Uncomfortably numb........

I thought I would document every step I took in effort to keep my feet warm for my ride. This is a common complaint amongst riders who brave the cold winter weather outdoor rides. I love the fresh air and hate the monotony of sitting on the trainer! This year however has posed a real problem with my feet! I am all but losing hope on a remedy for warm feet. I have tried many things and products. So, for this ride I used a combo of ideas and suggestions that people passed on to me.


Step 1 > Anti-perspirant
Step 2 > Battery powered heating socks
Step 3 > Chemical heat pack
Step 4 > Plastic bag
Step 5 > Winter riding boots
Step 6 > Booties

The Ride:
My feet started off warm'ish'. Which is an upgrade from cold. I thought I had it, this really could be it. Not even 10 minutes into the ride, my feet were feeling cool'ish'. I moved my toes around trying to generate heat. The heated socks were working but overall my toes could not keep the heat. As my ride progressed and at about 40 minutes my toes were uncomfortably numb, could no longer wiggle them and in fact they were starting to feel like they were swollen!! My right foot was worse than my left. I unclipped and alternated with one legged drills to help relieve the pain from my feet. At 45 minutes I decided I had to start making my way back home. My feet were only getting worse.  :o(

The Verdict:
All that effort and.......... well I can't say it was a complete waste of time going through 'operation warm feet'. In the past it would take @ least 3 hours before I would regain feeling and function in my toes. After this experiment, once I got home, I took the layers of foot coverings off only to reveal that my socks were wet from sweat, and my feet only chilly to touch. So why the heck are my toes having the sensation of being frozen, swollen, and numb??? Frost bite in the past? Temperature sensitivity from using the chemical heaters tooooo many times? Bad circulation in my extremely long digits? I just don't know. Perhaps there is a medical explanation/diagnosis?

The Future:
Until I get this issue under control I really don't know what the future holds for my winter outdoor riding. I will evaluate how my toes react to the cold in other footwear on a daily basis ;o) ..... As of this moment the outlook looks grim! I am sitting here in my house with wool socks and Acorn slippers on and my toes still aren't happy.

The Reality:
I can never turn down a fun winter ride! So my toes will continue to be hassled by the winter temperatures. I will continue to search for ways to keep them warm. I will probably even complain about them again on my blog. In the end, time will go by quickly and the sub zero weather will pass and my feet will once again rejoice and be happy that they will no longer be uncomfortably numb!!

Cheers,
Sue