So - let's go to last weekend. I had a 6 miler planned, and I did everything to prepare. I didn't go out on Friday, I hydrated, did not eat a fatty meal. Saturday am I had my now usual snack of peanut butter, banana, and a piece of toast. I stretched, had a small cup of coffee, and was out the door. So far, so good, right?
Wrong.
Mile 2.5 hit - and with it, came a lingering sensation of a forming blister on my right foot. That's right, a blister on my instep...and it wasn't getting better. In fact, it was getting worse. I thought I might stop and remedy the situation, but I just didn't want to stop running. Truthfully, for me, the only way to remedy a blister is to sanitize a needle and do a small surgery to relieve the swelling. I wouldn't want to keep running once I put my shoe back on, so I didn't take it off.
Big. Mistake.
By mile 5 my foot was throbbing, and it was all I could think of. I had downloaded all sorts of interesting podcasts, and non of them could keep my mind off the dull, persistent pain at the end of my right leg. I could feel my form start to compensate for the pain - my right arm swinging across my body, my stride shortening.
I pushed through the last mile, did a 4 minute cool down, and then proceeded to head over to the mats to stretch and remove my shoe. Much to my own dismay, I didn't just find a blister, I found much worse. First, a giant blister covered the majority of the arch of my right foot. Swollen and begging for a needle to relieve the pressure, it wasn't going anywhere any time soon. The next thing I noticed was both of my pink toes were bloody. Sorry if this is too graphic - but yes, they were bloody. I thought my toenails had fallen off, but the toes were fine. I couldn't figure out where the blood was coming from that had turned my shoes into a crime scene.
Ah - until I looked at the outside of my 4th toes....(what are those called by the way - ring toes??) Get this - my toenails had cut. into. my other toe. Yup, my littlest of little piggies had waged a war with my 4th toes - cutting gashes into the sides of each toe. I must have been clenching my feet to compensate for the blister, and I thus created havoc in my sneakers.
So, here I am. The sad state, shoeless, on a yoga mat in the gym. Wondering how the heck I am going to walk myself back to the locker room, get dressed, and drive myself back to the house. I managed to do it, but by the time I got inside, it was about all I could do to take a shower and lay down on the bed.
What is the verdict of this overly gory story? Well for one, band-aids. The next lesson? Two words:; body. glide. Yup. This lovely little tube-o-joy prevents rubbage wherever you do not want it. I have used it liberally on all parts of my feet and no blisters since! Wahhoooo!!!!
Other new developments. I am reading "The Truth About Food" and have become keenly aware of how I feel after eating certain foods. I have started trying to cut back on my processed foods as much as possible, as well as eating a meat-free meal (either lunch or dinner) each day. I have particularly noticed how eating beef the night before a run makes me feel sluggish.... beginning to think the saturated fat might play a role.
More on that later.
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