Don’t let your feet stop your training

As you start to increase your volume it’s important to look after your feet.

What your feet are really saying is that they need a little more TLC than normal. Just like a racing car, the harder you race it the more it needs serviced.

I’m guessing that if you are interested in this blog then you too could benefit from looking after your feet.

I am in a recovery week with my Marathon training programme & it made me realise how important the recovery weeks are. We need to rest and recover so that we can build some more. This week I am taking time to check on a few things that could easily come up as red flags if I didn’t get them seen to…. you guessed it my feet

Here are 3 things that you can do to ensure that your feet don’t let you down.

1.    The dreaded ingrown toe nails. These can happen from incorrect cutting, but also from repetitive stress and irritation from all those km’s you have been running or walking. You definitely don’t want to look after this yourself, your local podiatrist can sort this out very easily if caught early. This will prevent it getting to a stage that keeps you off your feet and out of your shoes. I strongly suggest that you see a podiatrist every 2 months if you are training for a longer event.

2.    Have a foot bath. A foot bath is a great way to restore the feet. If you add some epsom salts or normal table salt to the water it will help to dry out blisters and toughen feet.  Finish the foot bath with some nice moisturising cream.

3.   Wear good socks . I find the best running socks are coolmax because they’ll wick away mositure. For winter running, wool blends such as smart wool and icebreaker are a good choice.

Some people prefer thicker socks for extra cushioning, while others prefer  a thinner sock for a lighter feel. But the important thing to remember is to get a sock that works with your running shoes as some thicker socks may require you to go up a half size in your shoe.

My feet are certainly thanking me for the extra TLC that I have given them this week & I certainly hope that yours will too.