Category: Podiatry

There are few things in this world I enjoy more than running marathons. Call me crazy, but that distance is perfect for me. Humans are designed to run long distances, after all, so technically I am only leaning into my own biology. Nowadays, few people run marathons on a regular basis. Most of the time, even people who compete only run a few dozen kilometres throughout the week to get themselves in shape. But I’m different. I’m better. I run a marathon every single weekend. And it’s fast, too. I bet I could even beat the world record if I tried hard enough. The only thing that’s stopping me is my feet. I have multiple foot pains and problems at the moment.

First and foremost is athlete’s foot, which is this gross fungal infection of the skin. I’ve looked it up online, and I seem to have it due to the amount of time I spend in runners every single day. Will that stop me from wearing running shoes? No, of course not. I’m not going to give up my favourite activity simply because of a little foot problem. I’ll just buy some cream and keep moving. Nothing will stop me.

Actually, one thing will stop me: the pain in my foot. I have no idea where it’s coming from or what has caused it, but I know it’s in the muscle and is completely unrelated to the whole athlete’s foot thing. I’m planning to buy some orthotics inserts. Cheltenham has a number of podiatrists around the area, and I’m sure any of them would be honoured to help me (since I am such an accomplished runner).

Once I check the prices, I may even decide to go to a specialist podiatrist who deals specifically with people who run a lot. I know they have a number of secret tips and remedies that could potentially help somebody who runs as much as I do. 

Most of the time, working in retail is a lot of fun. People always roll their eyes when I say this, but I truly do enjoy customer service. Getting to talk to people every day? Getting to share my recommendations and my opinion? I adore that stuff. It’s like being a lawyer, but with so much less stress. I work in a clothing store, which is amazing since I am surrounded by clothes. The only downside is that I am on my feet all day, for hours at a time. They hurt so much when I take my shoes off at night.

Last week, I started looking for a place that does podiatry self-referral. Cheltenham has a few of these around, which is lucky since I don’t really have the time for going through the whole process of getting a referral. That’s another downside of working retail: I often work odd hours. When regular offices close, I’m still working. It’s even worse during busy periods like the Christmas period, or Black Friday, since the store stays open all the way until midnight to accommodate all the frenzied and last-minute shoppers.

Part of me suspects that my foot issues are coming from the type of shoes that I am wearing. They’re a very fashionable shoe, but they’re not particularly comfortable nor supportive. I do want to change them at some point, but I don’t want to spend money, and I don’t want to look ugly in them, either. I’m thinking about getting some heel and arch support insoles for flat feet, as a bit of a compromise. I know I used to have flat feet as a child, but I’m not sure if they have improved in the decades since. I’m not even sure if they can improve at all. Frankly, I know nothing about the muscles in the foot. That’s why I’m grateful for podiatrists.