I have been having arch pains in both feet, after running

Hi Gary,

I am currently looking to train for the Oxfam Trailwalk in April 2011. I have been having arch pains in both feet, after running around a 5 km block. They have been coming on near the end of the run about 50% of the time recently. I have proper Asics running shoes (which were neutral), but I'm wondering if they don't support my arches properly?

As a bit of background, my mother also has occasional arch pains in her feet, so it may be something genetic. Every few months or so, I get random pains in my arches just from normal day to day activities. Generally, if my arches are feeling sore, I run my feet over a curved wooden roller and the pain tends to go away straight away. Another factor, which I don't know if it is related or not, is that I am bow-legged.
However, I am concerned with what will happen to my arches over the 100km walk if they do not have correct support. I don't want them to compress. Plus I don't want to be in pain from the first 10km.

What do you recommend?

I am thinking of going to a podiatrist, however am also keen to see if there are other solutions or cheaper options than actual orthotics, if that is what is recommended.

Thanks for your help

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Gary:
If you find that the foot muscles are getting excessively tired during exercise then it is likely that the problem lies in your calf muscles.  The muscles of the calf support the foot via a series of strong tendons.  If the muscles in the calf which activate these tendons are weak and tire quickly, then the intrinsic muscles of the feet will be excessively stressed and will tire quickly.

Seldom are these problems genetic.  It is more likely that you were born with the same nutrient profile as your mother and you may have adopted some of her habits, including posture which can affect foot health.  A stooped posture, for example, may cause the arches of the foot to collapse inwards.  This is best corrected by standing up straight, keeping the feet straight, rather than splayed out and please practice the exercise in the video that is above.

It is possible that your shoes are too tight and thus restricting blood flow.  This may be exacerbated by wearing thick sports socks such as Thorlos which can cut off circulation to the sole of the foot.  Experiment with thin socks and lacing so that the forefoot is a little loose while still snug at the ankle.

Orthotics are a complete waste of money for the vast majority of cases of foot and leg pain and do little other than give temporary relief at the cost of longterm dependency.  In fact, they can cause more harm by transferring the foot-strike shock wave further up the leg, causing ankle, calf knee and even hip pain.

Orthotics may cause more injury by transferring the foot-strike shock wave further up the legs

The lower leg is a marvel of biological engineering and we are arrogant to feel we could do a better job than Mother Nature.  Rather than create a dependence on crutch-like orthotics, it is better to assist the legs with doing their work better than ever before.  This is achieved by doing the foot exercise above to strengthen and rebalance the muscles of the lower legs and feet; Get about barefoot as often as possible, including walking in sand and on grass; Ensure a nutrient rich diet as guided by a Hair Tissue Analysis; And consider fitting a pair of Formthotics Shock Stop inner soles.

Finally, ensure that your training programme has rest days between long or tiring training sessions and make sure there is a very, very gradual build-up over several months.  You must give your body, including feet, time to adapt to the increasing workloads.  Always have alternative activities such as swimming and cycling interspersed over the week between walking.  If ever you feel an injury developing, switch entirely to these alternatives until healed.  This way there is no interruption in your overall buildup of fitness.

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Questions about the final weeks of training for the Oxfam Trailwalker

We are a team of four women who hope to do the Oxfam Trailwalker (10 April) in 26 to 28 hours. We've done one back-to-back weekend walking 35km each of the two days and have been training regularly since December. We are planning to do another back-to-back weekend but two of us will do it on 20/21 March and the other two on 27/28 March. Will it be a problem in terms of recovery for the two of us doing it on 27/28 March? My other question is about the final two weeks: apart from just doing a couple of hours at the weekend, how much should you do during the week? Currently, we probably do five hours walking during the week.

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Gary responds:

There should be no problem at all with recovery in the time remaining, so go for it!

With regards to the final few weeks, I would be inclined to do the last really long walk 7-10 days out and then ease right back but still walking daily to keep the legs ticking over.  The day before the walk can be a complete rest but there is a case for doing some easy walking on that last day as well.  If you are fit I would be inclined to do some easy walking on the last day, especially if you are travelling more than a few hours to get to the event (Do the walk upon arrival to flush the muscles).

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Oxfam Trailwalker: How much should I be walking or running training?

Hi,
I have a question and would appreciate your advice.

I am a regular runner, running 5x weekly averaging approx. 40 kms a week. I prefer running to walking but think that I should be conditioning my body to walking as our team will mostly walk the trail. How much walking should I be doing? I was also thinking of doing a half-marathon in the first week of March – am I being too ambitious and should I focus more on the long distance walking?

I look forward to your ideas.

Regards
Leanne
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Gary Moller advises:

Leanne, you are obviously very fit. You should have no trouble doing the half marathon and

then doing the Oxfam. Run the half not 100%. Run it steady with 10% left in the tank at the finish. Then have three days of complete rest, take plenty of vitamin C and eat well. After three days start back with half the usual training for the next 7-8 days and then gradually build back to where you were then ease off for the last 10 days leading into the Oxfam.

If 80% of the Oxfam is going to be walking then you should make 80% of your training walking. As you will quickly learn, some of the muscles used in running and walking are different and if you do not train them appropriately, then you will pay for it on the day, even if you are extremely fit.

All the best Leanne!

Advice sought about post-exercise muscle cramp

"I enjoy hillwalking and a few months ago did the most arduous walk yet. Next day my thighs were tight for a day and next day fine.

However on this second day a knot started in my right calf and progressed to almost crippling status and remained for 3-4 weeks before suddenly disapearing. Whilst there I took anti inflam , asprin and ibufrofen gels without much relief.

I went on almost as hard a walk 3 weeks ago and although filled with trepidation, nothing untoward occurred. I was on holiday this week and played a round of golf and carried my bag. Now 2 days later the cramp has re-ocurred.
Help? Whats going on?"Gary Moller comments:
This 41 year old male appears to be in reasonable shape; but definitely overdid things by doing a hike that appears to have been partially unplanned, turning into a 16 mile hike over and around a couple of mountain peaks. It is understandable that he suffered a quite severe calf strain/cramp that has not resolved.

It may never completely resolve unless dealt with properly.

Here are some observations and advice:

Should one take anti-inflammatories?
In most instances, the answer is "No!"This is because anti-inflammatories may interfere with the processes that lay down healthy collagen scar tissue. If this process is interfered with, the resultant healing may be weak and prone to further injury. Inflammation is healthy: it is the body's mechanism for bringing blood, nutrients and other resources to the injury site. It makes no sense to suppress this mechanism with drugs. These drugs can also interfere with digestion and therefore your nutritional status. While it may have the injured limb back in action sooner (this is questionable anyway) this may be a fool's gain.

The only "anti-inflammatories" that might help are natural ones. Kordel's MSM is one as are Omega oils like fish oil, flaxseed oil and olive oil. Evening Primrose oil is very beneficial. These enhance the healing process rather than interfere with them.

Re-mineralise the body
I doubt there is a 40+ year old male or female who leads an active and stressful life that is not deficient in minerals, principally magnesium. Exhausting exercise chews through magnesium and may result in disabling muscle cramps and failure to recover. In conjunction with the minerals is the need for rich supplies of the B group of vitamins.

So, my advice is to top up with a magnesium supplement and a B group supplement. You can also add a lengthy soak in an Epsom Salts bath which relaxes the muscles while supplying sulphur and magnesium through the skin.

Minerals can be obtained from a bone broth that is consumed daily and this is additional to a course of magnesium supplementation.

Take the guessswork out of supplementation and improve your health by ordering a hair tissue mineral analysis. Although $225 it is well worth the cost.

Massage the injured limb
It is highly likely, if not inevitable that there are still painful knots within the calf muscle that was injured. The uninjured limb may be similarly affected but to a lesser degree. As long as these knots remain there will be ongoing pain and limitations on ability to exert oneself. The risk of further injury is great and rest alone is never the solution. Deep tissue massage is the solution but only commence this 2-3 weeks after the dietary measures have had time to kick in.

Deep tissue massage causes damage to the unhealthy tissue that forms the knot within the muscle. The damage is in carefully controlled doses, stimulating the body's natural healing processes to lay down new healthy tissue to replace that unhealthy tissue. It is painful but highly effective - but only if your nutritional status is healthy.

Deep tissue massage the calf muscle to break down and soften any hard knots and injury-prone spots within the body of the calf. This requires about 30 days to have a lasting effect done every 3-4 days. Get this done by an experienced therapist. If in Wellington I can do this for you.

Do a steady buildup in fitness next time
Recovery includes a steady increase in fitness over about three months and then maintaining a high level of fitness indefinitely through consistent weekly exercise and good nutrition.

Think specificity: If your most challenging past time is hiking mountains, even if only a couple of times per year, then the bulk of your weekly fitness training should be geared towards preparing for these hikes. That means getting outside and doing a lot of walking over tracks and trails. Training in a gym on a treadmill, elliptical and lifting weights are beneficial; but should not be the principal fitness training for hiking. Hiking each week is best.

Walking a marathon, rheumatoid arthritis and glucosamine

I would like to walk the Rotorua Marathon in 2008, and am trying to find some training advice. I notice that you have free on-line training for a marathon which just seems to be for runners, and I wonder if there is anything more specific for walkers.

I'm almost 62 and started walking when I gave up smoking some 6 years ago. At first I just did it to get fit, but then I started entering events - have done the Wellington Round the Bays a couple of times, and the Waitarere Great Forest walk most every year since 2002, initially just the 10 km event, but did my first half marathon in 2005. I've also done the Harbour Capital half marathon, and generally I've completed in under 3 hours, fastest one was around 2hr 53 min.

I had a bit of a set back towards the end of 2006 when I developed rheumatoid arthritis, and for a while I thought I would never be able to walk any distances again. However, it is now under control and I'm back out there again - did 10k Forest Walk last week in 1 hr 33 min so think I'm getting better again. I hope to do the Harbour Capital half marathon distance in June, and then would like to start thinking about doing a full marathon, and especially the Rotorua Marathon in April.

I don't belong to a club, and have used the training schedule on the Harbour Capital web site to prepare myself for doing the half marathons. However, I think I probably need a bit more help with training for a marathon, not just the schedule, but also some ideas about nutrition, and any tips that might help, both in building up fitness and during the event.

If you don't have specific training advice for walkers I wonder if you can point me in the direction of where I might find some.

....................... At the moment I'm taking methotrexate - 7 x 2.5mg tablets once a week, plus 1 folic acid 5mg tablet two day prior.



When my symptoms first started to appear, my doctor gave me synflex and referred me to the Rheumatology clinic at XXXXX. After quite a wait to get an appointment the doctor I saw there gave me diclofenac and referred me for more test (xrays, bloodtests) before he would make a diagnosis. In January when my symptoms had worsened to the extent that I could hardly walk due to pain in my feet and knees, and was also having difficulty with my hands, I finally went private and saw ......... He diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis and put me on a course of prednizone plus the methotrexate (5 x 2.5mg). The prednizone was like a miracle and within a fairly short time, the pain was gone and I was almost functioning normally again. I finished the prednizone around the 6th March and am now just on the methotrexate. When I saw Dr XXXX again early in April he felt that my arthritis was not as well controlled as he would like and so increased the methotrexate.

As far as any other medication is concerned, I took glucosamine tablets, and Omega 3 Fish Oil for a while, stopped the Glucosamine when Dr XXXXX didn't support it as being of any value, but continued with the fish oil which he said research supports as being beneficial for rheumatoid arthritis sufferers. I sometimes take Codalgin if I've been doing a bit much and find my feet or hands are a bit sore.



Once the pain was more under control I started back walking again, just taking it fairly easy, and also doing a bit of bike riding, as I found this was less stressful on my feet and legs. However, I have gradually increased my walking and have done two 10 km walks now - the Waitarere Forest walk on 31 March (where I managed the 10 kms in 1 hr 33 mins), and the Moonshine Walk on 15 April (did this 10 km in 1 hr 26 mins). I try and walk two or three times a week, using some of the training programes that I've found on the Harbour Capital Marathon web site, and am thinking of building up my training again to do their 1/2 marathon in June.

Dr XXXX has said increasing my walking again is fine as long as I don't overdo it, and ease up if I get more pain at any time. And so, I'm still keen to try and do a full marathon, and this was what led me to contacting you after I found your training for runners, when I was looking for some infromation about walking training for walking on the Rotorua Marathon web site.

I still intend to go and see my GP Dr XXXXX to see about getting my vitamin D levels checked as you recommended, and will let you know the results of this.

Regards
"C"

Starting running for the first time

Before you run out the door, let’s get real about running:

• Running is a high impact activity:
• it has high injury rates as compared to low impact activities like swimming and bicyclingNot everyone is suited for running
• Just as there are “horses for courses” the same can be said of people.
• The person best suited for running is a lightly muscled, light boned person with little body weight.
• Most durable runners are less than 75kg body weight
• Get fit before you take up running
• That means ensuring that you have a strong heart and circulation
• That you have strong, flexible foot and leg musclesThat you are not carrying too much excess body fat
• Start injury free
• If you have any injuries affecting your lower back or lower, then deal with them before you take up running

How to get fit to run

• Do at least three months of a mix of the following:
• Walk before you run
• Brisk power walking for 30 minutes 3 times a week (this is your most important exercise)
• As fitness improves, jog a few minutes, gradually increasing the jog in relation to the walking.
• Swimming 2-3 times a week
• Aqua jogging using the combination of Kermitts and Aquafins
• Bicycling
• Gym workouts, including weights and cardio equipment – go for a hydraulics circuit workout if you can find a gym with it
• Stretch yoga style each evening

Seek professional advice about any injury or health issues (You may contact Gary Moller to discuss any injury or health issues)

Footwear and clothing

• As a general rule of thumb, if you have good feet and weigh less than 75kg, you can go for a lighter shoe that has less shock absorption
• A heavier person needs a shoe that has more shock absorption
• Ensure that the shoe has a flexible forefoot and not an inflexible board (the most common fault in running shoes), otherwise the Achilles tendon and calf will be under enormous strain
• Seek a firm heel counter that cups the heel bone securely and does not slowly collapse as the weeks and months pass
• Wear a soft fabric against the skin on very long runs to reduce chafing of sensitive part like the nipples and armpitsIf chafing of the inner thigh and crutch are a problem, try wearing a pair of bike pant style lycra underwear against the skin

Nutrition on the run
Start early with good nutrition to build up your body's reserves before the big distances and high intensity training kinck in.

• Read the pages on this website about nutrition and the various training guides and E-publications
• Consider taking a quality sports multi such as Nutra-Life Sports Multi
• Contact Gary Moller for more specific advice, if need be.