Feet, don't fail me now!

I've blogged extensively about my foot issues. I've had just about it all...plantar fasciitis, heel spur, black toenails, blisters, stress fractures, and now the dreaded hallux limitus aka arthritis. What's a runner to do? Stop running? My sister has hallux limitus and she's actually considering surgery (joint fusion) so she can wear heels again.

No thank you!

I really try to respect my hard working feet. As a nurse practitioner, I spend all day on my feet seeing patients in the clinic. And as a runner, these feet have a lot of miles on them, both training and racing for over 20 years. Add to that day-to-day activities like shopping, housework, and the like. Earlier this week, I came home from a long day in the clinic and a stop at Target. My husband was preparing dinner and he asked me to fix the salads.

I almost cried. My dogs were barking. I just wanted to get off my feet. Does this ever happen to you?

Luckily, I don't feel this way too often, even after a long race. I really pamper my feet. And in return, they keep me pretty happy.

In the spirit of the Friday Five, where the theme for today is "things I love", I wanted to share five things I do to show my feet the love. Head over to any of their blogs to see what everyone else is loving today! Links are below the logo.

EatPrayRunDC, You Signed up for What?!, and Mar on the Run

By the way, I have a song on my running playlist titled: Feet Don't Fail Me Now by Needtobreathe. Great song for a runner, and even better band name, don't you think? I wonder if they're runners?

"I can't slow down,  I can't get stuck,  I'd rather die than have to hang it up...." from Feet Don't Fail Me Now by Needtobreathe.

Listening to this song on the run helps me channel some energy to my feet, especially when they start to rebel.

5 Things My Feet Love

Morning warmup: Back when I was suffering with plantar fasciitis and my heel spur, my podiatrist suggested placing my feet on the heating pad in the morning to loosen them up. His theory was that the heat would help loosen up the myriad of joints in my feet. I do this every morning while I drink my coffee and read blogs. My feet are very happy when I do this. BEST ADVICE EVAH!

Compression: I don't always wear compression but when I do my feet are very pleased. Recently I was given the opportunity to try SLS3 compression socks (affiliate link). I've got a review and a giveaway coming, but for now, let me tell you that my calves and subsequently my feet like these socks a lot. Back when I had plantar fasciitis, I used some Feetures PF compression sleeves (affiliate link) for my feet. At the time I couldn't walk around barefoot without having pain. Wearing those sleeves helped a ton--probably more than anything else I did because they made walking tolerable.

wanelo.com

Comfy shoes: I wasn't a big fan of heels even in my pre-running days. Now, since I spend most of my workday on my feet seeing patients, I wear Danskos (affiliate link) pretty much exclusively. They're big and clunky but have a certain charm to them. Plus they are oh so comfy. I also have Dansko sandals which are super cute! I purchased them on my sister trip to Las Vegas and I didn't hear one peep out of my feet, even after we spent the day walking the strip. I received a lot of compliments on them, too. Recently, I purchased my first pair of Birkenstock (affiliate link) sandals. I love these because they don't press on my big toe joint, which seems to be an ongoing issue for me. They are my new favorite shoes. Now I know what everyone is talking about...

Massage: I massage my feet after a long run using The Runners Choice oil (affiliate link). I read about this oil on another blog, and decided to try it for myself. The oil contains almond, eucalyptus, eucalyptol, wintergreen, peppermint, and spearmint oils. It feels as amazing as it sounds. Keep your eyes open for a discount code.

My newly pedicured feet on my trusty heating pad. If they could smile, they would.

Pedicure: I once considered pedicures a treat, but now they are an essential part of my foot maintenance. I try to get one monthly, even in the winter. The technicians laugh at my black toenails (and there is one in the picture above), but I haven't lost one in years--most likely due to this maintenance. The leg massage is amazing. Be warned, the technicians like to pull out the cheese grater foot rasp to remove those calluses. I won't let them use it. I need my calluses! The best part of a pedicure is having pretty toenails...what color should I pick next time?

Do you have any foot issues? What do you do to pamper your feet? Do you still wear heels? Do you get pedicures regularly?