Welcome to the Multimarathon Tips
NOTE: THE SERVICE OFFERED ON THIS WEB SITE IS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. TIPS WILL APPEAR ON THE WEBSITE EVERY 2 WEEKS FROM MARCH
Firstly and Importantly a Recommendation
It is recommended that any potential participant not currently involved in physical sporting activity, should undertake a medical examination before taking part in the Multimarathon.
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Blisters, Chaffing & Black Toenails.....
No thanks! Wanna (try) avoid them – read on.
Blisters are caused by friction and moisture. The skin on the foot gets rubbed by the constant movement of the foot inside the shoe. The skin layers get hot and stretch which allows fluids to enter this new space. The fluid causes the blister to appear. Sounds very pleasant huh!
The best way to avoid blisters is to wear a running sock that wicks away sweat (moisture) from your skin. Running socks can come in single or double layers i.e. the sock could have two layers of material – the inside layer (layer1) is in contact with your foot and the outside layer (layer 2) is in contact with the shoe. Some socks can be bought that are designed for your left or right foot. This makes them tighter fitting thus reducing friction.
Up until this point we have assumed that your running shoes are fitting you correctly. If the shoe is too big (can’t imagine someone buying one too small....) your foot will move around and cause unnecessary friction.
Some people still get them no matter what. There are some old fashioned ways to harden your skin – I suggest you look them up on the net.
Chaffing. If you are putting in decent millage and you build up a sweat your training clothes will get moist and tighter. Some areas of the body will react badly to regular rubbing of material against them. It will feel like you have rubbed up against sandpaper (stingy feeling).The most common areas are nipples, under the arm pits and the groin area. Consider using a Petroleum Jelly product (Vaseline) in these areas. Don’t go nuts putting it on as the Petroleum Jelly will block your pores preventing you from sweating. Just enough to ensure that everything runs smoothly....
Back in the day I started running marathons I considered it normal for at least one of my toe nails to turn black and fall off. That was a few marathons ago....! Some people still like tight runners on their feet no matter what. The constant pounding against the shoe could impact on the toenail causing it to go bloodshot (black). The best prevention is to keep the toenails clipped. Simple really....
Eoin Ryan (Ultra Marathon Runner)
