(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:
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Socks are too small and tight.
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Toes curl under to adjust to small sock size.
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Foot hitting the ground 80 times per minute causes the toes to curl more.
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The odd shape of the foot leads to me subconsciously landing differently on it to avoid injuring myself.
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The different strike pattern of the foot torques my lower leg, awkwardly stretching my calf.
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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.
