[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 100, Issue 3 Born to Run and Plantar faciitis

[Luce Cruz]

On Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 1:02 PM, Brick Robbins
>
>
> Running is not hiking. The mechanics of a walking stride are very
> different than a running stride, and the stress on your feet from
> carrying a pack is very different than the stress from running. And I
> say this as both a thru hiker and an ultra marathoner.
>

Yes, you are, of course, correct. What I took away from the book was not
the desire to become an ultra-marathoner, but to slow down for a while,
begin to heal, and learn about *my* body mechanics, stride, foot placement,
speed, pack weight, and anything else that might play a part in foot and
leg health.

> I think the main risk of a minimalist shoe on the trail is stone

> bruises. Once you get a little bit bruised, a thru hike doesn't really
> give you a chance to heal, unless you take as long time  off. I ended
> up getting some rigid plastic inserts for my forefoot that I put under
> the foot bed to protect my metatarsals in my running shoes I used for
> hiking - they caused their own problems, but they let my feet heal.
>

I'm not big on trading one problem for another unless I need to in order to
reach my goal. My feet have gained flexibility and, for lack of a better
term, "toughened" to being more exposed to the surface underfoot. Feeling
the stones jabbing up, learning to avoid them, and being more conscious of
foot placement and strike have reduced my foot injuries to nearly zero.

And I have no plans to start ultra-running on anything, except caffeine. ;)

HYOH


Could also read "you depend on yourself alone for your health, so don't
ignore your own body when it speaks to you, except at your own peril."

Thanks for your opinion, Brick. Long distance hiking ain't running, and
while one can help the other, they aren't really the same.

-- 
Luce Cruz