Weak Soles

I have been thinking about this.... I have this standing desk, so I wonder if it would make my soles tougher if I would gather some nasty looking rocks to stand on when using that desk.

Not too nasty or you'll start finding excuses to avoid your desk. Maybe start with trainer gravel and work up the grades list until you exceed your comfort level. At that point, dial it back a notch and you'll have the ideal working / plantar development surface. You might need to contain the material in something like a litter box or a kiddie pool or it will migrate throughout your house.
 
Interestingly I'm back at work today and at my 'kneeler chair' in front of the computer. Despite spending hours catching up on emails, my feet are not stiff when I stand up. Clearly something is different than when I sit on a sofa or ordinary chair, or even lie in bed.
 
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Update.

I took one of the suggestions and incorporated some miles on rougher pavement. Following my post I incorporated a route that includes much much rougher pavement. So far, I've done this 3 times and my 4 mile run had 1-2miles of very rough stuff in the middle. My soles were more tender but seem to have responded. I did 7 miles on Labor day and it seemed much easier on my feet. I'm going to continue this regiment along with stretching out my long runs.

Thanks for the suggestions.
J
 
It would be helpful to know what is indicating that your soles aren't tough enough. If they feel tingly after a run, that can be quite normal, even after many years. It's normal at faster paces, rougher surfaces, hotter surfaces, longer distances, etc. In other words, unless you run exactly the same way/same surface/same distance, every time out, your feet will continue to have to adapt, at least a bit. Are your soles sore or painful? If you're able to run everyday, I would say you're doing just fine.

As for form, there's no universally accepted notion of what good form is, but I think most would agree that landing just ahead of your center of mass with a midfoot or forefoot landing, and maintaining an erect, yet relaxed posture, are part of it.

Good to have you on board in any case!


I searched for this topic because I was concerned about my tender soles! This discussion is so reassuring.
 
Tender soles likely mean that your form is not quite right...a good rule of thumb is to keep running when it hurts, just run in a way that doesn't hurt ;-)

This will force you to continually make fine adjustments until your form is such that it doesn't hurt to run.

Try slowing down the pace and picking up the cadence, while running on more rough stuff like chip seal or gravel...this will help get your form right, just keep running on it long after it starts to get sensitive, and adjust so it doesn't hurt.

Pain is the best teacher of good running form of you don't try to ignore it, and continually 'adjust' until it doesn't hurt.

And if all else fails, like Dama said, put on your big girl panties and keep running, eventually it will get painful enough that you will be forced to run with good form if you don't wuss out lol
 
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Hot spots.

I remember when I was dialing in on my form and didn't quite have it and I would get hot spots of uneven wear. They went away as I ran more and worked on my form. I was particularly susceptible to hurting my feet running on wet pavement for some reason.