Hi everyone,

I recently took up running again following the birth of my son 8 months ago, and am currently training 5 times a week in preparation for the new york marathon in November. I am now up to 4.5 miles however after approx 30 minutes on each run I get pins and needles/numbness on the balls of my feet.

I was running in a pair of Saucony shoes and was advised that they were probably too tight/small so I then went to a specialised running shop who used the video gait analysis to confirm that I was in a neautral shoe which was correct but that they were perhaps slightly small. I purchased a new pair of asics (properly fitting) which I tried out yesterday (slightly longer and wider) and still had the same pins and needles after approx 25 minutes of running!!!!

Needless to say I'm quite frustrated (and also £80 worse off!!). Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be causing this and any possible solutions?

Any help/advice would be much appreciated!!!

Thanks,

Emma

"Pins and needles on balls of feet"

Cure - don't leave them on the floor.

Seriously, could it be your socks are also too tight?

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0 - 14 Miles in 6 months, 2 hours, 13 minutes and 58 seconds.
Start weight: 18 st 4.. Current weight: 14 st 11.. Current Goal: Duchy Marathon, 8th March 2009

Lacing up the trainers too tight can cause problems, this hapened to me once, stopped and loosened the laces and seemed to be Ok after that.

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Premiership by the end of the 2009 :D

I can't offer any potential remedy I'm afraid, though but I'd guess the numbness/pins & needles is being caused by excessive pressure on the foot where there shouldn't be... The point where this pressure is though... you'd need to ask a doc/physio about.

Not too long ago I was finding the left side of the tip of my right big toe was going completely numb on runs, and it turned out to be pressure on the left hand side of the ball of the foot. I relaced my trainers so they weren't so tight and it seems to have fixed it Sadly I'm not too sure what to suggest if your trainers are already fitting well

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RF Winter Social @ Castle Combe - Only 4 days to go!!!
www.richardsimkiss.co.uk - 'Lady Godiva Half Marathon' Race Report Added 27/10/08

Haha!!!!

Will def look into the socks thing though - have bough some double skin ones so will see how they go.

Thanks for the advice - will try loosening off the laces and see if that helps!

I know this will sound ridiculous.

I used to get the exact sensation you are desrcribing. The way I stopped it was by concentrating on wiggling/moving my toes every now and then as I was running. Maybe just once or twice every few minutes.

Works for me anyway.

Give it a try

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Loch Ness Marathon 05/10/08

Thanks Richard - will try a bit of toe wiggling tomorrow!!!!