Anti-blister advice

L Sass

L Sass

Cathlete
Hi fellow fitness fans. Need advice from any walkers and runners out there. I am not a runner though every now and again I'll do a steady state run on my treadmill in winter months. I'll be walking 60 miles this August over 3 days. As the weather breaks I'm going on training walks outside to get used to outdoor terrain, hills, etc. (this is purely a walk, no running allowed as I understand it.) My longest training walk has been 8 miles. So far I'm using New Balance shoes with Thorlo socks. I do develop teeny blisters toward the end of a long walk, like an 8-miler. I still have 3 months to find the perfect combination that can help me avoid blisters, but I wonder if you can walk 60 and NOT get them. I'd appreciate any anti-blister advice anyone might have.

Lorrie

www.picturetrail.com/lsass

I'll be walking the Komen 3-day (60 miles) the week after Cathe's RT. To view my webpage go to: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=202302&supid=166016627
 
Hi Lorrie...I have tried Vaseline or Aquaphor on the area where I usually get a blister for prevention. I am fine when I get the right shoes...:)
 
Lorrie, have you tried Feetures socks? They are WONDERFUL! I like them so much better than Thorlo's. You can get them in 2 different thicknesses. I prefer the thinner socks and believe me, they don't budge. They won't slip on your feet or cause any kind of friction. Other than that I'm not sure how to prevent blisters, except what Carole said about finding the right shoes.

Here's a link for the socks:

http://www.feeturesbrand.com/indexc.php

:)
 
Lorrie,
I've heard, though never tried, that duct tape is supposed to work wonders for this problem. No kidding, maybe you could google it?
I have tried preventative Band-Aids in the places where I know that I usually get blisters, and if you get the correct Band-Aids then this often works very well. They should be "water-proof" (advertised as "sticks to wet skin"), should have heavy adhesive on them, and should be the kind that is a little thicker (seems to be made out of foam or something). This extra protection will go a LONG way towards helping out. If, on your very long training walks, you end up with a place where you get a very bad blister I might even go so far as to use a Band-Aid Blister bangage for that area. These are miracles and you should buy a box now and even if you don't use them before the walk you may be crying for one at mile 40 so I'd bring them in a pocket, pouch, whatever :)

Good luck,
Mattea
 
Lorrie, my left foot is a full half size larger than my right foot, so blisters are a BIG problem for me even though I usually only power walk about 2 miles in distance on the TM during my cardio sessions. I swear by Wright anit-blister socks:

http://www.wrightsock.com/anti-blister.html

I haven't had a blister since I started wearing them. :D

Like you, I always wear New Balance shoes.
 
My best suggestion for preventing blisters - change your shoes now and then. Don't walk the whole thing in the same pair. Each pair has its own pressure points so changing it up a little is good for your feet. Works for me when I do these kinds of events.
 
Thanks ladies. A gal who did this event last year disseminated some thoughts and advice for newbies which I saw the other day. One thing she said was that you just have to deal with it - that your blisters will have blisters! UGH! All of a sudden I'm a little less than psyched. She also said that for about a week post event we can expect our ankles, knees and hips to be swollen and sore. Yikes! I sure hope those are VERY individualized ramifications. Don't know that I could come down from an event like this and rest for that long. Thanks for the advice all.
Lorrie

www.picturetrail.com/lsass

I'll be walking the Komen 3-day (60 miles) the week after Cathe's RT. To view my webpage go to: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=202302&supid=166016627
 
Lorrie,
I bet you will have SOME blisters, but I also bet that there is a lot you can do to prevent them that others may not have done. Take extra pairs of the socks with you (the anti-blister kind rec. on this thread) and change them throughout. I have to say, the extra pair of shoe suggestion could be genius. Maybe try this in training walks? Are there checkpoints where you could have someone meet you with fresh shoes and/or socks so you wouldn't have to carry them?
The Aquaphor, preventative bandaging and taping, band-aid blister bandages, trying to toughen the feet beforehand, looking into a product like Dr. Scholls "Mole Skin", duct tape, etc. will go a very long way towards getting you through with minimal blisters.

I don't know what to say about the swollen joints and soreness. I know that Tart Cherry Juice is supposed to help prevent DOMS, but I don't think this is the same. Maybe taking some anti-inflammatories as you go--at regular intervals and taking and ice bath (VERY cold bath of shower) as soon as you can afterwards might help to alleviate this. This is something MANY runners do after long runs. A post walk massage could also help.

We have to get you back to Cathe torture as quickly as possible}(

Mattea
 
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