Thru-Hiker Karen Lund on Her Feet

Runner, and thru-hiker, Karen Lund writes under the headline "Footloose and Fancy Free" in the 31 October 2008 Kansas City (MO) Tribune about her feet. As a runner, she says, she obsesses about her feet. And looking back to her thru-hiking days,

"Yeah, I know, it’s hard to imagine a 37-year old woman’s feet could still be growing, but in the world of long distance hiking and running, this phenomenon isn’t uncommon.

"Before I hiked the Appalachian Trail in 1997, veteran hikers warned me that I could end up needing a new pair of boots a few months into my journey - not because they were worn out, but because of my feet spreading in every direction from day-after-day, continuous pounding. And they were right, I had to buy new hikers mid-trip because my feet expanded one size. It might seem wild, but it’s true."

Yup!