Finishing a long run feels great. Your watch stops, your legs finally get a break, and you can start thinking about food, a shower, and putting up your feet.
But before you move on with your day, we want our runners in Houston to spend a few minutes taking care of the body parts that just carried you all those miles: your feet.
Recently, we came across a Men’s Journal article highlighting a four-step, post-run routine designed to help runners recover and reduce the risk of running injuries. You don’t need an elaborate recovery setup. In fact, some of the most useful things you can do happen in the first few minutes after your workout is done
Here’s what runners should know.
Key Takeaways:
- After long runs, you should remove socks and shoes to check for signs of injury and reduce the risk of fungal infections such as athlete’s foot
- Mild post-run swelling can be addressed with icing or compression socks
- Persistent pain or worsening swelling during or after runs should be discussed with our Houston podiatrist to rule out an injury
Table of Contents
1. Take Off Your Shoes and Socks and Check Your Feet
After training for miles, it’s tempting to sit down and relax. But you shouldn’t do so before making one crucial move: take off your shoes and socks, giving your feet a chance to cool down and dry out. More importantly, check out your feet to look for concerning changes.
Check:
- The tops and bottoms of your feet
- Between your toes
- Your toenails
- Areas where your shoes may have rubbed
- Any blisters, cuts, redness, swelling, or irritated skin
You may have developed a blister or irritated spot during a run without noticing it while you’re moving. Catching these problems early gives you a chance to protect the area before your next workout, keeping a small irritation from growing into a much bigger one.
Runners should pay particular attention to recurring hot spots or blisters. If the same area keeps getting irritated, the problem could involve your shoe fit, socks, running mechanics, or foot structure. The same is true of your toenails. If you notice a darker spot, it could be the beginning of a black toenail, another running injury that’s often related to shoe fit.
2. Give Your Feet Some Support After the Run
Your running shoes have been working hard too, and after a long run, your feet may be swollen and fatigued.
Instead of walking around barefoot or immediately changing into a pair of flat flip-flops, consider putting on something that’s supportive, comfortable, and roomy.
Recovery shoes have become popular among runners, although research specifically studying recovery footwear is still developing. What we do know is that supportive, cushioned footwear can make tired feet more comfortable. They may be especially helpful for runners dealing with conditions such as Achilles pain or plantar fasciitis.
Now, you don’t have to invest in a “recovery shoe” to follow this post-run recovery point. Just make sure that your feet have enough room and support to breathe and relax after they’ve absorbed the impact of your long run in Houston.
3. Address Swelling
Some foot and leg swelling after a long run is expected; this happens because of the increased blood flow and repeated impact involved in running.
If your feet or ankles feel especially swollen or irritated, short periods of icing may help. Aim for 10 minutes of icing followed by 20 minutes off, repeated for several cycles during the initial recovery period (the first few hours following your run).
Never place ice directly against your skin. Instead, wrap an ice pack in a towel or another protective layer before applying to the affected area.
And remember: icing shouldn’t become a way to repeatedly cover up pain so you can keep running. If one area is consistently painful or swollen following your workouts, stop training and come into our Houston podiatry practice to rule out an injury.
People with neuropathy, reduced sensation, diabetes, or circulation problems should also be especially cautious when using ice, and always discuss safe foot-care practices during and after running with our podiatrist, Dr. Andrew Schneider.
4. Houston Runners: Consider Compression Socks
Compression socks may also be useful after a longer run, particularly if your lower legs tend to swell.
These socks can help support improved circulation while reducing that heavy, swollen feeling runners sometimes experience after a demanding workout.
If you use compression socks, choose ones that extend to just below the knee rather than ending tightly in the middle of the calf.
You also don’t have to wear socks with the strongest compression available. Starting with mild or moderate compression may be more comfortable, especially if you’ve never worn these stockings before.
If you have circulation problems or another medical condition affecting your legs or feet, talk to Dr. Schneider or a trusted healthcare provider before adding compression garments to your routine.
The Most Important Recovery Tool for Houston Runners: Pay Attention to Pain
A good post-run routine can help your feet recover, but it cannot prevent or fix every running injury.
There’s an important difference between tired feet after a difficult workout and pain that signals an injury.
Be particularly careful if you notice:
- Sharp or stabbing pain
- Pain that gets worse as you continue running
- Significant swelling
- Pain that changes the way you walk or run
- Pain in one very specific area
- Pain that keeps returning on every run
- Symptoms that aren't improving after several days of rest
Running injuries are often overuse injuries. They don’t always arrive as one dramatic moment. Instead, you may notice a little soreness, then the same soreness on your next run, followed by pain that gradually becomes harder to ignore.
That’s why early evaluation can make such a difference.
Don’t Let Foot Pain End Your Running in Houston
At Tanglewood Foot Specialists, we understand that telling a runner to “stop running” isn’t the best plan.
Our goal is to determine why your foot or ankle hurts, address the underlying problem, and create a treatment plan that helps you safely return to the activities you enjoy.
If foot or ankle pain keeps showing up during or after your runs, don’t wait until it forces you out of your training routine.
Contact Houston podiatrist Dr. Andrew Schneider and Tanglewood Foot Specialists at 713-785-7881, or follow this link to schedule an evaluation.
