Every time I ride more than 60-70 miles my forefoot starts hurting like hell. It gets hot and seems to be on fire. On a 90 mile ride this weekend, it started again after 60 miles. It doesn’t matter if it’s on the tri or road bike, same in tri as in road shoes. I have insoles and they work out great. A friend of mine mentioned during the same ride, that she was experiencing the same problem and never figured out what to do about it.
Does anybody have similar problems and even know why and how to get ride of the pain?!? And for all you funny people out there…not riding that long anymore is not an option…
Another possible issue might be nerve impingement either between the big toe and 2nd toe…you can try “popping” the joints like you would pop your knuckles. I found this to be an issue at one point when the muscles would all bind up in my toes. Another nerve impingement area is at the top of the foot right where the straps go across. If you pull them too tight you can pinch a nerve that causes pain in the bottom of the forefoot. You can test this by pressing with your fingers on the top of your bare foot and see if there is a spot that is overly sensitive or causes a burning, shooting pain in your foot. The cure for this is simple…stop pulling the straps so tight! The third possibility (outside of a stress fracture) is plain poor cushioning in your shoe. If the shoe doesn’t fit your arch correctly and provide at least a small amount of cushioning then you can easily end up with forefoot pain.
Go to a shop that has the Cleat Wedges and the Fore Foot Measuring Device (FFMD) get your foot measured
Also check out www.bikefit.com and see where foot pressure is most common. If you look like something on the web site the wedges may help. Make sure your screws are not pocking thru