Just a quickie

I had to take Ellie for a hospital appointment this morning, but was determined to go for a run when I got back. Almost talked myself out of it because I always feel slightly deflated when I've been there with her. Anyway, got my running gear on and went out with music blaring - it was actually Burning Heart by Survivor which helped! I managed to do 4.5 miles which wasn't too bad. I'm slightly scared at how hard running is now - I've been doing a lot of walking and need to get back into it.

I ordered Fixing Your Feet the other day (Vonhof). It came today and it has made me realise that my feet are basically what's going to carry me around the desert (no shit!) so they need taking care of. I am making a promise here and now that by the end of the summer (it will take a while), they will be like a baby's bottom. Need to get rid of the hot spots, which is basically a nicer word than callus. They are underneath my toes and are what really hurt when I get blisters underneath.

What Vonhof says in the book makes an awful lot of sense (and its pretty bloody obvious really)but I suppose, stupidly, feet can get neglected....

I may even treat myself to a date with a chiropodist (foot butcher in my opinion), and then a pedicure to top it off. I can't bear to go and have a pedicure until my toe nails have grown back tho. I don't want to make the poor soul who has to do it feel like throwing up.

Onwards and upwards!

Ouch!

I'm now panicking about feet. I did a 10 mile walk today and wore the Inov8s to test them out before Saturday. Well, I don't think I'll be wearing them! Because the toe box is so solid, I now have really sore big toes (the nails). I've got about an inch of room at the end of them but I think, when walking, my toes bang the top of the toe box, so now have really bruised toes. I taped the toes that normally blister and although I didn't get blisters, they are really sore. Mind you, the skin still hasn't come back properly! However, the little toe on my right foot is absolutely killing me. I got a sort of blister under the skin (which is quite hard anyway). I put a pin in it to release the fluid which has helped but it still hurts like hell. Its making me limp.

I really don't know what to do! I think I'll have to wear my running trainers for the Ridgeway. I know I'll get blisters, and I know my feet will be a mess, but I'll have to deal with that at the time. I'm going to tape my feet like mad and hope it stops them getting too blistered. I'm definitely ordering the foot book (recommended on the forum). I think its by a guy called Vonhoff so I'm going to have a look on Amazon. At least I can do this now, and hopefully figure out the best shoes/socks etc, so I don't suffer too badly next year. If my feet blistered after a 10 mile walk today, what hope have they got after a day in the desert!

I need to run more, and walk less I think - I don't get blisters from running! I'm not doing any other training this week because I need to repair my feet as much as possible before Saturday. It's supposed to be hot too!

I'm off to soak my poor feet....