April 15, 2014

Growing Feet... At 41

This is the weirdest thing.

My sabbatical year, as you can figure by now, was devoted to running and enjoying outdoor adventures. Throughout this awesome time, I have gained several benefits from the increased mileage and number of races I've enjoyed. During my travel time alone, I have now completed 16 ultras and several other running adventures.

The benefits range from excellent health (My cholesterol was recently measured at 4.10, which I'm told is exceptionally good - and I don't come from a good family background) to great immune resistance to increased fitness and a recovery capability I'd never dreamed of. Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked.

But my increased running seems to have had another, totally unbelievable consequence, too. My feet have grown a size and a half! How is that even possible?

I started running, a couple years ago, as a size 7. I have to say, after about a year, I started buying size 7.5 shoes, but I thought I was just getting to like more toe room (I'm not a big fan of black toes). But as my sabbatical year went and I replaced or bought new shoes, I found myself getting size 8, then 8.5... up to the point that I am now a size 9!

This isn't some kind of subjective matter; the shoes I had originally brought on this trip (that didn't end up getting worn to shreds or donated) literally don't fit me anymore. Even the new shoes I bought earlier on the trip are too tight and ended up in the donations pile.

Am I the only one? Did I trigger some sort of dormant gene that awakens after a couple thousand miles and transforms our feet to suit our running needs better? I have to say, I'm dumbfounded.




Qui aurait cru que nos pieds peuvent grandir et changer de forme?! À 41 ans, après un an de course intensif, ma pointure de souliers a augmenté d'un point et demi!

3 comments:

  1. C'est possible que tes pieds n'aient pas grandi, mais allongé. Les femmes enceintes vivent parfois ce phénomène. À cause du poids de la grossesse, le pied s'affaisse, les ligaments étirent et le pied allonge. Les impacts répétés et cumulatifs de toutes ces courses pourraient avoir causé quelque chose de similaire.

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  2. I went from a size 7 women's to now a size 9 MEN'S since taking up running! We'll be hobbits soon enough.

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  3. I've gone from size 10 (UK) to 11.5 (UK) since I took up running 25 years ago. I may even get to 12 one day soon. My arches haven't fallen so it must be that my feet have become more muscular.

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