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andante
11-14-2004, 23:18
I'm recovering well from my GA-ME hike which ended late in Sept. except for my feet. They feel sore at the heels and across the balls in front, especially upon gettting up at night, or after a long spell of sitting or driving. My toes were numb for a few weeks but they're back to normal now.

Are these symptoms typical in thruhikers? How long till pain-free feet? What do you other veterans say?

Bob Nicholson
Now or Never (formerly Andante)

Peaks
11-15-2004, 09:01
Well, my feet were tender for a long time after my first long distance hike. I didn't know if they would ever feel normal again. But, after a few months they did. Then I went out and bought superfeet before the next one. Superfeet worked like a charm for me.

Hammock Hanger
11-15-2004, 10:02
My feet seemed to hurt more the first few weeks after the hike then when I was hiking. After a month or so they finally stopped being an issue. SUe/HH

rumbler
11-15-2004, 13:45
Took a few weeks to get full feeling back in a couple of toes. And 13 months removed, I still have spots that still complain when I run.

gravityman
11-15-2004, 15:57
I'm recovering well from my GA-ME hike which ended late in Sept. except for my feet. They feel sore at the heels and across the balls in front, especially upon gettting up at night, or after a long spell of sitting or driving. My toes were numb for a few weeks but they're back to normal now.

Are these symptoms typical in thruhikers? How long till pain-free feet? What do you other veterans say?

Bob Nicholson
Now or Never (formerly Andante)

Sounds like a touch (if there is such a thing) of Plantar Fascitis (sp). It is the ligament that connects the ball of your foot to the heel. Usually hurts first thing in the morning or after long spells of sitting (hmm.... sounds familiar!). Each time you stretch it before it is "warmed up" you make microtears in the ligament. Do some research on the internet and see if you think this is right. Then either go to a good sports medicine guy, or try to take care of it yourself. You will need orthotics (superfeet might be all you need if they support your feet right) and you need to wear some type of arch support ALL the time, especially first thing in the morning. A lot of people get a pair of burkenstocks for around the house. The concensus is NEVER stretch that ligament until it is fully healed.

Anyway, it might not even be that. Just had a lot of things in common with the diagnosis.

Gravity

chris
11-15-2004, 16:04
I had no foot issues after finishing the PCT, or after my AT-GDT summer. I've heard of this problem in others, but oddly enough it seems to mostly affect those who hike a more traditional length each day, and are in boots.

However, I also now where Superfeet almost all the time, including in my running shoes and around-the-apartment shoes (no more barefeet). I started doing this as a precautionary measure and have noticed that when I do not where the inserts (in dress shoes, for example), I do feel a bit off in my heel.

Footslogger
11-15-2004, 16:33
I summited Katahdin last October 9th and the underside of my toes (at the very tip) are still a tad numb. Feels really weird when I curl my toes under in the shower. Starting to think that it may be a permanent souvenier of the AT.

'Slogger
AT 2003

Youngblood
11-15-2004, 18:48
I summited Katahdin last October 9th and the underside of my toes (at the very tip) are still a tad numb. Feels really weird when I curl my toes under in the shower. Starting to think that it may be a permanent souvenier of the AT.

'Slogger
AT 2003
Toot,

Maybe not. The bottom of my forefeet were numbing on my thru-hike when I was wearing low cut hiking boots with superfeet inserts and vibram soles. I switched to NB 802's with the factory insoles when I left PA and could immediately feel some relief. I tried to replace them about every 300 miles or so on the rest of my thru, just to be save. It probably took two years for all the numbness to subside, but it did. It was a gradual restoration for me.

Youngblood

Footslogger
11-15-2004, 19:07
Toot,

Maybe not. The bottom of my forefeet were numbing on my thru-hike when I was wearing low cut hiking boots with superfeet inserts and vibram soles. I switched to NB 802's with the factory insoles when I left PA and could immediately feel some relief. I tried to replace them about every 300 miles or so on the rest of my thru, just to be save. It probably took two years for all the numbness to subside, but it did. It was a gradual restoration for me.

Youngblood--------------------------

Hey Youngblood ...how did you know my old trail name ??

'Slogger
AT 2003

Youngblood
11-15-2004, 19:19
--------------------------

Hey Youngblood ...how did you know my old trail name ??

'Slogger
AT 2003

I remember you posting on various sites over the last few years. You were working at one of the REI's here in Atlanta and your wife thru-hiked one year and you were going the following year. I seem to remember you enthusiastically taking off to somewhere near Blood Mountain one cool night to try out your insulation for your Hennessy Hammock. (that you were planning on using on your thru?) Anyway, I had meant to go by where you worked and introduce myself but never made it when you were there and then you took off. Anyhow, I remember how you described getting Toot for a trail name and that you decided you wanted to change it to something more 'dignified' or whatever... but I always thought Toot was a great trail name and remember that 'Footslogger' is the 'hiker formerly known as Toot'.

So now you know, sometimes we read AND remember... and there is a little toot in all of us. :) I think about that sometimes when me or my hiking partner stops on the trail and says "You might want to hike in front of me for a while".

Youngblood

rumbler
11-15-2004, 19:28
So now you know, sometimes we read AND remember... and there is a little toot in all of us. :)

Youngblood

For the record, there was quite a bit more Toot in 'slogger than is found in your average hiker.

Footslogger
11-15-2004, 20:04
For the record, there was quite a bit more Toot in 'slogger than is found in your average hiker.
------------------------

Hey watch it there Mr Rumbler !!

Truth be told, there was a hiker in 2003 that refused to let me dump the "Toot" trail name all together. When she found out that I had chosen "Footslogger" she immediately corrected me and insisted that I change it to "Tootslogger". Somehow I think my former identity is going to hard to shake.

Anyhew, thanks Youngblood for that background and yes ...some of us do read and remember, depending on the beverage being consumed at the time.

'Slogger
AT 2003

TedB
11-15-2004, 23:29
I had this throughout my hike, and it seemed like most other hikers had it too, the famous hiker shuffle. In my case, I figure it is a mild case of plantar fasciitis. Most of what I read about it sounds bad, but for me, a month or so of rest mostly cured it. Five years later, I can still notice some minor effects, but just barely.

I also had numb toes, but after about a year or two it was mostly back to normal, though still a little numb.

By the way, I hiked in running shoes, not boots and I didn't use superfeet.

On my next long distance hike, I'll see what I can do to avoid this injury, along with all the other mostly minor injuries I had to deal with on my hike.

andante
11-16-2004, 18:51
Thanks everybody for your input on these sore feet. I knew I wasn't alone.

I hiked in NB 806 Trail Runners with Superfeet inserts. I also had the same problem in Dunham Cloud 9 lightweight boots from Springer to Damascus. Maybe there's something else out there. Will keep trying. The trail is waiting!

Bob Nicholson
Now or Never, formerly Andante

hustler
11-16-2004, 20:47
My feet hurt for only a week or two, however I still have cut my running milage back. I found ridding my bike helps with the problem of staying active with feet that hurt. I did a 54 mile ride the other day and felt fine.