Long distance WALKING forums?

Machka

In order to save some money, my new living/educational situation has me walking 8 kms a day Mondays and Wednesdays and 4 kms a day Tuesdays and Thursdays, and possibly also 4 kms a day on some Fridays.

12 kms later, and I've got blisters on the bottom of my feet.

I need a long distance walking forum to pose the question on how to prevent this from happening. Do any of you happen to know of good long distance walking forums? I know there are people who do extremely long walks ... like 100 kms at a go. Surely they must talk about it somewhere.

But I figure if I solve this problem and keep all this walking up, walking a marathon next summer might not be such a far-fetched idea. :D

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Six jours

In the wintertime I hang the bike up and put the mountaineering boots on, so I'm at least semi-qualified for this one.

1) Your feets gotta toughen up, and that's not always a fun process. Compare it to breaking in a Brooks: it's not a lot of fun, but you shouldn't bleed. Soreness is par for the course, but blisters/bleeding means you need to change something.

2)Shoes/boots matter. If you're using walking shoes as opposed to hiking boots your task is a bit easier, but you may still end up with several pairs before you get it sorted. Again to use the saddle analogy, most folks end up trying a bunch of different brands until they find their Brooks, or whatever.

3) Socks can be super critical. Cotton socks DO NOT work for long distance walking: they get wet and hold that moisture against the skin, which softens it and leads to blisters. CoolMax is probably your best bet for single socks. More comfort and less friction can be had by wearing a thin sock liner under a thicker sock for cushioning. My personal favorite is a thin CoolMax liner with a fairly thick SmartWool outer sock. My personal Brooks.:)

HTH!

Hoz

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/index.php

Appalachian Trail thru hikers

sch

Specialty socks have proliferated over the past 20 yrs and socks for hiking are
worth looking at. Typically they will have a heavier cushiony sole and thin out
as they go above the walking surface. Not cheap but they may well make a
difference in addition to the shoes. Feet tend to swell with prolonged walking
so appropriate sizing should be kept in mind.

Machka

Yes, I think I need to work on sock and shoe selection.

I have very narrow feet, and because I can't afford custom shoes, most of my shoes are the standard width, and thus a bit wide for me. I selected a pair which I thought would be comfortable, and were for the first 4 kms or so ... but the last 8 ... OUCH.

I also went with fuzzy synthetic socks (acrylic?) which I think now were a very bad choice. I walked 8 kms with those yesterday. This morning I wore a thin pair of wool hiking socks which were more comfortable, but the damage had already been done.

I've got to walk about 8 kms tomorrow ... and I'm going to be hobbling! I will go with wool socks again, and a better shoe selection. Hopefully that will help.

oboeguy

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/index.php

Appalachian Trail thru hikers

Heh, I was going to suggest the same.

12km per day isn't so bad. AT thru-hikers will do 20 miles per day in the woods with big backpacks, so I think in time you will have no trouble adapting. Smartwool socks are great, BTW, but not cheap.

Machka

I've got a backpack too ... fortunately this year's textbooks aren't too bad for weight.

I think I've sort of leapt in at the deep end with this. :D

G-Whacker

If you gotta walk with blisters- moleskins!
http://www.drscholls.com/images/product/medium/Moleskin_Plus_Padding.gif

Shnuddy

First of all, I imagine that since you are a long distance athlete you figured that you could go out the first day and "go the distance." Problem is, that while your heart, lungs and all your biking muscles are reading for that, your walking muscles, feet, joints, are not. You should start slow (although it's probably too late now. :D)

There are several companies that make walking shoes in widths, New Balance being one of them, Asics as well, I think. Running shoes are also a good choice for walking. Shoes should be purchased in at least a half size, possibly a whole size larger than your regular shoe size, to accommodate for swelling during exercise (plus I think they just make them slightly smaller).

Sorry I don't know of a walking forum, but I'm sure they are out there!

Hoz

How do you walk? Do you have any foot problems? Toe in or toe out?

Check out Superfeet or Sole insoles. Much better support for your feet than the factory insole. They last a long long time too.

bmike

i'm a bit lost. do you have to walk because you are mixing with transit? can't lock the bike up? have other commitments that make cycling not work on those days?

supcom

There are people who specialize in walking marathons (as opposed to running them). You might google for them. However, I expect they buy similar shoes as runners. I would look for a store that caters to runners to see about narrow width running shoes. If you have a loose fit shoe, you will have a hard time avoiding blisters on long walks.

markf

How do you walk? Do you have any foot problems? Toe in or toe out?

Check out Superfeet or Sole insoles. Much better support for your feet than the factory insole. They last a long long time too.

Superfeet insoles are excellent, I've got a variety of them in my walking, running, cycling and cross-country skiing footwear. I had them in my Alpine and telemark ski boots, too, back when I used those.

bmike

go to a good running / walking store and get your shoes fit. they'll figure out with you pronate, need support or not, toe in, toe out, etc.

adding insoles and such might only be helpful if you can't find shoes that fit properly to begin with.

Machka

i'm a bit lost. do you have to walk because you are mixing with transit? can't lock the bike up? have other commitments that make cycling not work on those days?

Can't take the bike with me. Well, I could bring it with me, but I haven't got anywhere to keep it when I stay overnight in the city. I'm leading a rather complicated life just now.

bmike

Can't take the bike with me. Well, I could bring it with me, but I haven't got anywhere to keep it when I stay overnight in the city. I'm leading a rather complicated life just now.

folding bike. :)

Bacciagalupe

Hrm, 2.4 miles each way, that's what, 45-60 minutes? I can see doing it on a nice day, or even once a week for the exercise, but to me that's a LOT of time for a commute.

Is there really no public transportation option?

FWIW a single-speed Dahon Boardwalk is like $200. Either fold it up when you get there, or just slap a fat lock on it. Or, get a $10 yard sale / thrift store bike in that big ol' city you're walking to every day....

thebulls

The $10 "beater bike" option seems like a great potential substitute for walking.

But if you're sticking with walking, then my advice based on backpacking hundreds of miles during the last 40 years, and so far avoiding any appreciable blisters: Thin liner sock, medium-weight wool sock. This works with any shoes/boots I've ever worn. The liner sock lets your foot slip a bit against the wool sock without causing friction to your skin.

For now, make a little donut out of moleskin so that the blister is protected from pressure.

Nick

supcom

I would look into a cheap bike with a good lock. Or maybe a pair of rollerblades?

Machka

The walking portion is only a small part of my commute to the University. First, there is a 150+ km drive which takes me approx. 2 hours. Then I find parking wherever I can, where it is free, which is approx. 2 - 3 kms from the University, and somewhere near my accommodation for the night. Then I walk to the University for my first class. Then I walk back to my accommodation to check in (not allowed to check in early, and they don't like to hold it too late). Then I walk back to the University for my second class which finishes fairly late. Then I walk back to my accommodations for the night. That's my long day of walking.

The next morning, I walk to my classes, which start bright and early, but also finish relatively early. Then when my classes are finished, return to my car, and do the 150+ km drive to where I live. That's my short day of walking, and also the day I ride my bicycle when I get home.

And repeat for Wednesday & Thursday.

Yes, there is public transportation, and I will use it for half of my potential walk today because my feet are too sore to do the whole 8 kms. But I do need to do some walking because I have to stop along the way to pick up my supper etc. from a local grocery store.

As for a bicycle, folding, beater, or otherwise ... there's no room for it at my accommodations. At least ... not yet. This whole situation could change in the next week or two ... or it might continue for the next 10 weeks or so. I said this was complicated! I don't lead a conventional life. :D

And besides ... I actually like walking :) ... except when my feet are killing me. Plus, I figure this is a good way to keep in shape, rather than spending money on a fitness class or gym membership or whatever. I'm not overly sore or anything, but I do feel it in my calves and even my quads a little bit.

Today I opted to do the liner sock, wool sock, and better shoe combination and I think that will work. :)

larryfeltonj

I just skimmed over the replies, but I don't think anyone mentioned this resource, but you might want to check out the Volksmarch/Volksports networks. It's sort of a walk touring network. I'd be surprised if they don't have footwear resources.
The URL for the American group is http://www.ava.org/

Godwin

Machka

+1 for getting more callouses and better shoes. When I was in university and before I started commuting by bicycle I'd walk a similar distance to school every day, sometimes twice and often go out during the night which is a similar distance again and I wore cheap sneakers without any arch support. You just get used to it. Many people who work a job on their feet all day walk a lot further in total, I guess just like cycling it can also be psychological.

If you miss cycling though, I'd recommend getting a cheap commuter, a good lock, and a bike rack for the car. If you keep cycling a little bit everyday it can really help on the long rides on your days off.

For a year and a half (till this past April) I worked part-time at a job where I stood and walked ... that's probably why I was a bit surprised that my feet couldn't take the last couple days.

And (as odd as it may sound) I don't miss cycling at all. I'm only away from it for 2 days a week ... and at this time of year I start to take lots of days off the bicycle anyway to start cross-training with some other sport(s). I often wonder what I would do if I lived in an area where I could cycle year round ....... I'm not sure I'd like that.

Machka

Road_Biker

The moleskin tape will help existing blisters. Duct tape can be substituted if moleskin is not handy. Put the moleskin or duct tape directly on the skin. Change the tape once a day.

Wearing a thin liner sock made from coolmax or polyester and an outer wool sock will help prevent blisters from forming. Two pairs of liner socks with two pairs wool socks will work for a long time provided you rinse them out in the evening. Superfeet insoles work very well, but I do not think they would prevent blisters.

The blisters are from friction between the foot and shoe insole. That's where having another (liner) sock helps to reduce that friction (the liner and wool sock rub against one another rather than the sock against the shoe insole). Liner socks also help wick moisture away from your feet. Moleskin or duct tape reduces friction between the foot and sock (it acts like a sock liner where applied). After some time, calluses build up and the liners don't have to be worn.

Keep your feet dry is the main concept. Wet skin is softer and blisters easier. Good luck, I've seen many boy scouts with blistered feet and they have all completely recovered!

Six jours

Ah, Road Biker makes a very good point: wool socks loose their loft when dirty. It can be tempting to wear them for a couple of days in a row, as they're not actually touching your skin (assuming liner socks are being worn.) This can result in blister city.

Road Fan

When my wife started running she found a great running shoe store. We noticed some specialized walkers come in for shoes, along with the runners, and the salesfolks knew walking as well as running.

I'm guessing you'll walk a mile at worst 10 minutes, which I know to be a more than leisurely pace.

So I would suggest to bike yourself over to a big city and find a good running/walking shoe store.

Are you with a university now? Maybe the athletics department has an expert who can advise you.

Road Fan

howsteepisit

Back in my collage days, I walked from my work to classes about 6km, finally I bought for about $10 trasher 3 speed bike that I could leave locked outside all the time. Helped that i worked at a bike shop and could maintain the bike for free. Lots of oil helped keep the rust down. It was tough to walk that far no matter what shoes I bought ( I have narrow feet also). Real hiking boots were better but they looked so dweeby that i could not bring myself to wear them. I ended up with running shoes, as you could get discontinued models pretty reasonably. Specialty walking shoes (Rockports) just killed my feet. Wool socks are mandatory IMHO.

kponds

I'm a runner but done a significant amount of "race walking" when rehabbing from injury.

If you haven't bought your shoes yet, may I suggest a low-profile running shoe? Something with a lower heal than standard "trainer" running shoes. Good examples of these are the Asics DS Trainer, Brooks Racer ST, New Balance 902. When walking as opposed to running, you are landing on the heel and rolling towards the forefoot, so you need the flexibility offered by a lower heel. In addition, you don't have the impact that running generates so these lightweight shoes are plenty tough enough for daily use.

Machka

Well, I did 22 kms of walking this week! :D It's the weekend now, so I'm switching back to cycling again for a few days.

As for shoes, I can't afford anything fancy ... I can barely afford to feed myself right now, which is indirectly part of the reason I'm doing all this walking. But I do have a pair which seem to be OK ... I wore them on Wednesday and Thursday, and they were all right.

Machka

In case anyone was interested, I've had some time to do some searching, and I found the following sites:

The Long Distance Walkers Association http://www.ldwa.org.uk/
The Ramblers Association http://www.ramblers.org.uk/info/paths/pathsregion.html
Time Outdoors http://walking.timeoutdoors.com/Distance/3WLKSFM01110107E.htm
Ultrawalk - Long Distance Walking in Colorado http://www.ultrawalk.com/
Ultrawalking & Ultramarathon http://www.ultrawalking.net/

Machka

This week was 24 kms of walking ... and no problems! Obviously my feet are toughening up. :D This week's walking actually felt really good.

Next week things will change, and I won't do quite as much walking anymore (maybe about half as much), but I think all this walking will do me good. After all, weight bearing exercises are supposed to build up bone density.

TomM

Machka

How about taking the classes online?

I would LOVE to!!!!!!! For so many reasons. But it isn't possible with these ones. These are all "How to Teach" courses which involve a lot of demonstration, presentations, activities, etc. which are a little hard to get across by reading info on a computer screen.

But I'm checking into it for next semester.

stormchaser

Razor scooter?

bmike

Razor scooter?

or long board?

Machka

I'd rather walk! I'm getting some good weight-bearing exercise here. In the first 4 weeks, I covered 80 kms. I know that's not that much for real long distance walkers but it is probably about 75 kms more than I used to do in a 4 week period.

You know how they recommend getting a minimum of 60 minutes of exercise every day of the week ... since I've started walking 4 days each week (and then cycling the rest of the days), I'm easily getting 60 minutes of exercise every day ... and I've noticed that I've started to tone up like I didn't do when I was cycling about every other day, even when I was cycling long distances. My calves are starting to get definition again, and my abs are tighter (that one was a bit of a surprise ... a pleasant surprise). It's good!! :)

George Handy

Machka, if you're not using trekking poles, I'd give them a look. Once you get used to them you'll wonder how you managed without them. Yeah, they look a little dorky, but hey, we're cyclists-we should be used to that!

BTW-I spent the last 2 weeks of August riding from Missoula MT to Jasper AB on the Adventure Cycling route. I think you're quite familiar with parts the the route. In one word or less-WOW!!

Six jours

FWIW, I absolutely loathe trekking poles. Not that George is wrong, just that there are, as usual, multiple sides to the story. :)

Machka

I just wonder how useful they'd be on pavement.

------------

And yes, the route up to Jasper is ... WOW!! :)

Some of my many photos here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/14302884@N04/sets/ are from that area. Check the Nordegg, Alberta, RM1200, North American Travels, and Golden Triangle sets in particular. You might recognize some of the scenery. :)

Six jours

My POV is that trekking poles are just more stuff you have to carry around with you, until you need them for balance and support. By the time I'm looking for balance and support, I have an ice axe in my hand. :)

OTOH, there are folks who absolutely swear by trekking poles for just about any situation, including long walks on pavement. I don't get it, but that's what makes the world go 'round, eh?

bmike

FWIW, I absolutely loathe trekking poles. Not that George is wrong, just that there are, as usual, multiple sides to the story. :)

i have a love hate relationship with them. in the east everything is usually straight up and down, and covered in roots, rocks, and sort of a wet slime. on some hikes i love em for balance and moving over rocks and roots and such. on other hikes they are a PITA. for flat ground i don't get it.

Six jours

There's a fire road behind my house that is wide, flat, and smooth, with maximum pitches of about 5 degrees. I see folks marching away with a pair of poles on that path and for the life of me I can't understand why they're enjoying lugging around extra stuff. I expect to see a pair in the hands of a shopper at the local mall someday! But again, whatever floats the boats.

Did you take a look at my thread in the framebuilding forum, Mike?

bmike

I expect to see a pair in the hands of a shopper at the local mall someday!

i've seen that. scary. something about nordic walking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordic_walking) comes to mind.

http://www.skiwalking.com/images/gallery/Jo-&-Lucie.jpg

Did you take a look at my thread in the framebuilding forum, Mike?

for about 2 seconds. been out of town. and buried. getting ready for a conference that i'm presenting at.
i'll have time later in the week once i settle into my hotel.