shoe, at least get one that has a zero drop, is very flexible, and has a wide toe box. If the padding helps you to heal and feel better while running, no one should fault you for that. Do what is going to work for you. Just make sure you find the right shoe to help you do so. Good luck, heal well, and let us know how you do on your 50. Good luck!

 

[LavaRunner]

Last I was here there were no

Last I was here there were no docs answering so I didn't think that was the right place.

Can a thread be moved?

" If you do choose to wear a cushioned shoe, at least get one that has a zero drop, is very flexible, and has a wide toe box."

Isn't that the Holy Grail dream shoe? LMAO!

 

[NickW]

Hey Lava, I don't know if you

Hey Lava, I don't know if you have any stores near you that sell Altra products, but they have a thicker shoe that is zero drop. I think it's called the instinct or something like that. It's too much padding for me but it's somewhere between a normal shoe and a minimalist shoe but they are a zero drop and they are wider in the toes than normal shoes. I just bought a pair of the Adams, which I am in love with because they are like a KSO only I don't have to fight my toes into slots. The instincts just felt like way too much padding for me, but for your problem they might just do the trick and be exactly what you need. I think they have a trail shoe as well which is somewhere between a normal shoe thickness and a minimal shoe, but is zero drop as well. Not sure what that one is called.