Bruised feet?

[evansprater]

Well guys the pain was actually getting worse on my zero day with very little walking and both my big toes were going numb... I went to a local podiatrist in gatlinburg and apparently my arches were flattening out and crushing the nerves in the balls of my feet, where most of the pressure was going. I got some custom orthotics that have major arch support and are supposed to "reshape" my foot eventually, with enough walking, and return the feeling to my big toes and stop the "bruised" ball of foot problem. I didn't know my feet were as messed up as they were. Oh and apparently gel is bad for your feet. Really bad - the podiatrist said it offers less support and makes your foot even weaker.

[Wise Old Owl]

explains why gel didn't work for me.

[Rain Man]

So I did my first 21 miler on Monday into Fontana... My feet were messed up so I took a zero !

Know what you should call a 21-miler followed by a zero. Two 10.5 days only WITH the problems of excessive mileage.

Hike reasonable, not "macho" mileage, and your feet will love you.

And yes, gel inserts are as bad a gel bicycle seats. Might feel good for a few minutes, but cause more problems than they solve over longer distances.

Rain Man

.

[prain4u]

The only thing shadow11 is I'm noBo in October... In expecting snow. I feel like the warmth and waterproof of the boots is a necessity in snow, am I right? Any other time of year and I'd have trail runners forr sho.

Forget the feet for a minute....Am I reading this correctly...are you starting a NOBO thru hike in October (and are now in the Smoky Mountains)?

I am hoping that I am reading that wrong or that you are just doing a "section hike" right now and going to resume your hike in Spring. If you are really doing a "legitimate" thru hike without significant breaks--most of the hike will be in semi-crappy weather and in places that are dangerous or even closed in winter. Bas feet would make this even more "interesting". What am I missing here?

[evansprater]

I have not said I am thru hiking, though others have called me one on the trail. I am planning on getting as far north as the weather allows/I am comfortable with, getting a job wherever I land (maybe harpers ferry or something?) and resuming in mid march or early April. I would still consider it a "legitimate" thru hike because it is within the confines of one calendar year, just (hopefully) broken up into two halves. I have had several people tell me I could make it to the southern part of the whites or even Baxter before I had to stop. I honestly have no idea how far ill go before I break for winter, though.

[prain4u]

I hope you didn't take offense at my use of the phrase "legitimate" thru hike. That was not my goal. I was really struggling to find the right word to convey the concept of starting at Springer and going straight through to Katahdin without having any significant stops, missed sections, breaks, flip-flopping, blue blazing etc. In retrospect, perhaps the phrase "standard" or "typical" thru hike would have been better---but starting your hike in October certainly doesn't make it "typical" or "standard" either. Dang the English language! Sometimes it is so limiting!

[Drybones]

It may be just a matter of work hardening your feet. Your feet are being asked to do stuff they have never done before and may need time to condition. I had a memorable bad day this spring where I took the wrong trail twice trying to make up for time lost going back to the Double Springs Shelter to get the phone I left there. I logged 15 trail miles but did 25-26 on rugged terain. The constant pounding of my feet on rocks all day made one foot feel like it had been hit with a hammer, it hurt to touch the sleeping bag that night. It was better the next day but took several days for it to feel normal again.

[SassyWindsor]

Get good quality boots, like Italian made Scarpa's SL M3's. They have the soles and mid-soles that can handle the toughest of trails, especially rocky terrain. Footbeds(some call insoles) should be on the thicker side, especially if you have excess volume inside the boots.

[SassyWindsor]

Video review of the latest Scarpa SL boot. Note that the leather has very few seams to keep weather tight.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkiNRjGAF3Q&feature=related

[evansprater]

Thanks for the suggestion! I don't know if you saw, though, it seems the problem has been solved by my Alzner Orthotics I picked up in Gatlinburg. A google search yields tons of info about them, if you're interested.