[pct-l] Weight Loss, Anorexia, and Sore Feet?

[Mark Nienstaedt]

Hi Everyone,

I finished a successful PCT thru hike on September 26th.  I'm also a 2002 AT
veteran and have other long walks to my credit.  I'm habitually very fit and
light weight.  On the PCT this year, I weighed in at various points and
found myself as much as 23 pounds down at 137.  If I normally carry 160
pounds on a light frame, this weight loss is significant, especially if you
consider that I train year round for masters elite level cross country ski
racing.

Two weeks off the PCT, I still have sore feet.  In particular, sore front
foot pads.  I've experienced this on long trail hikes before.  This past
week a friend of mine has offered me an interesting suggestion.  He's had a
friend who experienced anorexia as a younger woman.  He says she has
reported that she lost so much weight that she couldn't walk.  Essentially,
when the body begins to metabolize fat, it grabs it from wherever it can.
The fore foot padding is significantly fat.  Anorexics have difficulty
walking once their fat loss has reached the point where their un-fat-padded
feet become very difficult to walk on comfortably.  The question is, could
there be a connection between hiker weight loss and sore hiker feet?  What
do we think?

Obviously, I can gain a little weight back and hope it excellerates my foot
soreness recovery.  Beyond that, if it's of interest my experience is that a
good solution if you experience footsoreness on trail is shoe inserts.  I
did not find Superfeet helpful.  They have inadequate forefoot padding in my
experience.  My much preferred product on trail was the blue insert
available at www.yoursole.com .  I recommend it.  Regardless of weightloss,
I may have avoided footsoreness on trail had I used the yoursole blue insert
from the outset of the trail this year. I only discovered it walking
Washington state at the trails end.

I'm interested in other views on footsoreness.

Buffalo Jump Sly!