Discussion: Toes

Do you think that's the quick build-up in training before CT, or just expedition racing in general? We both had tingly toes for awhile after Alaska (one of Brent's toes, for almost 6 months). I don't remember whether it was an issue in previous multi-day races.

Honestly it's probably 70-80% the too-small bike shoes, greatly exacerbated by the short buildup before CBT (with it's 240+ miles of biking). I've had this happen once before after Nationals in NY when we did a TON of trekking in bike shoes, and my feet were too cold to realize that they were getting pounded as badly as they were until way too late. Swollen nerves and numb toes for a couple months. I didn't have any of this after Untamed or CBT two years ago, so hopefully it's not JUST a factor of long races.

If it were only the numbness I'd feel a little better about it. Unfortunately I've still got noticeable swelling in the metatarsal areas in both feet to the point that it feels like I've got something in my shoe/sock under both forefeet. The longer I run the more irritated it gets, and then the tingling starts to get worse.

Thankfully it's getting better (slowly), and I have new bike shoes, AND I've got a podiatrist that is also a cyclist that is going to make sure that they are set up to give me as little problems as possible moving forward. (When he told me that he had his 3rd year resident give him steroid shots in both feet so he could do RAIN, a 200 mile ride across Indiana, without issues I knew I had my guy.)

I've known my current shoes were too small for years, I've just been way too stubborn in replacing them...

Ah, that makes sense - definitely sounds like something different.

And that NY Nationals -- when we came in from the overnight trek, my laces in my bike shoes were so frozen that I had to cut them off the shoes to get my feet in. Thankfully, we only had a bit of light road riding left :)