Achy Feet

How long till the ache sets in?

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kiers
03/05/2012 at 22:02
Greetings foot owners.

How long does it take before your feet start to ache? I guess this depends on terrain, footwear, conditions and so on, but generally speaking, how many kilometres or miles do you do before your feet start nagging for a break?

It's about 12K on moorland for me.

Also is there a limit to how long you can continue with your achy feet? Do you grin and bear it, or stop and soak them in a stream? Do you stop altogether, or push ever onwards like a hero?

I tend not to take a break and usually keep going for another 10 or 15K. I haven't had to go much longer than this, but the enjoyment levels do start to diminish a bit.

I have a lot of problems with my feet and have tried all manner of insoles, footwear, stretches, exercises, sacrifices, rituals and so on. Maybe it's time to stop searching for a magic cure and think more about walking within my limitations, or shutting up and digging deeper.

Can any of you walk endlessly without getting tired feet?


Edited: 03/05/2012 at 22:03
Parky Again
03/05/2012 at 22:17
For me it's time and not distance. If i stood still for the same time they would probably ache at about 4 hours. Thereafter i just ignore them into submission.

It depends upon what you do all week. If sedentary then they'll ache a lot quicker. I recall the first few sessions gehind the bar killed my feetforabot a half dozen times. Then all day in a supermarket about the same. Thereafter i could spend 16 hours on my feet with no effect at all.
kiers
03/05/2012 at 22:22
Standing still kills me. Walking is much easier. Like you, and as logic dictates, they do improve with more working, ie on multi day walks. Glad to know the power of the mind is a tool not only I have to draw on. Maybe it's the mind I need to work on, could be a bit weedy and flaccid...Food for thought.
StoneHuggingHippy
03/05/2012 at 22:41

Same here, standing still is crippling, and that's without the dodgy leg adding it's own particular brand of pain.

About 8 miles till my feet start telling me off, but i carry on to my limit which is around 12/13 miles before i really start to hurt and long for the routes end.

I find the best footwear is cheapo rubber soled walking boots, trail shoes hurt me much quicker as i don't have the ankle support and tougher vibram soled boots i find pretty much the same torture at 6/7 miles.

I'm not your "average" walker though, my right leg is pretty well f*cked up. 

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

Martin Carpenter
03/05/2012 at 22:54

Yes, basically effectively infinite for me at times - can often get problems from other things when really stressing the distance of course. Think it comes of doing 5-6 miles a day on tarmac on a daily basis. Should make for tough feet! 

I've been doing that much less recently and have occassionally managed to annoy my feet slightly when strolling round cities etc.

Tall PC
03/05/2012 at 23:38
I rarely get achy feet. It is my legs that feel it. I can't stand still or walk on the flat at lower speeds. Seriously, for a lanky lad to walk at a slow pace it can be agony at times. For me it even affects my back.
Back to achy feet...for me the switch to fell shoes stopped that. I got sore feet but not achy feet after about 20 miles on hard, rocky and frozen ground few years ago. My feet then strengthened so achy feet and sore feet only really happens after at least 30 miles. By then there really isn't much of me left that isn't sore, achy or totally fcuked!!!!
Change to shoes.with supportive missiles and heelcups. These give the foot support not the higher cuff on boots. Plus lighter does help. Just need to strengthen your feet and ankles which can take months to achieve.
kiers
03/05/2012 at 23:45
I hear what you say about strengthening the foot, it's good advice. I jump rope (slightly more masculine term for skipping, maybe) and stay on my forefoot. I do this for the best part of an hour, but 4 hours of walking, or considerably less of standing, and it's my forefoot that's feeling tired. The rest of me is fine.
Tall PC
03/05/2012 at 23:53
Nothing beats walking for strengthening your feet for walking. Indeed walking is the best training for walking. If that makes sense.
Metric Kate
03/05/2012 at 23:58

Strengthening foot and ankle muscles - balance on one foot with your eyes closed.

My feet hurt more standing watching a rugby match than walking 15km!

kiers
03/05/2012 at 23:59
Yes, would be nice to fit more in. In a country environment, rather than an urban one.
huskyman
04/05/2012 at 00:50

Never had 'achy' feet, apart from recovering from an accident, (the odd 'hot spot' or blister), do they count?

 Then I've always been walking most of the day, in all the jobs I've done.

 Now I'm 'semi retired' and walk/mind dogs, I'd be doing any where between 18 to 24+ miles per day. Mostly tarmac or cinder paths.

Something to try and help strengthen the soles of your feet is, get a ball, (golf to tennis size), and roll you sole over it. If you have a squash ball or small foam ball, try and pick it up with your toes.

 It can also ease the pain of achy feet by loosening the muscles and tendons in the soles of your feet.    Excercises from a physio I'd to go to after getting pins and plates removed from heel, toe and ankle.

 An other possibilaty is 'jumping rope' for a hour. This will stress certain parts of your foot more than others. Maybe why certain parts of foot hurt more than others.

 You might think of cutting back the amount of time spent jumping rope and doing an other arobic exercise.

Edited: 04/05/2012 at 01:01
StoneHuggingHippy
04/05/2012 at 03:23
Bump, to push the spammer down the forum.

Include a little history in your walks. Pecsaetan - Ancient Derbyshire, Staffordshire and South Yorkshire - http://pecsaetan.weebly.com/

That bastard Skip
04/05/2012 at 07:16

Like TP, I rarely get aching feet (although, like most people, I occasionally get hot spots and, less often, these develop into blisters).  It's my legs that feel it most after a long day's walking - calves and quads if there's a lot of steep ascents, knees and ankles after steep descents. And if the going is particularly uneven or rocky my ankles will feel it too.

Like TP, I too find it tiring to walk substantial distances below my usual pace. Walking slowly disrupts the natural gait and makes additional demands on muscles. It's also hard to keep warm when dawdling along.

"Walking is the best training for walking" may sound trite but it's absolutely true, particularly for walking up hills.  IME, even though level walking is good for cardio-vascular performance and good for the feet and legs it does little to prepare you for the steep stuff.

Parky Again
04/05/2012 at 08:14
Why is it hard to keep warm whilst dawdling? Wear more clothes.
That bastard Skip
04/05/2012 at 08:34
A fair point, Parky, but the sort of situation I had in mind is where one is not expecting to dawdle or when it's too much faff to stop, open the sack, and layer up as if for a stop.
Martin Carpenter
04/05/2012 at 08:45

Or when you're walking with a group and not quite sure how fast they'll be going. Especially when even your semi dawdling pace puts you in a position of having to wait periodically.....

Takes a while to work out how much more (it can be surprising) you can need to wear under those circumstances!

That bastard Skip
04/05/2012 at 08:49
Martin Carpenter wrote (see)

Or when you're walking with a group and not quite sure how fast they'll be going. Especially when even your semi dawdling pace puts you in a position of having to wait periodically.....

Takes a while to work out how much more (it can be surprising) you can need to wear under those circumstances!

Yup, Martin, that's exactly the sort of situation I had in mind.

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