She says tomato...

I went for a 2.5 mile run yesterday, and again I had wooden, numb feet after ~1.5 miles, which got progressively worse despite my stopping a few times to shake them out. Once they start falling asleep, I can’t get them fully awake again until I’ve stopped running.

Why does this happen? Why do they fall asleep right as I’m hitting my stride and no longer gasping for air? You are pissing me off, feet.

I have thoroughly searched Dr. Internet (my main source of medical information, obvi), and there does not seem to be a general answer for this problem. I’ve also gotten some advice from you lovely running folk. Some say shoes, many say lacing, some even say spinach (actually, no one said that but I’m kind of craving it).

I have tried the following (to no avail):

-Different shoes (2 different brands, totally different types of sneaks)
-A slower pace
-A different stride (smaller, faster steps rather than bounding steps)
-Treadmill, road and trail
-Inserts (blister festival after 1.5 miles, and when I took them out the sleeping started, but I don’t know if it’s because I took them out or because it had been 1.5 miles. Classic chicken/egg scenario.)
-Different walk/run patterns
-Stretching before
-Not stretching before
-Hills/no hills
-Lacing my shoes from the top down (so awkward-looking)

-Lacing my sneaks super tight
-Lacing my sneaks super loose

I really do get a lot of suggestions about the lacing, but I’m fairly sure it’s not a circulation problem. It seems to be more of a nerve that is getting pressed thing. I would like to find that nerve and get that nerve a cup of coffee.

Side  note: I know I just said I don’t think it’s circulation and this may not have anything to do with anything, but I remembered that when I was little, my feet used to fall asleep when I would play outside in the winter with my friends, and then I would fall. Luckily it was winter in Massachusetts so I would usually fall onto a pile of snow. However, it got a little embarrassing (I was probably like having a narcoleptic friend…now you see me, now I’m laying down), so my mom took me to the doctor, who made the great rule that I had to come inside every 20 minutes for a foot rub and a sock change. That time interval is strangely similar to the current troublesome time interval. Anyway, back to your regularly scheduled blog post…

I have a couple more options to try before I have to go visit the podiatrist (who has the huge fun purple chair):

1. Try inserts again, but with my shoes tied very tight so they don’t slip and cause blisters
2. Try the inserts after 1 mile
3. Try one more type of laces (Xtenex), which don’t tie and are stretchy.

Abrupt stop.