Running & footwear -- continued experiments in doing without toe-tubes

Thursday March 5:

I implemented all the recommendations--for the alternative of not using toe tubes--that I made to myself in the previous March 4 blog-post (http://davidvirgil.blogspot.com/2009/03/running-and-footwear-most-recent.html). I ran the round-the-block course in the afternoon (1st 3rd 5th miles run, 2nd 4th 6th miles walked). My time after the 5th mile was 82 minutes at 4:04 PM. Seven minutes were subtracted from the time for various breaks such as tying shoelaces.

I felt some pain in left middle and index toes during the first two miles, a sort of strained joints pain. The right foot felt almost perfect throughout the six miles.

Run footwear:

Left shoe:
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot area +
8-layers m-wrap pad under line between toes & ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape, not glue.

Right shoe:
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot area +
8-layers m-wrap pad under line between toes and ball of foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: Glue used. Tape used for the layers added to the layers used the previous run.

After the March 5 run I found that in the right foot, a gap had developed in the padding, under the line that separates the toes from the ball of the foot.

Friday March 6:

I did the round the block course again, finishing at 4:56. The time was 80 minutes after the 5th mile. 6 minutes of various necessary breaks such as tying shoe-laces, discarding a jacket that was too warm, were subtracted from the time.

Footwear during run:

Left shoe:
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot area +
8-layers m-wrap pad under line between toes and ball of foot +
16 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap pad around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: tape not glue.
Padding type: 'Pretaping' type (as opposed to 'multipurpose') m-wrap used for first time

For the first time I used the 'pretaping under-wrap' version of m-wrap, for the padding in the left foot. Up until this time the only version of m-wrap I used was the 'multi-purpose' version of m-wrap. Apparently the 'pretaping under-wrap' version is slightly thicker and softer. Mueller as of now far as I can tell, does not at its website list the 'pretaping under-wrap' version of m-wrap (http://www.muellersportsmed.com/Retail_Tape_and_Wrap.htm). I bought the 'pretaping'-type m-wrap at Olympia Sports in Cambridge (http://www.olympiasports.net/corp/index.jsp?page=storeLocator&locationCode=1215&zip=02451&city=Cambridge&locName=FRESH+POND+MALL).
Right shoe: Footwear/padding same as previous run
foam/gel heel-to-toe insole +
'toe bed' (forefoot gel pad for ball of foot and toes) +
8-layers m-wrap pad under ball-of-foot area +
8-layers m-wrap pad under line between toes and ball of foot on right foot +
20 layers m-wrap pad attached to toe area of gel forefoot pad beneath big, index and middle toes +
16 layers m-wrap around sides and rear of heel
Adhesives: glue & tape. .
Padding type: 'Multipurpose' version of m-wrap used.

For the second day I used only tape in the left shoe instead of glue, and tape as well as glue in the right. I find that some layers of the m-wrap are hardened by the glue.

During the run:

In the left foot: in the first two miles, there was some pain in the middle and index toes; in miles 4 and 5 there was a feeling of unevenness under the forefoot, which went away 15 minutes after the run ended; in mile 5 there was some pain in the ball of the foot; in mile 6 some pain in the area of the joints that connect the foot to the toes.

In the right foot: in miles 5 & 6, slight pain in the ball of the foot area and in the line marking the connection of the toes to the ball of the foot.

The temp March 6 was in the high 40s (http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/wxStationGraphAll?day=6&year=2009&month=3&ID=KMAWESTO6&type=3&width=500&showsolarradiation=1&showtemp=1&showpressure=1&showwind=1&showwinddir=1&showrain=1).
I started out wearing: light jacket, sweatshirt, long-sleeved shirt, t-shirt, sleeveless t-shirt. This was too hot. I discarded the light jacket and then the clothing was appropriate.

My advice to myself for the next run:

Left foot: increase ball-of-foot & toes-baseline padding from 8 layers to 12; increase toes-area-padding from 16 layers to 20. Continue using the 'pretaping' type m-wrap.

Right foot: increase ball-of-foot & toes-baseline padding from 8 layers to 12;continue using 'multipurpose' type m-wrap. Eliminate padding gap under line that separates toes from ball of foot.

Since March 5, the pad for the line between the toes and the foot, and the pad for the ball of the foot, have morphed into one pad.

I estimate the main factor inhibiting speed improvement now is still foot discomfort. Even when the pain is mild, there results a holding-back that impairs performance.

My time would be much faster on a track like the Gordon indoor track at Harvard University.

On the hard concrete-like roads and sidewalks, I have to wear heavily padded shoes right out of the box. The gel/foam insole and the gel forefoot pads I added are heavy. The Gordon track: has a pebbly surface the sole of the foot can latch on to; is springy like a trampoline; and, is indoors--its air-cleaners take alot of the pollution out of the air.