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Who said run with no socks? Blister Awareness Post
garyroberts
Posts: 869
in General Chat
Compeed.
Warning, do not under any circumstances try to peel it off before it falls off. The smell is appalling. Chuff knows what they make them off. They do work though.
Trying no socks three days before a race may not be the best plan. It's taken me about four weeks to break in my trainers for no sock running (more accurately to break in my feet). Blisters, blood on the trainers but eventually nice hard skin at all chaffing points. I did a four mile race last night with no socks no bother.
Warning, do not under any circumstances try to peel it off before it falls off. The smell is appalling. Chuff knows what they make them off. They do work though.
Trying no socks three days before a race may not be the best plan. It's taken me about four weeks to break in my trainers for no sock running (more accurately to break in my feet). Blisters, blood on the trainers but eventually nice hard skin at all chaffing points. I did a four mile race last night with no socks no bother.
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Then i did a 5k fun run yesterday and opened the old blighters up again.
I've trained with no socks for over a year with no drama, why now?! Mama says that when she was a ballerina, her troupe all used surgical spirit to harden the skin for pointe work. graceful like a swan i am not, but maybe mother knows best?
She does make excellent lemon drizzle cake....
Has anyone got any wonder cures to get blisters banished?
mmmmm......lemon drizzle cake ;o)
Everyone's feet are different I suppose.
So, no shin pains [:D] but large blister [:@]
Lock laces back in for this Sunday, socks?? But that may cost me 10 seconds? THAT'S RIGHT, 10 SECONDS. I'm not here to make up the numbers, i want to be better this time than last, and repeat that for ever more (or until i win [8D])!
Depending on the blister status i may go with my 1000 milers, no doubt another hefty race debrief will follow so you'll know what i know.
Prevention
Wee on your feet alot, it will toughen the skin
Train without socks, you will get blisters but eventually you wont.
Its all in the mind they dont hurt really.
There is no way it should take 10 seconds to put socks on, even if you pat each foot dry. Why not sit in front of the TV practicing changing from cycling shoes to socks + running shoes, or just putting socks on if you one of those clever people that can still manage to stay on their bike whilst removing your feet from your bike shoes without crashing.
You want to be careful suggesting this, certain forumites think it is a bad thing to do this even if propels you to triathlon glory in a race. Doing it in training ...
Iodine would do it. I've heard stories from the MdS about having blisters under your toe nails and having to drill through them to release the pressure and inject iodine.
Ooh, I had that happen to me at this years Barcelona Marathon - only blister I got, actually. They didn't have to drill through the nail, they cut under the nail with a scapel instead. I lost the nail, in the end.
Don't often get blisters these days, but I tend to run without socks - actually, I used to run track sessions without shoes on!
You'll barely notice your existing blisters. Personally, I'd be tempted to pop 'em before sticking the Compeed on, but I'd like to make it very clear that I didn't just advise you to do that, because it will get infected and you'll get gangrene and your legs will drop off. Probably.
Longer term I think we're gravitating towards 2 options:
1) Deal with it. Your feet will get tougher and you'll stop getting blisters.
2) Socks. Trainer socks, old, stretched at the neck for ease of putting on and full of talcy goodness. Also gives you a good excuse to spill talc on the floor so you can see where your bike is.
I reckon the socks must add about 5s to T2. From experience, feeling blisters form during a race slows me down a lot more than that. I'm also scared of ever repeating the experience that happened to me about 5 years ago in a sprint tri, where for some reason my runners decided to hate me. I got a blister all the way down my instep/arch area that took a month to heal, and one so deep on my ankle bone that I had to get medical help to clear up the subsequent infection....
*EDIT* Forgot to say: stick the Compeed on the day before, it lasts about 5 days and is totally fine in the shower and indeed the pool. It'll be OK running across the car-park or whatever to get to your bike, too. Like I said, alien technology.
Did we say train with socks and race without?
Or are we just saying wear socks and add the seconds....?
I'm not afraid of being a big Jessie lol oh dear me i am confused....
... along with the other 200 triathletes who used the same talc spilling "accident" tactic... ;-)
didds
Works, tho [8|]
Brilliant things and a good idea for anyone to put on before racing without socks as they will prevent the blister occurring in the first place
Blisters are like medals.. to be celebrated after the event.. they give you a positive reminder of pain you've been through to complete the Tri.. or is just me??
Same manufacturer, different product.
I always train with socks, and race without, but I don't mind the blisters. Just pop them, keep them clean. If you don't pop them I find the pressure builds and they get bigger. I wouldn't recommend it, but I've sometimes ripped them during a race to release the blister fluid. I prefer that to the squiggy feeling of a full blister![:@]