Oh Those Barking Dogs!

Did I also mention that those dogs are biting too? No, I'm not talking about canines, I'm talking about my feet!

It seems that I have developed Plantar Fasciitis. And it isn't just a little pain, it is a whole lot of pain when I walk. Does this mean I am through with my plans for the trail?

 NO WAY!

My Trail Shoes - New Balance W1540

After coming off the trail in 2013, I felt a mild burning sensation on the bottom of my feet. I had no idea what was causing this phenomenon, and since it was very mild, I ignored it. A few months later, there was no ignoring it anymore. The mild burning soon coalesced into my heels which had become a sharp pain in the center of each heel. When I stood, I would have to hold onto something for the first few steps. Walking was a little easier for a time, as soon as my feet warmed up, the pain was much reduced.  By December, I couldn't even walk comfortably, so all thoughts of training with my pack was out. I took the month of December off so my feet could heal, I told myself.

During this time, I poured over everything I could find online about Plantar Fasciitis. I found out more than I ever wanted to know, and then some. My mood would swing from total despair of even starting my hike, to massive exhilaration when my feet seemed a little better. Most of what I could find out did not seem like good news for me.

I found some exercises that helped minimally, the best one involved using a towel (I use a small dog leash) to bend my feet backward in the morning before getting out of bed. Walking is much easier first thing in the morning when I do that.

My mom then suggested going to the Good Feet Store. She had heel spurs, and their orthotics worked well for her. Being tight on money, I resisted for a while, then realized I needed to look into anything that might work if I was to complete my dream. So off I went, and after telling the salesman everything about my hike, he put me into an orthotic. The cost? $355.00! I walked on it for a week, with no lessening of the pain. I must interject here that I also have a job where I stand for 8 hours a day on a hard surface. Fortunately, the store allows people to try the orthotics for a period of 30 days, and you can try different ones to ensure you get the proper fit. Back I went, this time I saw a different salesman. He took one look at my orthotic, and said that I wouldn't be able to hike in it. Hello, I said I needed to be able to hike when I first went in. The pressure was on to get me to buy two more orthotics that went with the one I purchased at a cost of $600 more dollars, in order to get the full benefit of their product. I just couldn't swing that.

To make a long story short, (don't you just love when people say that) the people at the Good Feet Store finally listened to what I needed and supplied me with the right orthotic after 4 tries. I will be able to hike in them, and along with taping* my feet, my heels feel so much better. Not perfect, but much, much better.

*I watched numerous videos on taping feet for plantar fasciitis, and it works remarkably well. Just that little extra support in front of my heel makes all the difference in the world.



These will be waiting in the wings if the 1540's don't work out

Further research into what type of shoes were good for PF patients showed me that New Balance and Saucony were the preferred brands for actual PF sufferers. And since my most comfortable shoes are an old pair of New Balance, that is what I set my heart on. Alas, the W1540 style that was most recommend, cost $160.00 a pair. No way can I buy 4 pairs at that price. I settled on a $100 dollar pair of New Balance that I got on sale for $50.00. The price is right, but the support is lacking.

What do you know? At my last visit to the Good Feet Store, I asked about the New Balance W1540 that they had been selling for $175.00. Since this is the end of the year, they were on sale for $100.00! I thought about it for a couple of days, and then bought 3 pair. Now I should be set, I have the shoes and orthotics that I need, and along with taping, I should be good to go on my feet. My feet are awesome now, still a little sore, but I'll take that over the bad pain any day.