Like a Blister in the Sun...

I got an email from a friend of mine who is in training for a marathon. This will be her second one so she’s no stranger to the world of running so I was quite flattered to be asked for advice about blisters. Seriously, I was. Running publications often run articles on blister prevention and treatment so what follows may be common knowledge to a lot of you but I figured a post on what I have found effective might be useful to some of you.

Prevention:

• Let’s cover the very basics first. Wear appropriate footwear for what you’re doing. If you’re running trails, wear a trail shoe, if you’re running roads wear a road shoe. There is a reason for the existence of different types of shoes. A road shoe that gets soggy on a trail will chafe more than a trail shoe that’s had some water proofing treatment and stays drier. Plus your foot should move around less if you’re in the right shoe. Even better if it’s fitted properly
• I'll assume you're already wearing proper running socks as opposed to everyday socks. Do not underestimate what difference that makes! If you don't wear them then you can get pairs for around £5 in sweatshop or the cheap sport shops. You don’t need fancy.
• If your shoes do rub, there are things you can do to help. I have a pair of trail shoes I bought on a whim and didn’t get fitted for. First one shoe started rubbing, then a few months later so did the other. I put patches over the offending areas. These were great and I've had great success with gaffer tape :)

  

  Purpose-made anti-rub patches 

  

  but gaffer tape has a multitude of uses!

• I’ve never used vaseline or body glide on my feet but I’ve heard that some people do that so you could give that a try.
• Deal with hot spots before they turn into blisters. If you feel one starting, put a plaster on it right away. Decent fabric ones tend to stick best but DO get hold of some compeed or similar.

Coping with:

• I’ve only found one way to effectively deal with a blister once I’ve got it, namely by lancing it and then slapping on a compeed plaster. A normal plaster won't do the job here, it'll just cause more friction but compeed protects, cushions and starts to heal the blister. I've run on blisters like this for miles in comfort.

These are things that have worked for me. If you have any other tips please feel free to share!