It’s a rest day! After 3 back-to-back run days, I have a day of resting. I don’t know how restful it will be, however. Cramming in grocery shopping, some work on a project, retail returns to do, someone needs to clean this house … one of those kind of rest days. I am happy to be feeling good after another 3 day stretch of running. I’ve mentioned it before, back-to-back runs are new for me so I get nervous that injury could set in, but I am also very confident in my coach’s plan. I’ve also been making sure to use compression socks or calf sleeves for recovery.

A new pair of CEP Compression gear!

One of my Christmas gifts from my parents was a pair of “Made in Germany” CEP compression socks. Well, what they gifted me was something entirely different, but this is what I got after doing some returns. I always run my races and longer runs in compression calf sleeves, but have been wanting to try the entire compression sock. The only compression gear I’ve tried is the CEP brand and I have always had good experiences. I have their compression calf sleeves and now this pair of full socks. I spent the evening wearing them just for the feel-good on my legs after the 3 days of running. I woke up today with very refreshed and well feeling legs!

I haven’t actually run in them yet but will hopefully try them out soon. My socks of choice now are Thorlos. They have done a remarkable job of keeping blisters away so I get nervous now to make change in that area. We’ll see how these full compression socks do with regard to keeping my feet happy.

Are your feet that special?

I love Miss Zippy’s recent post about the “running store model” and she has written some of my very own thoughts.

“Everyone likes to think that they are special, and shoe stores know this.”

I love supporting my local running stores and I also love honest talk. I’ve been lucky and have never been put into a shoe with orthodics or other contraptions. I also do not walk in high heeled shoes all day so never needed to re-train my feet to be able to run. What Miss Zippy is conveying is so important: you need to let your feet and legs be natural. I have so many friends who tell me they have a problem with their feet and therefore either can’t run/walk or need all kinds of special contraptions in order to do what they were born to do. I do understand if your foot has adapted to high heels or if you’ve put on a lot of weight and your arches have fallen, you have a situation. But, it’s a situation that needs fixing and putting your feet in shoes that keep promoting the problem in the first place will never fix the problem. Let’s just get back to the basics. Run in a shoe that is not a “high heel” (look for low heel-to-toe drops) and a shoe that is comfortable to your foot. Everything else will fall into place over time and training. I am confident that everyone with two legs and feet can become a runner who really chooses to make it happen.

Are you working on retraining your feet? Do you have any tips for someone starting out who has high heeled foot problems?