I'll start by saying that blisters on your feet are shit. One minute you are running in a zone where you feel you can go forever, and then the next you feel like someone is going at your feet with a blowtorch every step you take and it's slowing you down to a crawl.
I can't begin to tell you how frustrating it is to work so hard at something such as getting ready to run an ultra, only to have it ultimately cut short because of blisters.
Most blistering can be taped up and endured for many many miles, but there are some that are just insurmountable, and can lead to more serious problems such as infection if you keep going.
I've had a couple of occasions now, when doing long distance walking and running, when blisters went bat-shit mental on me.
Causes
Not getting into the technical debate too much, but heat and friction are the biggest culprits when it comes to blisters from my experience. Wet feet, socks that can't dry out, tight shoes, and uneven terrain can wreak havoc with your feet. Steep declines on a hot day, with swollen feet, in a goretex shoe with not a particularly wide toe box are an especially lamentable mix after about 35km. This is speaking from recent personal experience.
The terrain aspect is a particular point to note. Rolling hills on fairly compacted trail (where I did most of my training miles) I had no blistering at all. Even after 50km. And that was without taping my feet, while wearing Gore-tex shoes and in occasional warm weather... however, Bastard steep inclines (and especially declines) on rocky slippery conditions will potentially mangle your feet faster than sticking them in the spin cycle of your washing machine. The trail in the picture is what started the issues that led to me retiring later in the challenge.
If you have the stomach for it, then this is what the result of the first 20km+ on this type of surface will do to a foot... even with tape, a size larger running shoe, with lock lacing and fresh technical socks... if you don't have the stomach for it then look away now (though you'll miss what is a cautionary tale)....
It basically split my little toe underneath and I lost both the nail and the skin on the end of my toe.
And boy did that fucker hurt when that happened. And it bled a lot.
Prevention
Some basics for you...
Size up on your shoe. Go 1 size up from your everyday shoes. Your feet will swell. Swollen feet mean more friction. More friction is more blistering
Get the right socks. Despite what happened to this foot, I swear by Innov8 Race Elite Pro socks.
Change socks every 25km
Anti blister powder (I didn't but perhaps I should have)
Tape your feet in areas prone to blistering. IMPORTANT NOTE: DO NOT LEAVE ANY RIDGES OR FOLDS in your tape. I had one in mine under that toe. That wreaked havoc
6. Treat hotspots immediately. Don't wait.
remove hard skin and ridges BEFORE your event (and give enough time for your foot to recover from a pedicure before your challenge or race)
7. Look for a foot skin strengthening cream (like Gehwol) that you can use to keen skin supple. Some swear by Vaseline in their shoe before they start. Always test if this works for you first)
8. Any grit or grass, etc you need to get out of your shoe immediately. Gaiters are great for this (I love the Dirty Girl brand especially). Just be careful not to pick up crap in/on your sock when you do a sock change or take your shoe off.
9. Use lambs wool inside your sock if you feel your toes are taking a battering.
Each rest stop, if you're prone to feet swelling, lie on your back and put your feet up on a chair. I didn't and I think it might have helped if I had as my feet were swollen.
10. Lock lace. You can always adjust your lacing as your foot swells or the terrain changes if needs be.
11. If your feet are wide, naturally, or your shoe has a slightly narrow toe box, then BUY A WIDE FIT SHOE or a shoe with generally a roomy toe box. You can always use a lacing solution that you can adjust as your feet swell, but locks it down before they do.
Just make sure you test these approaches in your training to find a combination that works for you. Every foot is different, and every weather/terrain condition is different for the same foot.
When Blisters Come
When you go really far on trail, the probability is very high you will get blisters. The question is how badly... The golden rule is treat them early. Carry a blister kit and tape ANY hotspot you notice as fast as possible. Don't leave it for 10km to the next rest stop. Just stop and deal with it.
In your blister kit: Forget Zinc Oxide tape. It's shit for hotspots and blisters and creases up. Get a really good K-Tape and blister plaster. I'd also recommend a sterile needle and some small lint padding for if you get a blister forming that's painful. Put a couple of holes in and gently squeeze the fluid out (DO NOT DO THIS IF IT'S RED OR YOU THINK IT'S BLED as you risk infection). Make sure the skin is as flat as possible then put the right size blister plaster on. Then use a small pad of lint followed by strips of K-Tape to secure and wrap the area to pad it out a little and protect it.
Blister kit essentials:
Blister Plasters (Careful with compeed though. They can be so sticky that when you remove them you take half your skin away with them)
Sterile wipes
Medical lint dressing
Sterile needle
a little hand sanitizer. If you have to treat a bloody foot then having clean and sterile hands helps)
K-Tape strips and rolls (also excellent for if you roll an ankle or twist a knee)
SCISSORS! (the last fucking thing you need is to have to try and conduct minor surgery field dressings with your teeth)
Medical lambs wool (for a bit of padding)
some blister powder ( you can get this in sachets for your running pack), or Vaseline (if that's the way you are choosing to go).
Do not skimp on this stuff. Even if you never had a blister in training. I'm grateful I had my kit with me. It got me another 20km further after my toe basically exploded in the night section. It could well be the difference between getting to a rest stop or having to dial in to be recovered. You can also use some of this stuff if you take a fall and gash your knee, shin, etc. It's worth the weight you carry and I run nowhere further than 7km without carrying mine.
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