(You get bonus points if you know where I got the title from. No cheating with Google!)
I noticed on my run this evening that my right foot and calf were killing me. I’d thought it was the persistent headwind I had for the first two miles, making me feel like it was two miles uphill. But then even after the wind died down, the pain was still there. I got to the 5 km half-way point, took off my shoe to see if I could adjust my insole, and immediately saw the problem.
My socks were too small/tight. Follow along:
Socks are too small and tight.
Toes curl under to adjust to small sock size.
Foot hitting the ground 80 times per minute causes the toes to curl more.
The odd shape of the foot leads to me subconsciously landing differently on it to avoid injuring myself.
The different strike pattern of the foot torques my lower leg, awkwardly stretching my calf.
Pain ensues.
For want of a frickin’ nail, right?
As soon as I pulled some of the material down from the ankle, giving my toes more room, I didn’t have any more problems for the rest of the run. I continue to be astounded at how the smallest, simplest things can reverberate into big deals. Ian Malcolm, chaos theory, and dinosaurs.
