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Blisters? (Read 1393 times)


ultramarathon/triathlete

    I tried searching for an answer already but could not find a thread, so, apologies, this HAS to have been asked and answered before...

     

    I got a blister on the ball of my foot deeeep under the callus at the Grand Rapids marathon last month.   It seemed to have healed, and I thought all was fine until mile 10 of the NYC marathon this past weekend when the area started to get hot... you know the feeling... here comes the blister again.  And I did apply a lot of Body Glide pre-race, fyi.

     

    It got worse and worse and started to hurt around mile 19.  I kept going.  It's not a broken bone.  It kept rubbing.

     

    At Mile 22, I felt this nasty explosion between my big toe and second toe, sort of like when you bite into some chewy candy with a juicy center (like those power bar lemon bursts).   SQUIIIIRRRT.  My stomach did a flip flop and I almost lost it.  I mean, it felt suuuuper gross.  I looked down, it all seemed fine, but by mile 23 I noticed the top of my shoe was red (it was previously white).   

     

    On the bright side, the pain of the blister had mostly subsided, so I kept chuggin along (finished in 3:23:07, not my best, not my worst).

     

    Now it's hard to walk on it (as if my dead quads were not bad enough!).  

    It's gross.  

    It's big.  

    It's popped.  

     

    I'm trying to determine out the best way to heal it.  I have an ultra in 2 weeks and as it stands now, I'm not racing it.  Bummer. 

     

    I've been putting neosporin on it and keeping it bandaged in the day, leaving it clean and uncovered at night to get some air.   

     

    Do I gradually trim away the dead skin (which is surprisingly thick, this was a DEEP blister) or do I leave the skin and try to get ointment under it, into the wound?  Or do I do something else?

     

    Thoughts?  Experiences?  Wanna see a picture :-P

    HTFU?  Why not!

    USATF Coach

    Empire Tri Club Coach
    Gatorade Endurance Team

      I got a blister on the ball of my foot deeeep under the callus at the Grand Rapids marathon last month.  

       

      Interesting. Had the same thing happen to me, except I didn't know it was a blister. I was convinced it was a stone bruise. After a week, I was smashing on it and determined it must be a blister. Jabbed it with a needle and "yuck". Instant relielf.

       

      Second skin as worked for popped blisters in the past, to cover the sensitive area. Last time I used moleskin.

       

      On the preventive side. I'm trying to shave down some of the callus build up so this doesn't happen again.

      Get off my porch


      ultramarathon/triathlete

        I'm thinking the same thing.  After it is all healed, I think I'll get a pedicure.  Never had one and am not envying the ladies that end up taking care of my beaten up feet and missing toenails! hahaha

         

        And I got a sample of that second skin stuff with my expo bag at the marathon so I think I'll give that a try.. question though, do I need to wait for the dead skin to be gone before using it?  Seems like it might not work if it is just over a popped blister.

         

        I think I have some moleskin around too, I'll give that a try as well. 

        HTFU?  Why not!

        USATF Coach

        Empire Tri Club Coach
        Gatorade Endurance Team

        Trent


        Good Bad & The Monkey

          Nothing you do will speed healing.  Just gotta keep it covered up to minimize pain.  Second skin, duct tape or superglue are all fine.


          Feeling the growl again

             duct tape or superglue are all fine.

             

            Surprisingly, this is one thing I have not tried duct tape on.

            "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

             

            I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

             


            Feeling the growl again

              I'm thinking the same thing.  After it is all healed, I think I'll get a pedicure.  Never had one and am not envying the ladies that end up taking care of my beaten up feet and missing toenails! hahaha

               

              And I got a sample of that second skin stuff with my expo bag at the marathon so I think I'll give that a try.. question though, do I need to wait for the dead skin to be gone before using it?  Seems like it might not work if it is just over a popped blister.

               

              I think I have some moleskin around too, I'll give that a try as well. 

               

              If the dead layer is still over it, second skin will not do much.  I always leave it there for at least 3-5 days...if it will stay there...to let the skin underneath mature.  I don't find it necessary to leave it there until it falls off itself, if removing it will help.  Sometimes if you leave it on there an infection can get between.

               

              Running an ultra on that, if you got it in just a marathon, is going to be tough as it won't heal by then.  Good luck.  

               

              While I got no blisters I had the weirdest thing in the 37 miles I completed toward an ultra several weeks ago.  Several days later, the entire layer of skin on the bottom of my right foot died and sloughed off.  No blisters, and just my right foot.  Odd.

              "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

               

              I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

               

              Ojo


                Maybe you were joking but just in case . . . do not get a pedicure!!!  I got one this summer when I was laid up and it messed things up even more.

                 

                I got a horrible blood blister on the side of my big toe 3 weeks before my ultra.  I did a combination of things that all worked give the technicality of the race. 

                 

                Injini socks with balega socks over them

                Blister band aids on the blood blister and 2 other bruised areas

                Blister shield

                 

                My feet were fine afterwards . . . and I had a great race!  Big grin

                Sara

                MM #2929

                runnerclay


                Consistently Slow

                   duct tape

                   

                   For prevention.It works! Big grin

                  Run until the trail runs out.

                   SCHEDULE 2016--

                   The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

                  unsolicited chatter

                  http://bkclay.blogspot.com/

                    Dang... 

                    Not really pre or post dinner forum material... Smile

                    Life Goals:

                    #1: Do what I can do

                    #2: Enjoy life

                     

                     

                    Trent


                    Good Bad & The Monkey

                      Not really pre or post dinner forum material... Smile

                       

                      Totally disagree.


                      Feeling the growl again

                        Totally disagree.

                         

                        Not all of us eagerly anticipated Cadaver Lab.

                         

                        And brought snacks.

                         

                         

                        Wink

                        "If you want to be a bad a$s, then do what a bad a$s does.  There's your pep talk for today.  Go Run." -- Slo_Hand

                         

                        I am spaniel - Crusher of Treadmills

                         


                        ultramarathon/triathlete

                          Thanks everyone, for the advice and suggestions.

                           

                          I decided to trim away the dead skin last night on the big blister, mostly because I was bored sitting around and kept poking at it.  I left the skin on the smaller, which is still intact.  In fact, I did not even really notice it was still there until I was playing around the the other foot.   This will work as sort of a loose experiment, I suppose.

                           

                          I'm thinking the Ultra is out.  

                          I'll go and support racers, maybe run a few random loops with people.  it's 9x the inner 4 mile loop of Central Park, after a quick mile-ish out and back.   It's gets a bit mind numbing, as you might imagine, so I can at least help others if I can't run the whole thing.  Still kind of a bummer though, but I can pick a December ultra or marathon instead.  A little rest will probably be a good thing anyway. 

                           

                          Trent --do you really use/recommend Duct Tape?   Is that "clean"?  Do you put anything on the raw skin under the tape?

                          HTFU?  Why not!

                          USATF Coach

                          Empire Tri Club Coach
                          Gatorade Endurance Team

                          Trent


                          Good Bad & The Monkey

                            I usually recommend super glue.

                             

                            Most experienced ultra runners have run numerous races with big blisters.  I don't know that you should take a DNS without trying.

                             

                            Duct tape is adequately clean.  It can be a tiny bit inflammatory, but is usually fine.  Deal is, with nearly all blisters, the remaining skin below the blister is still intact enough to be a barrier to any real infection or debris.  Mostly, what you are doing is managing pain.

                             

                            This thread really is useless without pics.  KD, get on that.

                            bhearn


                              I'm in a slightly similar position... my first 100 is this weekend, and I have an annoying blister that won't go away. It's just a tiny thing on my little toe; I'm trying to keep it drained, but there's not much I can see to poke and drain. Yet it hurts to walk on.

                               

                              I've run a number of ultras, but I've never taped or used superglue, and I'm reluctant to start experimenting in my first 100. I guess I've been lucky so far in the blister department.

                               

                              For today I'm wearing Injinjis at the office and no shoes. And crossing my fingers.