Sock swap for a hot spot

I really was looking forward to my long run this week. I thought that, with the break in the weather, it'd be a little cooler and a little less humid than has been the norm lately. I got up early and was out the door by 6:40 a.m. I drew up a training schedule Friday night, and only needed a total of 24 miles for the week, but it also called for a 12 mile long run today. I wasn't going to go that far, but thought I might be able to do 10, and if I did I'd end up the week with a bit over 30 miles.
I headed straight north (on my very zigzaggy course) from the house. It wasn't long before I determined that it wasn't as cool as I'd hoped, and the humidity was over the top. It was mostly cloudy, so the humidity was trapped against the ground which, as luck would have it, was where I was. I had plenty of water and was moving slowly, so I decided I'd shoot for 10 anyway.
About one mile out I began to get a hot spot on the pad of my left foot, something that has plagued me since returning to running two months ago. This time it came despite brand new $9 running socks. Thinking my left shoe might be slightly less snug than my right, I stopped at mile 2 and re-laced. It did no good, but at least by then I was done with uphills for a while and the problem eased.
By the time I reached the 5-mile mark I was pretty well soaked from sweat, and the hot spot was getting hotter. I sat down on a big rock on the side of the road and removed my shoes and socks and then put my right sock on my left foot and vice versa (no, I didn't swap my shoes), thinking that might make a difference. Both socks were soaked with sweat already by then.
The sock swap didn't work either, but the whole thing was manageable as long as I walked up the hills, which by then I was doing with increasing frequency.
At mile 7 I dropped in at the 72nd St. Sinclair station for some much appreciated cold water from their soda fountain. From there I plodded on home, finishing 9.71 miles in 1:36:30, which is a 9:57 pace. That was enough for exactly 30 miles for the week. -- Rob